But who are the real aristocrats behind the title?
Sign up to the Hull Live newsletter for daily updates and breaking news
We have more newsletters
Sign up to the Hull Live newsletter for daily updates and breaking news
We have more newsletters
It is set to be one of the biggest Netflix hits of 2023. The new season of the US drama 'You' debuted on Thursday, to the delight of fans.
The psychological thriller follows the story of Joe Goldberg, a bookstore manager and serial killer, played by Penn Badgley. Based on the books by Caroline Kepnes, 'You' has become one of Netflix's biggest hits.
Now, season four has started with an unexpected twist. Joe has moved to London, where he comes across the character of Rhys Montrose, who turns out to be the illegitimate son of the 'Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull'.
Read More: Happy Valley fans flock to Yorkshire town to have a nosy at its filming locations
Joe is seen researching an article about the Duke, which explains how he caused an "international frenzy" by recognising Rhys as his heir. The article features an image of father and son "bonding at Royal Ascot".
It's a story ripe with potential for a thriller known for plenty of twists and turns. But does the 'Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull' exist in real life?
There was a real Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull. His name was Evelyn Pierrepont and he was a prominent figure in high society. He also played a leading role in the famous (or infamous, depending on your point of view) Act of Union that created the United Kingdom by uniting England and Scotland.
That all took place back in 1707. The Duke was succeeded by his grandson, also called Evelyn, but he died without children and the dukedom died with him in 1773.
Another famous Hull duke was William de la Pole, who was one of the most powerful men in England during the 15th century. A member of Hull's De la Pole family, he became the 1st Duke of Suffolk, but later fell out of favour and was beheaded by an angry mob. His home was Suffolk Palace, on the site of what is now the Three John Scotts pub in the Old Town.
He was buried at what is now the Charterhouse, off Wincolmlee. His son and grandson inherited the dukedom, but ended up on the wrong side in the Wars of the Roses. The third duke was beheaded for treason, while his brother, Richard de la Pole, tried and failed to seize the crown.
Hull no longer has a duke, but it does have a baron – a much lower title on the rungs of the aristocracy. Baron Nunburnholme of Kingston-upon-Hull is a title created in 1906 for the legendary Hull shipowner Charles Wilson, who helped establish one of the world's largest commercial fleets.
Wilson, a long-standing Hull MP, died in 1907, but the title has been passed down through his descendents. The sixth and current Baron is Stephen Charles Yanath Wilson, who inherited the title in 2014.
Of course, the fact that there is no duke today makes it easier for the writers of 'You' to create a fictional character, without confusing viewers. Nevertheless, it is interesting to hear the title mentioned again hundreds of years after the last duke passed away.
Read Next:
'Interesting footwear' – singer Skin sparks reaction collecting OBE but she's not only target
Lucy Beaumont joining all-star Celebrity Bake Off
Paddy McGuinness gives two-word reaction after Amanda Holden poses for sultry underwear photos
Sussexes to be quizzed by lawyers in US defamation suit