Earl of Cardigan

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Earl of Cardigan is a title in the Peerage of England, currently held by the Marquesses of Ailesbury.

On 29 June 1611, Sir Thomas Brudenell was created a Baronet in the Baronetage of England, styled "of Deene in the County of Northampton". On 26 February 1628, he was raised to the Peerage of England as Baron Brudenell, of Stanton Wyvill in the County of Leicester, and on 20 April 1661 he was further created Earl of Cardigan.

On his death, the titles passed to his son, the 2nd Earl, and on the 2nd Earl's death to his grandson, the 3rd Earl, the 2nd Earl's only son, Francis, Lord Brudenell, having predeceased his father.

The titles then passed in turn to the two eldest sons of the 3rd Earl. The 4th Earl inherited the estates of the 2nd Duke of Montagu in 1749, and in 1766 was created Duke of Montagu and Marquess of Monthermer in the Peerage of Great Britain. In 1786 he was also created Baron Montagu, of Boughton in the County of Northampton, with remainder to the younger sons of his daughter. (See Duke of Montagu for those titles.)

On his death, the Dukedom and Marquessate became extinct, the Barony of Montagu passed according to its special remainder, and the Earldom and other titles passed to his younger brother, the 5th Earl, who on 17 October 1780 had been created Baron Brudenell, of Deene in the County of Northampton, in the Peerage of Great Britain.

On his death, the 1780 Barony of Brudenell became extinct, and the other titles passed to his nephew, the 6th Earl, only son of the third son of the 3rd Earl, and on his death to his son, the 7th Earl.

On his death, the titles were inherited by his second cousin, the 2nd Marquess of Ailesbury, grandson of the fourth and youngest son of the 3rd Earl. This son had succeeded his maternal uncle (the 3rd Earl of Ailesbury and 4th Earl of Elgin) in 1747 as 2nd Baron Bruce, of Tottenham in the County of Wilts, had in 1766 assumed the surname "Brudenell-Bruce", and had in 1776 been created Earl of Ailesbury. The 1st Earl of Ailesbury was succeeded by his son, the 2nd Earl of Ailesbury, who in 1821 had been created Marquess of Ailesbury, in the County of Buckingham, Earl Bruce, of Whorlton in the County of York, and Viscount Savernake, of Savernake Forest in the County of Wilts. He was succeeded by his son, the aforementioned 2nd Marquess of Ailesbury and 8th Earl of Cardigan.

The Earldom remains united with the Marquessate of Ailesbury, and indeed, since the descendants of the 1st Earl of Ailesbury are the only remaining descendants of the 1st Earl of Cardigan, the titles will never separate. The Earldom remains visible, however, as it is used as a courtesy title by the Heirs Apparent to the Marquessate.