| Earl of Athlone | |
| Creation Date: | 16 July 1917[1] |
| Creation: | Third |
| Remainder To: | Heirs male of the 1st earl's body lawfully begotten |
| Status: | Extinct |
| Extinction Date: | 16 January 1957 |
| Family Seat: | Brantridge Park[2] |
| Motto: | "Fearless and Faithful" |
The title of Earl of Athlone has been created three times.
It was created first in the Peerage of Ireland in 1692 by King William III for General Baron van Reede, Lord of Ginkel, a Dutch nobleman, to honour him for his successful battles in Ireland including the Siege of Athlone. The title also had the subsidiary title of Baron Aughrim. These titles became extinct in 1844 upon the death of the 9th Earl. The Earls also bore the Dutch nobility title Baron van Reede (hereditary in male line; still extant in the Netherlands).
The second creation was in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, as a subsidiary title of the Dukedom of Clarence and Avondale, and was conferred in 1890 upon Prince Albert Victor of Wales, the eldest son of the Prince of Wales. When he died in 1892, the title became extinct.
The third creation was in 1917, also in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, for the former Prince Alexander of Teck, younger brother of Queen Mary and greatuncle of Queen Elizabeth II, along with the subsidiary title of Viscount Trematon. The earldom was given after the Titles Deprivation Act 1917, when members of the British royal family were forced to renounce their German royal titles. Alexander had two sons who predeceased him, and the titles became extinct after his death.[3]