Earl of Richmond rather than the English crown. It was then held either by members of the English royal families of Plantagenet and Tudor, or English nobles closely associated with the English crown. It was eventually merged into the English crown during the reign of Henry VII and has been recreated as a Dukedom. The title Earl of Richmond is associated with the now extinct Earldom, the earlier Lords of Richmond who held the Honour of Richmond, one of the most important fiefs in England, and eventually the Dukes of Richmond. The title Earl evolved from the French-Breton-Norman title Count ("Comte") from the
Edmund Stafford, 5th Earl of Stafford Edmund Stafford, 5th Earl of Stafford Edmund Stafford, 5th Earl of Stafford and 1st Baron Audley, KB, KG (2 March 1377 – 21 July 1403) was the son of Hugh de Stafford, 2nd Earl of Stafford and Philippa de Beauchamp. He inherited the Earldom at the age of 18, the third of three out of four brothers to inherit the title. His eldest brother, Sir Ralph, died before inheriting the title and his other two elder brothers died without issue. He married Anne of Gloucester as her second husband under special licence, as she was the widow of his brother