The title
Duke of York is a title usually awarded to the second son of the British
monarch, unless the title is already held by a male descendant of an earlier Duke of York.
The current Duke of York is HRH The Prince Andrew, second son of Queen Elizabeth II.
Other royal dukedoms generally awarded to male members of the Royal Family include:
- Edmund of Langley (1341-1402), the fourth surviving son of King Edward III. He is an important character in Shakespeare's Richard II. 1384-1402
- Edward, Duke of York (~1373-1415), son of Edmund of Langley -- he was the Duke of York who was killed at the Battle of Agincourt. As Duke of Aumerle, he is also a major character in Richard II. 1402-1415
- Richard, Duke of York (1411-1460), nephew of the 2nd Duke. He did not inherit the dukedom immediately, as his father, Richard, Earl of Cambridge, had been attainted as a traitor, but recovered it in 1425. He is a major character in Shakespeare's Henry VI, Parts Two[?] and Three[?], and one of the main protagonists in the Wars of the Roses. 1425-1460
- Edward (1442-1483), eldest son of the 3rd Duke, he became king shortly thereafter as Edward IV. 1460-1461
- Charles Stuart (1600-1649), second son of King James I. When his older brother, Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, died in 1612, Charles became heir, and, eventually King Charles I. 1604-1625
- James Stuart (1633-1701), second son of King Charles I. When his older brother, Charles II, died without heirs, James succeeded to the throne as King James II. 1644-1685
- Duke Ernest Augustus of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Bishop of Osnabrück (1674-1728), the Youngest brother of King George I. He died without heirs. 1716-1728
- Prince Frederick Augustus (1763-1827) -- second son of King George III. He served as Commander-in-Chief of the British Army for many years, and was the original "grand old Duke of York" in the popular rhyme. He died without heirs. 1784-1827
- Prince Albert, second son of King George V, and younger brother of King Edward VIII. Albert came unexpectedly to the throne when his brother was forced to abdicate, and took the name George VI. 1920-1936
- Prince Andrew, second son of Queen Elizabeth II. As of the present day, he has only 2 daughters. 1986-Present.
As one may have noticed, aside from the first creation, every time the Dukedom of York has been created it has had only one occupant, that person either inheriting the throne or dying without male heirs. This gives rise to the idea that there is a curse of some sort on the title.