The title was first created in 1661 in the
Peerage of Scotland as a
subsidiary title to the
Earldom of Ormond. This first creation of the title became extinct in 1715. The dignity of Earl of Forfar in the
Peerage of the United Kingdom was granted in 2019 to
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, on the occasion of his 55th birthday. This earldom was given in addition to the two titles (
Earl of Wessex and
Viscount Severn) that he received on
his wedding day and afforded Prince Edward and his wife
Sophie a Scottish title to use when in Scotland before Edward was granted the
Dukedom of Edinburgh. He was presented with 'Earl of Forfar'
tartan, to decorate the Earl and Countess, by a town firm – the Strathmore Woollen Company. The weave is based on the existing Forfar tartan, which it designed in 2004 on the colours from the Forfar coat of arms. The geometry remains virtually the same, but the colours have been strengthened, with
Azure blue replaced by the St Andrew's blue of the
Scottish flag, and white yarns replaced by a brown to reflect the rich agriculture of the surrounds. The couple visited Forfar again in the summer of 2021. ==Earls of Forfar, first creation (1661)==