The Percy Family

Harry Hotspur, son of the 1st Earl of Northumberland, was born at Alnwick Castle in 1364 or 1366, a key figure in the history of the Percy family. He was supremely powerful in combat on land and sea, though sometimes his hot-headedness could lead him into trouble. Leading lightning-quick strikes against the Scots in the borders gained Harry a fearsome reputation and the nickname ‘Hotspur’, further cementing the reputation of the Percy family in medieval England.
He was immortalised by Shakespeare in his play King Henry IV (Part 1) and killed in battle fighting against that king, a dramatic chapter in the history of the Percy family and the wider Percy family story.

Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland, a prominent figure in the history of the Percy family, trod a careful path through the various conflicts, uprisings and usurpations of the late 15th century. One of the 'Lions of the Red Rose', he famously held back at the Battle of Bosworth thereby helping Henry VII to the throne - a pivotal moment in the history of the Percy family. In enforcing this king’s policy on taxes, however, he was murdered by a mob near Thirsk, an event that further shaped the history of the Percy family.

Thomas Percy, 7th Earl, lived through a period of great religious turmoil and upheaval, witnessing his father rebel after England’s split with the church of Rome. He and his countess, Anne, themselves rebelled against Queen Elizabeth I in ‘The Rising of the Northern Earls’, a defining episode in the history of the Percy family. Thomas was executed at York in 1572, professing the Catholic faith to the end, for which he was later beatified, marking another dramatic chapter in the history of the Percy family and legacy.

Algernon Percy, 10th Earl of Northumberland, was another important figure in the history of the Percy family. He was a man of high principle, who steered a solitary path through the civil wars that would engulf England, Scotland and Ireland in the 1640s - a turbulent period in the history of the Percy family. He was also a connoisseur and patron of fine art, who laid the foundation of the collection today, further shaping the cultural legacy of the Percy family at Alnwick Castle.

Elizabeth Percy, 1st Duchess of Northumberland from 1766, was responsible for Alnwick Castle becoming a family residence. Her romantic ideas about her ‘braw rough ancestors’ and her passion for the castle and landscape were matched by the vision of her husband, Sir Hugh Smithson, strengthening the legacy of the Percy family at Alnwick Castle. Together they restored Alnwick Castle and transformed the surrounding countryside, a defining chapter in the history of the Percy family and its enduring presence in Northumberland.

Algernon, 4th Duke, a distinguished member of the Percy family, served in the navy from age 12 to 23, going on to become a great traveller and explorer. On inheriting the dukedom in 1847, aged 50, he had enjoyed a wealth of experience, with interests in astronomy, archaeology, art, architecture and technology - broadening the cultural legacy of the Percy family. This influenced his restoration of the castle, the improvement of his estates and numerous public benefactions, marking another significant chapter in the history of the Percy family at Alnwick Castle.

Hugh, 10th Duke, a leading figure in the history of the Percy family, was Duke of Northumberland for 48 years. He also  served with the Northumberland Hussars during the Second World War. In the harsh financial climate of post-war Britain, his judicious management of the estates provided great stability and continuity, ensuring the continued legacy of the Percy family at Alnwick Castle.