Baron of Renfrew (title)


Baron of Renfrew is a dignity held by the heir apparent to the British throne, currently Charles, Prince of Wales. It was held by the Scottish heir apparent beginning in 1404. It is closely associated with the title Duke of Rothesay. An act of the Scottish Parliament passed in 1469 confirmed the pattern of succession. Renfrew, a town near Glasgow, is sometimes called the "cradle of the royal Stewarts."
In Scotland, barons hold feudal titles, not peerages: a Scottish lord of Parliament equates to an English or British baron. Some, however, claim that the Act of 1469 effectively elevated the Barony of Renfrew to the dignity of a peerage. Others suggest that the barony became a peerage upon the Union of the Crowns in 1603. Finally, some scholars argue that the uncertainty surrounding the text of the 1469 Act leaves the barony as only a feudal dignity, not a peerage dignity. The official position is given in Hansard for 18 May 1999: "The Barony of Renfrew is not a peerage dignity at all; it is a feudal or minor barony of Scotland."
The title of Lord Renfrew was used by the traveling Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, and by Prince Edward, Duke of Rothesay, later King Edward VIII and then Duke of Windsor, when he traveled in a private capacity or when he wished to pay visits 'incognito'.
Heir apparentParentFromToTitles held in addition to duke of Rothesay
David StewartRobert III1398 1402 Earl of Atholl, Baron Renfrew, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland
James StewartRobert III1404 1406 Earl of Carrick
Alexander StewartJames I1430 1430
James StewartJames I1431 1437
James StewartJames II1452 1460
James StewartJames III1473 1488 Earl of Carrick and Baron/Lord Renfrew, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland
James StewartJames IV1507 1508 Earl of Carrick and Baron/Lord Renfrew, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland
Arthur StewartJames IV1509 1510 Duke of Albany, Earl of Carrick and Baron/Lord Renfrew, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland
James StewartJames IV1512 1513 Earl of Carrick and Baron/Lord Renfrew, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland
James StewartJames V1540 1541 Earl of Carrick and Baron/Lord Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland
James StuartMary I1566 1567 Earl of Carrick and Baron/Lord Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland Duke of Albany, Earl of Ross, and Lord of Ardmanoch
Henry FrederickJames VI1594 1612 Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester, Duke of Cornwall, Earl of Carrick and Baron Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland "
Prince Charles, Duke of York and of AlbanyJames VI1612 1625 Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester, Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Albany, Duke of York, Marquess of Ormond, Earl of Carrick, etc., Earl of Ross, Lord Ardmannoch
Prince Charles JamesCharles I1629 1629 Duke of Cornwall, Earl of Carrick, etc.
Prince CharlesCharles I1630 1649 Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester, Duke of Cornwall, Earl of Carrick, etc.
Prince James Francis EdwardJames VII1688 1702 Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester, Duke of Cornwall, Earl of Carrick, etc.
The Prince George, Duke of CambridgeGeorge I1714 1727 Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester, Hereditary Prince of Hanover, Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Cambridge, Marquess of Cambridge, Earl of Carrick, etc., Earl of Milford Haven, Viscount Northallerton, Baron Tewkesbury
The Prince Frederick, Duke of EdinburghGeorge II1727 1751 Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester, Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Edinburgh, Marquess of Ely, Earl of Carrick, etc., Earl of Eltham, Viscount Launceston, Baron Snowdon
The Prince GeorgeGeorge III1762 1820 Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester, Duke of Cornwall, Earl of Carrick, etc.
The Prince Albert EdwardVictoria1841 1901 Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester, Duke of Cornwall, Earl of Carrick, etc., Earl of Dublin
The Prince George, Duke of YorkEdward VII1901 1910 Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester, Duke of Cornwall, Duke of York, Earl of Carrick, etc., Earl of Inverness, Baron Killarney
The Prince EdwardGeorge V1910 1936 Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester, Duke of Cornwall, Earl of Carrick, etc.
The Prince CharlesElizabeth II1952 CurrentPrince of Wales and Earl of Chester, Duke of Cornwall, Earl of Carrick, etc.