Duke of Cumberland is a peerage title that was conferred upon junior members of the British royal family, named after the historic county of Cumberland.
The Earldom of Cumberland, created in 1525, became extinct in 1643. The dukedom was created in the Peerage of England in 1644 for Prince Rupert of the Rhine, nephew of King Charles I. When he died without male heirs, the title was created again in the Peerage of England in 1689 for Prince George of Denmark, husband of Princess Anne, younger daughter of King James II. He also died without heirs, in 1708. Neither of these men, however, was usually known by his peerage title.
The third creation, in the Peerage of Great Britain, was for Prince William, the third son of King George II. Other titles granted to Prince William were Marquess of Berkhampstead, Earl of Kennington, Viscount Trematon and Baron Alderney. Since the Prince died unmarried and without children, his titles became extinct at his death.
The titles Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn and Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale were later created in the Peerage of Great Britain.
| Prince Rupert
House of Wittelsbach
1644–1682
also: Earl of Holderness (1644)| | 17 December 1619
Prague
son of Frederick V, Elector Palatine and Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia| Never married| 29 November 1682
Westminster
aged 62|-| colspan="5" |Nephew of Charles I, died without legitimate issue.|-|}
| Prince George
House of Oldenburg
1689–1708
also: Earl of Kendal and Baron Wokingham (1689)| | 2 June 1653
Copenhagen Castle
son of Frederick III of Denmark and Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg| Anne
28 July 1683
5 children| 28 October 1708
Kensington Palace
aged 55|-| colspan="5" |Husband of Queen Anne, died without surviving issue.|-|}
|Prince William
also Marquess of Berkhamsted, Earl of Kennington, Viscount Trematon and Baron Alderney (Great Britain, 1726)| |26 April 1721
Leicester House, London
son of George II of Great Britain and Caroline of Ansbach|Never married|31 October 1765
London
aged 44|-| colspan="5"|Also known as "Butcher" Cumberland and Sweet William.|}
The sole title-holder was Prince Henry (1745–1790), third son of Frederick, Prince of Wales. He died without legitimate issue, when the dukedom again became extinct.
This double dukedom, in the Peerage of Great Britain, was bestowed on Prince Ernest Augustus (1771–1851) (later King of Hanover), the fifth son and eighth child of King George III of the United Kingdom and King of Hanover. In 1919, it was suspended under the Titles Deprivation Act 1917 and,, has not been restored to its titular heir.
An historic fixed bridge hand is known as the Duke of Cumberland hand. The hand also appeared in Ian Fleming's James Bond thriller, Moonraker.[1]