It was once thought that his younger son Anthony Temple founded the Irish branch of the family from whom the Viscounts Palmerston descended.

[see Rosemary O’Day, An Elite family in early modern England: The Temples of Stowe and Burton Dassett, Woodbridge, 2018, pp.

On 13 December 1613 he was created a Baronet, of Stowe in the County of Buckingham, in the Baronetage of England.

The Field Marshal's barony and viscountcy of 1718 passed, according to the special remainder, to his sister Hester, the widow of Richard Grenville, and her children.

In 1749, she was further created Countess Temple in the Peerage of Great Britain, with remainder to the heirs male of her body.

In 1788 Lord Buckingham also succeeded his father-in-law as second Earl Nugent according to a special remainder in the letters patent.

The earldom was created with remainder, failing male issue of his own, to (1) the heirs male of the body of his deceased great-grandmother Hester Grenville, 1st Countess Temple, and (2) in default thereof to his granddaughter Lady Anne Eliza Mary Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, daughter of his son Richard, Earl Temple, who succeeded as second Duke.

He was also a prominent politician and served as Lord President of the Council and as Secretary of State for the Colonies.

In 1868 the Duke established his right to the Scottish lordship of Kinloss before the Committee for Privileges of the House of Lords.

Before succeeding to his father's peerages, he had represented East Worcestershire in Parliament as a Liberal.

As of 2010[update] the titles are held by his younger son, the 12th Viscount, who succeeded his elder brother in 2006.

The heir apparent is the present holder's son, Oliver Christopher Lyttelton (born 1976).