Duke of Cleveland

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Barbara Palmer,
1st Duchess of Cleveland

For the sex offender who fraudulently presented himself as the "5th Duke of Cleveland" in 2004 in Stillwater and 2006 in Chaska, Minnesota, see Joshua Gardner

Duke of Cleveland is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The dukedoms were named after Cleveland in northern England.

The first creation in 1670 (along with the barony of Nonsuch and the earldom of Southampton) was for Barbara Palmer, a mistress of King Charles II. The dukedom was created with a special remainder allowing it to be inherited by Charles FitzRoy, her illegitimate son by Charles II. Being illegitimate, he would not normally have inherited the peerage. He was made Duke of Southampton, Earl of Chichester and Baron Newbury in 1675 and inherited the dukedom of Cleveland in 1709.

His son William inherited both dukedoms, but he had no issue, and since his uncles (Henry Fitzroy, 1st Duke of Grafton (died 1690) and George FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Northumberland (died 1716)) had not been made eligible to inherit the peerage, the title could not pass to one of their descendants and became extinct upon his death.

The dukedom of Cleveland was created again in 1833 for William Vane, 3rd Earl of Darlington, along with the title Baron Raby. He was a great-grandson of Charles FitzRoy, the second Duke of the first creation, and had already been created Marquess of Cleveland in 1827. For more information on this creation, which became extinct in 1891, and the Vane family, see the Baron Barnard.