The Duke William Hotel is named after Prince William Augustus, the Duke of Cumberland, third son of King George II. A soldier by profession, he rose through the ranks to eventually become commander in chief of the allied forces.

Duke William of Cumberland's campaign against the invading Jacobite Scottish forces of Charles Stuart saw him win a bloody battle at Culloden Moor in 1746, with some daubing him with the nickname ‘Butcher Cumberland’ due to his supposed ruthless and unforgiving battle control. Because of his actions against the Scots, the Sweet William flower, named in his honour, is still known north of the border as the ‘Stinking Billy’.

The site of the Hotel has been occupied continuously since 1220, though the oldest parts of the present building probably date from the 1680’s. The earliest reference to it being a hostelry date to around 1777 when it was referred to as the ‘Duke of Cumberland’. The name was changed to the ‘Duke William’ in 1826, (after a brief spell as the 'Duke's Head') and it has now remained unchanged for almost 180 years.