William Douglas, 4th Duke of Queensberry
Encyclopedia
William Douglas, 4th Duke of Queensberry KT
(16 December 1724 – 23 December 1810) was a Scottish nobleman.
Born in Peebles
, Queensberry was the only son of William Douglas, 2nd Earl of March, and his wife, Lady Anne Hamilton.
He was appointed a Knight of the Thistle
in 1761 and was a Scottish representative peer
from 1761. He was Vice Admiral of Scotland from 1767 to 1776. He was Lord Lieutenant of Dumfries
from 1794 until 1810.
He succeeded his father to the Earldom of March in 1731 and his mother to the Earldom of Ruglen
in 1748. He succeeded his cousin Charles as Duke of Queensberry in 1778, and was created Baron Douglas of Amesbury
in the Peerage of Great Britain
in 1786.
A friend of the Prince of Wales
, he was appointed Gentleman of the Bedchamber
to George III
in 1760.
Queensberry never married, though he had a daughter, Maria "Mie-Mie" Fagnani, by a mistress, the Marchesa Fagnani. She became wife in 1798, of the 3rd Marquess of Hertford; Queensberry left much of his fortune to Maria Hertford.
On his death, the Dukedom of Queensberry and Drumlanrig Castle passed to his second cousin once removed third Duke of Buccleuch
. The Marquessate of Queensberry passed to his fourth cousin once removed (and also third once removed) Sir Charles Douglas, 5th Bt
, whose descendant is the current titleholder. His second cousin twice removed Francis Douglas, 8th Earl of Wemyss
became Earl of Wemyss and March. The Earldom of Ruglen became extinct.
As Lord March he is portrayed in the William Makepeace Thackeray
novel The Virginians
as a dissolute gambler.
Order of the Thistle
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order...
(16 December 1724 – 23 December 1810) was a Scottish nobleman.
Born in Peebles
Peebles
Peebles is a burgh in the committee area of Tweeddale, in the Scottish Borders, lying on the River Tweed. According to the 2001 Census, the population was 8,159.-History:...
, Queensberry was the only son of William Douglas, 2nd Earl of March, and his wife, Lady Anne Hamilton.
He was appointed a Knight of the Thistle
Order of the Thistle
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order...
in 1761 and was a Scottish representative peer
Representative peer
In the United Kingdom, representative peers were those peers elected by the members of the Peerage of Scotland and the Peerage of Ireland to sit in the British House of Lords...
from 1761. He was Vice Admiral of Scotland from 1767 to 1776. He was Lord Lieutenant of Dumfries
Lord Lieutenant of Dumfries
This is a list of people who have served as Lord-Lieutenant of Dumfries.*William Douglas, 4th Duke of Queensberry 17 March 1794 –1797*Charles Montagu-Scott, 4th Duke of Buccleuch 17 November 1797 – 20 April 1819...
from 1794 until 1810.
He succeeded his father to the Earldom of March in 1731 and his mother to the Earldom of Ruglen
Earl of Ruglen
Earl of Ruglen was a title in the Peerage of Scotland. Along with the subsidiary titles Viscount of Riccartoun and Lord Hillhouse, it was created on the 14th of April, 1697, for Lord John Douglas-Hamilton, fourth son of William Douglas-Hamilton, Duke of Hamilton, 1st Earl of Selkirk, and his wife...
in 1748. He succeeded his cousin Charles as Duke of Queensberry in 1778, and was created Baron Douglas of Amesbury
Amesbury
Amesbury is a town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. It is most famous for the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge which is in its parish, and for the discovery of the Amesbury Archer—dubbed the King of Stonehenge in the press—in 2002...
in the Peerage of Great Britain
Peerage of Great Britain
The Peerage of Great Britain comprises all extant peerages created in the Kingdom of Great Britain after the Act of Union 1707 but before the Act of Union 1800...
in 1786.
A friend of the Prince of Wales
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
, he was appointed Gentleman of the Bedchamber
Gentleman of the Bedchamber
A Gentleman of the Bedchamber was the holder of an important office in the royal household of the Kingdom of England from the 11th century, later used also in the Kingdom of Great Britain.-Description and functions:...
to George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
in 1760.
Queensberry never married, though he had a daughter, Maria "Mie-Mie" Fagnani, by a mistress, the Marchesa Fagnani. She became wife in 1798, of the 3rd Marquess of Hertford; Queensberry left much of his fortune to Maria Hertford.
On his death, the Dukedom of Queensberry and Drumlanrig Castle passed to his second cousin once removed third Duke of Buccleuch
Henry Scott, 3rd Duke of Buccleuch
Henry Scott, 3rd Duke of Buccleuch and 5th Duke of Queensberry KG KT FRSE was a Scottish nobleman and long-time friend of the notable Sir Walter Scott...
. The Marquessate of Queensberry passed to his fourth cousin once removed (and also third once removed) Sir Charles Douglas, 5th Bt
Charles Douglas, 6th Marquess of Queensberry
Charles Douglas, 6th Marquess of Queensberry, KT was a Scottish peer.Douglas was the first son and heir of Sir William Douglas, Bt, and his wife, Grace, née Johnstone. He inherited his father's baronetcy in 1783...
, whose descendant is the current titleholder. His second cousin twice removed Francis Douglas, 8th Earl of Wemyss
Francis Douglas, 8th Earl of Wemyss
Francis Wemyss Charteris Douglas, 8th Earl of Wemyss, 4th Earl of March , known as the Earl of March from 1810 to 1826 and as the Earl of Wemyss and March from 1826 to 1853, was a Scottish peer....
became Earl of Wemyss and March. The Earldom of Ruglen became extinct.
As Lord March he is portrayed in the William Makepeace Thackeray
William Makepeace Thackeray
William Makepeace Thackeray was an English novelist of the 19th century. He was famous for his satirical works, particularly Vanity Fair, a panoramic portrait of English society.-Biography:...
novel The Virginians
The Virginians
The Virginians: A Tale of the Last Century is a historical novel by William Makepeace Thackeray which forms a sequel to his Henry Esmond and is also loosely linked to Pendennis. It tells the story of Henry Esmond's twin grandsons, George and Henry Warrington...
as a dissolute gambler.
External links
- Queensberry in St James's, London
- Portrait by Opie in National Portrait Gallery
- Caricature by James Gillray in National Portrait Gallery
- Article in the Burns Encyclopedia