Good Duke Humphrey
Preserved but no longer current.
Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester (1391-1447), youngest son of Henry IV, said to have been murdered by Suffolk and Cardinal Beaufort (Shakespeare: 2 Henry VI, iii, 2); so called because of his devotion to the Church.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Good Duke Humphrey” mean?
Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester (1391-1447), youngest son of Henry IV, said to have been murdered by Suffolk and Cardinal Beaufort (Shakespeare: 2 Henry VI, iii, 2); so called because of his devotion to the Church.
Is “Good Duke Humphrey” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.