The order of precedence in Scotland was fixed by Royal Warrant in 1905.[1] Amendments were made by further Warrants in 1912,[2] 1952, 1958,[3] 1999 to coincide with the establishment of the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government and most recently in 2012.[4][5]
The relative precedence of peers of Scotland is determined by the Act of Union 1707.
Precedence is accorded to spouses, children and grandchildren of the reigning sovereign, as well as children and grandchildren of former sovereigns.
Position | Holder | Ref |
---|---|---|
The sovereign (regardless of gender) | HM The King | |
The Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland (only while the Assembly is meeting, during which he is treated as a regent and addressed as 'Your Grace') | HRH The Duke of Edinburgh | |
Sons of the sovereign | HRH The Duke of Rothesay | [6] |
The Earl of Dumbarton | ||
Grandsons of the sovereign | HRH Prince George of Wales | [7][nb 1] |
HRH Prince Louis of Wales | ||
Prince Archie of Sussex | ||
Brothers of the sovereign | The Earl of Inverness | [6][9] |
HRH The Duke of Edinburgh | ||
Uncles of the sovereign | none at present | [6] |
Nephews of the sovereign | Earl of Wessex[10] | [6] |
Mr Peter Phillips | ||
Grandsons of former sovereigns who are dukes |
HRH The Duke of Gloucester | [9][nb 2] |
HRH The Duke of Kent | ||
Grandsons of former sovereigns who are not dukes |
The Rt Hon. The Earl of Snowdon | |
HRH Prince Michael of Kent |
Title | Holder | Ref |
---|---|---|
The Lord-Lieutenants | see list below | [12][1][5] |
The Sheriffs Principal | see list here | [1][5] |
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain | The Rt Hon. Alex Chalk, MP | [1] |
The Moderator of the General Assembly | office held by a woman | [13] |
The Prime Minister | The Rt Hon. Rishi Sunak, MP | |
The Keeper of the Great Seal (First Minister) | The Rt Hon. Humza Yousaf, MSP | [14][5][15] |
The Presiding Officer | office held by a woman | [5] |
The Secretary of State | The Rt Hon. Alister Jack, MP | |
The Lord High Constable | The Rt Hon. The Earl of Erroll | [1] |
The Master of the Household | HG The Duke of Argyll | [1] |
Note | Ref | |
---|---|---|
England | Ordered according to date of creation | [1] |
Scotland | Ordered according to date of creation | |
Great Britain | Ordered according to date of creation | |
Ireland | HG The Duke of Leinster | |
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland | Ordered according to date of creation | |
Eldest sons of royal dukes who are not already ranked higher |
Earl of Ulster (son of the Duke of Gloucester) Earl of St Andrews (son of the Duke of Kent) |
Note | Ref | |
---|---|---|
England | The Most Hon. The Marquess of Winchester | [1] |
Scotland | Ordered according to date of creation | |
Great Britain | Ordered according to date of creation | |
Ireland | Ordered according to date of creation | |
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland | Ordered according to date of creation | |
Eldest sons of dukes according to the precedence of the peerage holders |
Note | Ref | |
---|---|---|
England | Ordered according to date of creation | [1] |
Scotland | Ordered according to the Decreet of Ranking of 1606 according to date of creation | |
Great Britain | Ordered according to date of creation | |
Ireland | Ordered according to date of creation | |
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland | Ordered according to date of creation | |
Younger sons of royal dukes who are not already ranked higher |
Lord Nicholas Windsor (second son of the Duke of Kent) | |
Eldest sons of marquesses according to the precedence of the peerage holders | ||
Younger sons of dukes according to the precedence of the peerage holders |
Note | Ref | |
---|---|---|
England | The Rt Hon. The Viscount Hereford | [1] |
Scotland | Ordered according to date of creation | |
Great Britain | Ordered according to date of creation | |
Ireland | Ordered according to date of creation | |
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland | Ordered according to date of creation | |
Eldest sons of earls according to the precedence of the peerage holders | ||
Younger sons of marquesses ordered according to the precedence of the peerage holders |
The order of precedence accorded to women of the royal family:
Position | Holder |
---|---|
Consort of the sovereign | HM The Queen |
Daughters-in-law of the sovereign | HRH The Duchess of Rothesay |
The Countess of Dumbarton | |
Daughters of the sovereign | none at present |
Wives of grandsons of the sovereign | none at present |
Granddaughters of the sovereign | HRH Princess Charlotte of Wales |
Princess Lilibet of Sussex | |
Sisters-in-law of the sovereign | HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh |
Sisters of the sovereign | HRH The Princess Royal |
Wives of uncles of the sovereign | none at present |
Aunts of the sovereign | none at present |
Wives of nephews of the sovereign | none at present |
Nieces of the sovereign | HRH Princess Beatrice, Mrs Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi |
HRH Princess Eugenie, Mrs Jack Brooksbank | |
Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor[17] | |
Mrs Zara Tindall | |
Wives of grandsons of former sovereigns who are dukes |
HRH The Duchess of Gloucester |
HRH The Duchess of Kent | |
Wives of grandsons of former sovereigns who are not dukes |
The Rt Hon. The Countess of Snowdon |
HRH Princess Michael of Kent | |
Granddaughters of former sovereigns | Lady Sarah Chatto |
HRH Princess Alexandra, The Hon. Lady Ogilvy |
16. The scales annexed to the royal warrant of 1905, unfortunately, are not exhaustive of all rights of precedence, and appear to have been drawn up without a proper consideration of the Scots law of precedence. Where a person has been omitted from the scales, but has an undoubted precedence by the law of Scotland (such as barons, ambassadors and Irish peers created prior to 1801), the Lord Lyon, in seeing that the warrant is observed and kept, has a duty to give that person an appropriate place in the order of precedence on the appropriate occasion"