Who Holds the Duke of Norfolk Title Now
The current Duke of Norfolk is Edward William Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk, who inherited the peerage in 2002 after the death of his father, Miles Francis Stapleton Fitzalan-Howard, 17th Duke of Norfolk. As the premier duke and earl marshal of England, he holds the highest-ranking dukedom in the peerage of England and is responsible for state ceremonies such as coronations and the State Opening of Parliament Debrett's.
The Fitzalan-Howard family has held the title since 1483, with the dukedom originally created for John Howard in 1483 and later restored to the Howard family in 1660. The current duke is the head of the House of Norfolk, a cadet branch of the Howard dynasty that traces its lineage to Thomas de Mowbray, 1st Duke of Norfolk, and later to the Catholic recusant Howard family that survived the Reformation Wikipedia.
Wealth, Land Holdings, and Business Interests
The Duke of Norfolk owns extensive estates centered on Arundel Castle in West Sussex, which includes around 1,000 acres of parkland and is open to the public as a major heritage attraction, generating significant revenue from tourism, events, and filming licenses Arundel Castle.
Beyond the castle estate, the Howard family holds substantial agricultural land, residential properties, and commercial interests across England, with the wider family group managing investments in property, farming, and heritage assets. The duke’s personal wealth is estimated in the hundreds of millions, placing him among the wealthiest peers in the UK, though exact figures are not publicly disclosed because much of the estate is held in trust Forbes.
Political and Ceremonial Influence
As Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk organizes major royal ceremonial events including coronations, state funerals, and the annual State Opening of Parliament, giving the role a high-profile public function that blends constitutional duty with pageantry UK Parliament.
The duke also sits in the House of Lords as a hereditary peer, although the House of Lords Act 1999 removed most hereditary peers from automatic membership, with the current duke among the elected hereditary peers who retained their seats. His influence extends into advocacy for Catholic causes, heritage preservation, and charitable work through the Howard family’s longstanding involvement with institutions such as Arundel Cathedral and various Catholic outreach programs Arundel Cathedral.