Baron Carrickfergus is a title in the peerage of the United Kingdom, referring to

Carrickfergus Carrickfergus ( , meaning " Fergus' rock") is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It sits on the north shore of Belfast Lough, from Belfast. The town had a population of 28,141 at the 2021 census. It is County Antrim's oldest t ...

County Antrim County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, County Antrim, Antrim, ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, located within the historic Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the c ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

. Its current holder, since its creation on 29 April 2011, is

William, Prince of Wales William, Prince of Wales (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982), is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales. William was born during the reign of his pat ...

, who was granted the title as a personal gift by

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

, on the day of his marriage to Catherine Middleton. On the same day he was also created Duke of Cambridge and Earl of Strathearn, with his bride becoming "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge" as well as Countess of Strathearn and Baroness Carrickfergus as a result of the marriage. Traditionally, when male members of the British royal family marry, they are granted at least one peerage. Catherine uses the title "Lady Carrickfergus" in a fuller version of her titles and styles, ''Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales, Countess of Strathearn and Baroness Carrickfergus''.

History of title and town

baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than ...

y, referring to Carrickfergus, had previously existed between 1841 and 1883. In 1841, George Chichester, 3rd Marquess of Donegall, was created by

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

as '' Baron Ennishowen and Carrickfergus'', of Ennishowen, in the County of Donegal, and

, in the County of Antrim, in the peerage of the United Kingdom. When he died in 1883, the Barony of Ennishowen and Carrickfergus became extinct; the Marquessate of Donegall was inherited by his brother, Lord Edward Chichester.

is the oldest town in

and is an older settlement than the capital city of Northern Ireland,

Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

. It has been a major port and town in the

Province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

Ulster Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...

for centuries. Its name translated from Irish means "Rock of Fergus", and Carrickfergus's main feature is Carrickfergus Castle, on the north shore of the Belfast Lough, which was built around 1180 by John de Courcy.

Baron Carrickfergus (2011)

(b. 1982) is the present holder of the title. The

heir apparent An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...

is his elder son, Prince George of Wales (born 2013), who is followed in the line of succession by his brother, Prince Louis (born 2018). Princess Charlotte is not part of the line of succession as the barony runs only through the male line.

Notes and references

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carrickfergus 2011 establishments in the United Kingdom Baronies in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Carrickfergus Noble titles created in 2011