Earl Russell

Earl Russell, of Kingston Russell in the County of Dorset, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 30 July 1861 for the prominent Liberal politician Lord John Russell. He was Home Secretary from 1835 to 1839, Foreign Secretary from 1852 to 1853 and 1859 to 1865 and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1852 and 1865 to 1866. Russell was made Viscount Amberley, of Amberley in the County of Gloucester and of Ardsalla in the County of Meath, at the same time he was given the earldom. A member of the prominent Russell family, he was the third son of John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford.

He was succeeded by his grandson, the second Earl, the eldest son of John Russell, Viscount Amberley. Lord Russell was one of the first peers to join the Labour Party and held office under Ramsay Macdonald as Under-Secretary of State for India from 1929 to 1931. He was childless and was succeeded by his younger brother, the third Earl, the famous philosopher universally known as Bertrand Russell. His younger son, the fifth Earl (who succeeded his half-brother in 1987), was a noted historian of 17th century England. Russell also sat on the Liberal Democrat benches in the House of Lords and was one of the ninety elected hereditary peers that were allowed to remain in the House of Lords after the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999. As of 2010 the titles are held by his eldest son, the sixth Earl, who succeeded in 2004. As a descendant of the sixth Duke of Bedford he is also in remainder to this peerage and its subsidiary titles.

The eldest son of the earl, the heir apparent to the earldom, normally bears the junior title, Viscount Amberley, as a courtesy title. The eldest son of the first Earl died before his father and so never inherited the earldom, and when "Viscount Amberley" is used without further qualification it is often in reference to him.