Earl of Portland is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of England, first in 1633 and again in 1689.
The title of Earl of Portland was first created for the politician Richard Weston, 1st Baron Weston, in 1633. He was Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1621 to 1628 and Lord High Treasurer from 1628 to 1635, and had already been created Baron Weston, of Neyland in the County of Suffolk, in 1628. This title was also in the Peerage of England. He was succeeded by his son, the second Earl. He served as Joint Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire. His son, the third Earl, was killed at the Battle of Lowestoft in 1665. He was unmarried and was succeeded by his uncle, the fourth Earl. He was childless and on his death in 1688 the titles became extinct.
The title was created for a second time in 1689 in favour of William Bentinck, the Dutch favourite and close advisor of King William III. He was made Baron Cirencester and Viscount Woodstock at the same time he was given the earldom, also in the Peerage of England. He was succeeded in 1709 by his son from his first marriage, Henry, the second Earl of Portland. He represented Southampton and Hampshire in the House of Commons. In 1716 he was created Marquess of Titchfield and Duke of Portland in the Peerage of Great Britain. His grandson, William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland was a noted politician. He was Prime Minister in 1783 and from 1807 to 1809 and also served as Home Secretary and as Lord President of the Council. In 1801 he assumed by Royal license the additional surname of Cavendish. Portland was the husband of Lady Dorothy Cavendish, daughter of William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire, and was a descendant on his mother's side of Henry Cavendish, 2nd Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne).
The third Duke was succeeded by his eldest son William Bentinck, 4th Duke of Portland. The fourth Duke was also a politician and served as Lord Privy Seal in 1827 and as Lord President of the Council from 1827 to 1828. He married Henrietta, daughter of Major-General John Scott, in 1795, and assumed by Royal license the same year the additional surname of Scott in the manner of Cavendish-Bentinck. His eldest son and heir apparent, William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck, Marquess of Titchfield, represented King's Lynn in Parliament but died unmarried in 1824, fifteen years before his father. Portland was therefore succeeded by his second son, William Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck, 5th Duke of Portland. The fifth Duke is remembered as a capable architect and engineer who excavated an underground art gallery and library under his estate at Welbeck Abbey.
The fifth Duke died unmarried and was succeeded by his first cousin once removed, William Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland, who was the only son from the first marriage of Lieutenant-General Arthur Cavendish-Bentinck, second and youngest son of Lord Charles Bentinck, the third son of the third Duke. Charles' first son, also named Charles, was a maternal great-grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II. In 1880 the sixth Duke also succeeded his stepmother as second Baron Bolsover. He was a Conservative politician and served as Master of the Horse from 1886 to 1892 and from 1895 to 1905. His eldest son William Cavendish-Bentinck, 7th Duke of Portland was also a Conservative politician and served as a Junior Lord of the Treasury from 1927 to 1929 and in 1932. The seventh Duke had no sons and was succeeded by his third cousin, Ferdinand Cavendish-Bentinck, 8th Duke of Portland, a great-grandson of Major-General Lord Frederick Cavendish-Bentinck, fourth son of the third Duke.
The eighth Duke was childless and succeeded by his younger brother, Victor Cavendish-Bentinck, 9th Duke of Portland. He was a diplomat and served as Ambassador to Poland. Victor's only son William James Cavendish-Bentinck (1925–1966) predeceased him, childless, and on Portland's death in 1990 at the age of 93 the marquessate of Titchfield and the dukedom of Portland became extinct.
The Duke was succeeded in his remaining titles by his distant relative (his sixth cousin) Henry Bentinck, 11th Earl of Portland. He was the great-great-great-great-grandson of William Bentinck, 1st Graf Bentinck (1704–1774) and eldest son of the 1st Earl from his second marriage, who had been created a Count of the Holy Roman Empire in 1732 (with a Royal Licence of 1886 to use the title in England). Since Henry's death in 1997, the titles are held by his only son, Tim Bentinck, 12th Earl of Portland. Tim is also a Count Bentinck of the Holy Roman Empire. He is a well-known actor, known simply as Tim Bentinck.
Several other members of the Cavendish-Bentinck family have also gained distinction. Lord William Bentinck, second son of the third Duke, was a prominent soldier, politician and colonial administrator. The aforementioned Arthur Cavendish-Bentinck was a Lieutenant-General in the British Army. His grandson Lord Henry Cavendish-Bentinck was a Conservative politician. Lord Frederick Cavendish-Bentinck, fourth son of the third Duke, was a Major-General in the Army. His only son George Cavendish-Bentinck was a Conservative politician. Lord George Bentinck, fifth son of the fourth Duke, was a Tory politician. John Charles Bentinck, grandson of the Hon. William Bentinck, eldest son from the second marriage of the 1st Earl, was also a Major-General in the Army. His younger son Sir Henry John William Bentinck was also a noted soldier. Margaret Bentinck, Duchess of Portland, wife of the second Duke, was a wealthy heiress and collector.
The seat of the Dukes of Portland was Welbeck Abbey, Nottinghamshire. Welbeck Abbey and its substantial estate remain (as of 2008) in the ownership of the Cavendish-Bentinck family through the descendants of the 7th Duke. The vast Abbey itself has recently been restored as a private family residence after many years of institutional use. The Dukes of Portland also owned the village of Pegswood in Northumberland. Moreover, Portland, Victoria and Portland House in London, a house of Welbeck College, are named in honour of the dukes of Portland.
Two major collections of papers of the Cavendish-Bentinck Dukes of Portland have been deposited at the department of Manuscripts and Special Collections, The University of Nottingham. A complementary archive collection has been deposited at Nottinghamshire Archives.
The heir apparent is the present holder's eldest son William Jack Henry Bentinck, Viscount Woodstock (b. 1984).
In 1732 the title Count (Graf) Bentinck, of the Holy Roman Empire, was created by Emperor Charles VI for William Bentinck, Baron Bentinck in the Duchy of Guelders and second surviving son of Hans Willem Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland. A Royal Licence of 1886 was created which allowed the use of this title in England as well. The title is inherited in male primogeniture line by the descendents of William Bentinck. Already the 7th Count Bentinck since 1932, Henry Bentinck became also the 11th Earl of Portland in 1990. After his death in 1997, the titles are currently held by the actor Tim Bentinck.
The heir apparent is the present holder's eldest son William Jack Henry Bentinck (b. 1984), who is also Viscount Woodstock.