Viscount De L'Isle

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Viscount De L’Isle, of Penshurst in the County of Kent, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 12 January 1956 by Queen Elizabeth II for William Sidney, the 6th Baron De L’Isle and Dudley (1909–1991).

Family background
The Shelley-Sidney family descends from John Shelley-Sidney, the son of Sir Bysshe Shelley, 1st Baronet, of Castle Goring. In 1799 he added the surname Sidney and, in 1818, was made a Baronet of Penshurst. His son became Baron De L’Isle and Dudley in 1835. The De L’Isle title already existed in the family’s history but the current title reflects the Sidney branch’s rise. The 6th Baron later became Viscount De L’Isle in 1956 and served as Governor‑General of Australia. In 1965 he also inherited the baronetcy of Castle Goring. The titles are still in the Sidney family.

Current holder and heir
The present holder is Philip Sidney, 2nd Viscount De L’Isle (succeeded in 1991). The heir apparent is his son, the Hon. Philip William Edmund Sidney (born 1985).

Other titles and seat
The family also holds the titles Baron De L’Isle and Dudley and two baronetcies: Baronet of Castle Goring and Baronet of Penshurst Place. The family seat is Penshurst Place, near Tonbridge, Kent. The Sidneys are hereditary visitors of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. The parish church of St John the Baptist nearby contains memorials to the family, in the Sidney Chapel.

Heraldry (simplified)
- Motto: QUO FATA VOCANT (Whither the Fates call me)
- Arms: The shield is divided into four quarters, showing the Sidney and Shelley lines (a gold field with a blue phoenix for Sidney; a black field with a gold band and three gold shells with a gold star for Shelley).
- Crests: A blue porcupine and, separately, a griffin’s head.
- Supporters: A blue porcupine and a lion.
- These elements symbolize the family’s long history and connections.