This hereditary role has responsibility for arranging the state opening of parliament, as well as organizing state funerals for sovereigns and the accession and coronation of new monarchs. The position is traditionally held by the highest-ranking duke in England, who is the Duke of Norfolk. The current Earl Marshal is the 18th Duke of Norfolk, Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 65, who inherited the title when his father died in 2002. As part of his duties, the duke played an important role in the proclamation of King Charles III, standing on the balcony overlooking the Cloister Court at St James’s Palace as the main proclamation was read aloud in public by the King of Arms. The father-of-five, who is known to his friends as Eddie and is said to be worth more than £100m, is regarded as the most senior lay member of the Roman Catholic church in Britain and is a peer in the House of Lords. . Educated at Ampleforth College and Lincoln College, Oxford, he is said to have run a bottled gas company, a joinery business and is said to have been a keen racing driver and accomplished skier. Last month, it was reported that he and his wife of 34 years, Georgina, had finalized their divorce. He was quoted by the Mail on Sunday as saying: “It’s terribly sad.” The couple married in 1987, divorced in 2011, but reconciled until 2016, only to split again and are now in a new relationship. In 2015, his niece, Kinvara Balfour, granddaughter of the 17th Duke of Norfolk, called for the “archaic, crazy and awful” primogeniture law to be reviewed, saying her mother, Lady Tessa, had missed out on inheriting Arundel Castle in the West. Sussex, the seat of the Duke of Norfolk, because no boy was born, with her younger brother. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. All past and present Dukes of Norfolk are descended from Edward I. Since the 16th century, the earl marshal has had authority over the kings of arms, heralds and purveyors in the College of Arms, the body that regulates heraldry. Among the many titles he holds, he is also said to be one of three contenders for the role of England’s chief butler.
