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
Michael de la Pole, 1st Earl of Suffolk Michael de la Pole, 1st Earl of Suffolk Michael de la Pole, 1st Baron de la Pole, later 1st Earl of Suffolk (c. 1330 – 5 September 1389) was an English financier and Lord Chancellor of England. He was the eldest son of Sir William de la Pole (d. 1366) and Catherine Norwich, daughter of Sir Walter Norwich. His younger brother was Edmund de la Pole. His father was a wool merchant from Hull who became a key figure during the reign of Edward III: after the collapse of the Bardi and Peruzzi families, he emerged as Edward's chief financier.