Mail Online

So why does the Duke of Norfolk live in Sussex?

WHILE his title would imply he lords over Norwich, the traditional seat of the Duke of Norfolk is almost 200 miles away at Arundel Castle in Sussex.

This situation is not uncommon, with very few British dukes living near the origin of their title. Chatsworth House, the home of the Dukes of Devonshire, is in Derbyshire. Similarly, for centuries the Duke of Westminster’s traditional seat has been Eaton Hall in Cheshire.

The reason for absenteeism among the dukes is usually one of history. Many owned their homes and land before they took on their titles. Indeed, they were usually given dukedoms precisely because they were rich enough to own plenty of land, so they tended to remain in their existing homes.

Arundel Castle was given to ancestors of the present Duke of Norfolk shortly after the Norman Conquest in the 11th Century, while the title was created several centuries later.

Traditional seats are often irrelevant now, with many sold or lost to death duties.

For instance, the Duke of Manchester lives in Las Vegas, and has at times found his ducal seat to be the High Desert Nevada State Prison – a far cry from the family’s 17th Century Kimbolton Castle, which is now a school.

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2022-08-14T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-08-14T07:00:00.0000000Z

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