The Earldom of Pembroke, associated with Pembroke Castle in Wales, was created by King Stephen of England. Several times the line has become extinct, and the earldom has been re-created, starting the count over again with a new first Earl. On 1 September 1533 King Henry VIII created Anne Boleyn Marchioness of Pembroke in her own right, a signal honor, because his great-uncle Jasper Tudor had been the earl of Pembroke.

The current Earl also holds the title Earl of Montgomery (1605), created for the younger son of the 2nd Earl before he succeeded as 4th Earl, as well as the subsidiary titles Baron Herbert of Cardiff, of Cardiff in the County of Glamorgan (1551), Baron Herbert of Shurland, of Shurland in the Isle of Sheppey in the County of Kent (1605), and Baron Herbert of Lea, of Lea in the County of Wilts (1861). All are in the Peerage of England except the Barony of Herbert of Lea, which is in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.

The family seat is at Wilton House in Wiltshire.

Earls of Pembroke, first Creation (circa 1138)

• Gilbert de Clare, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1100-1147)
• Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (1130-1176)
• Gilbert de Striguil, 3rd Earl of Pembroke (1173-1185)

Earls of Pembroke, second Creation (1189)

• William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1146-1219)
• William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (1190-1231)
• Richard Marshal, 3rd Earl of Pembroke (c. 1191-1234)
• Gilbert Marshal, 4th Earl of Pembroke (d. 1241)
• Walter Marshal, 5th Earl of Pembroke (c. 1199-1245)
• Anselm Marshal, 6th Earl of Pembroke (d. 1245)

Earls of Pembroke, third Creation (1247)

• William de Valence, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1225-1296)
• Aymer de Valence, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (1270-1324)

Earls of Pembroke, fourth Creation (1339)

• Lawrence Hastings, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1318-1348)
• John Hastings, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (1347-1375)
• John Hastings, 3rd Earl of Pembroke (1372-1389)

Earls of Pembroke, fifth Creation (1414)

• Humphrey Plantagenet, Duke of Gloucester (1390-1447)

Earls of Pembroke, sixth Creation (1446)

• William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk (1396-1450)

Earls of Pembroke, seventh Creation (1452)

• Jasper Tudor, 1st Duke of Bedford (c. 1431-1495) (forefit 1461; restored 1485)

Earls of Pembroke, eighth Creation (1468)

• William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1423-1469)
• William Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (d. 1491) (surrendered 1479)

Earls of Pembroke, ninth Creation (1479)

• Edward Plantagenet (1470-1483)

Marchioness of Pembroke (1533)

• Anne Boleyn, Marchioness of Pembroke (1507-1536)

Earl of Pembroke, tenth Creation (1551)

• William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1506-1570)
• Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (1534-1601)
• William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke (1580-1630)
• Philip Herbert, 4th Earl of Pembroke, 1st Earl of Montgomery (1584-1649)
• Philip Herbert, 5th Earl of Pembroke, 2nd Earl of Montgomery (1621-1669)
• William Herbert, 6th Earl of Pembroke, 3rd Earl of Montgomery (1642-1674)
• Philip Herbert, 7th Earl of Pembroke, 4th Earl of Montgomery (c. 1652-1683)
• Thomas Herbert, 8th Earl of Pembroke, 5th Earl of Montgomery (1656-c. 1732)
• Henry Herbert, 9th Earl of Pembroke, 6th Earl of Montgomery (1693-1750)
• Henry Herbert, 10th Earl of Pembroke, 7th Earl of Montgomery (1734-1794)
• George Augustus Herbert, 11th Earl of Pembroke, 8th Earl of Montgomery (1759-1827)
• Robert Henry Herbert, 12th Earl of Pembroke, 9th Earl of Montgomery (1791-1862)
• George Herbert, 13th Earl of Pembroke, 10th Earl of Montgomery (1850-1895)
• Sidney Herbert, 14th Earl of Pembroke, 11th Earl of Montgomery (1853-1913)
• Reginald Herbert, 15th Earl of Pembroke, 12th Earl of Montgomery (1880-1960)
• Sidney Herbert, 16th Earl of Pembroke, 13th Earl of Montgomery (1906-1969)
• Henry Herbert, 17th Earl of Pembroke, 14th Earl of Montgomery (1939-2003)
• William Alexander Sidney Herbert, 18th Earl of Pembroke, 15th Earl of Montgomery (b. 1978)

There is a tall ship named the Earl of Pembroke, which has been used in a number of historical films.