Anthony FitzClarence, 7th Earl of Munster
Encyclopedia
Anthony Charles FitzClarence, Earl of Munster (21 March 1926 – 30 December 2000) was the last Earl of Munster, Viscount FitzClarence and Baron Tewkesbury. Fitzclarence was the last of the FitzClarences, a line that began with King William IV
(Duke of Clarence
until his accession in 1830) and his mistress Mrs Jordan, the comic actress Dorothy Bland.
The King's eldest son by Mrs Jordan, George FitzClarence
, was created Earl of Munster
in 1831. The arms of his descendant still bore the lion and unicorn of the Royal Family, but the seventh earl made his way in the world without trading on his lineage, working variously as a publican, a graphic designer on newspapers, and latterly as an expert on medieval stained glass.
In 1983, he inherited the earldom on the death of his father Edward FitzClarence, 6th Earl of Munster. From then until the Government's expulsion of the hereditary peers in 1999, as part of the House of Lords Act, he was a regular attender at the House of Lords
. For a short time he sat on the cross benches, but soon moved to the Conservative side of the House. A shy man, he spoke rarely there, content to be one of those silent peers that made the Lords, as Byron thought, so formidable an audience.
, had won a VC serving with the Royal Fusiliers at Mafeking, and was married to Winston Churchill's cousin, Lady Violet Spencer-Churchill.
The future Seventh Earl was sent to St Edward's School, Oxford, before further private education in Switzerland
. He was intensely patriotic and in 1942, aged 16, he volunteered for the Royal Navy
, serving for the remainder of the war as a rating on the carrier HMS Illustrious
. He was wounded in action, and went in Illustrious to the Mediterranean Sea
and the Far East.
His fluent French was put to practical use in Sri Lanka
when, with some French sailors, he negotiated for his shipmates a substantial exchange of "pusser's rum" for claret
. He left the Navy for reasons of ill health in 1947, but always enjoyed sailing thereafter.
, in 1950 he became a graphic design
er. From 1957 until 1966 he worked for the Daily Mirror newspaper group, and then from 1966 until 1969 was in the publicity department of the old Sun newspaper, before its takeover by Rupert Murdoch
.
After being made redundant in 1969, he continued to work as a freelance designer for another decade. He became Viscount FitzClarence in 1975 on the succession of his father to the earldom. In 1979, he briefly became the landlord of a pub in Haslemere
, Surrey
. He then joined the staff of the Burrell Collection in Glasgow
as a stained glass conservator.
He had already developed an interest in heraldic glass engraving, and initially his job was to ensure that the medieval stained glass panels selected for exhibition were in good condition. But his skill at arranging displays meant that he was soon put in charge of designing the collection's entire display of stained glass, which contained both small panels and a group of larger pieces, including entire windows. These he integrated into the structure of the building, illuminating them with natural light.
He left the Burrell Collection
soon after it had opened to the public in 1983, and from 1983 until 1989 worked at the Chapel Studio, a leading firm of stained glass designers and conservators. Latterly, he had begun to create a digital archive of thousands of photographs of examples of stained glass.
Fitzclarence was well liked by his fellow peers at the House of Lords, where he took a keen interest in issues as diverse as museum funding, defence matters and osteoporosis. For many years he was an enthusiastic member of the House of Lords Yacht Club, competing in matches against the House of Commons. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts
.
Secondly, he married Pamela Hyde in 1966, but this marriage was also dissolved in 1979. They had one daughter:
Thirdly, he married Dorothy Maxwell in 1979, who died in 1995. He married, fourthly, in 1997, Halina Winska. She survives him, together with his two daughters of the first marriage, the daughter of the second, and an adopted stepdaughter.
His marriages did not produce any sons, and with no heirs the titles became extinct on the death of the earl in 2000.
William IV of the United Kingdom
William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...
(Duke of Clarence
Duke of Clarence
Duke of Clarence is a title which has been traditionally awarded to junior members of the English and British Royal families. The first three creations were in the Peerage of England, the fourth in the Peerage of Great Britain, and the fifth in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.The title was first...
until his accession in 1830) and his mistress Mrs Jordan, the comic actress Dorothy Bland.
The King's eldest son by Mrs Jordan, George FitzClarence
George FitzClarence, 1st Earl of Munster
George Augustus Frederick FitzClarence, 1st Earl of Munster PC , was the eldest natural son of William IV of the United Kingdom and his long-time mistress Dorothy Jordan....
, was created Earl of Munster
Earl of Munster
Earl of Munster is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of Ireland and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first creation came in the Peerage of Ireland in 1789 in favour of Prince William, the third son of King George III. He was made Duke of Clarence and St Andrews...
in 1831. The arms of his descendant still bore the lion and unicorn of the Royal Family, but the seventh earl made his way in the world without trading on his lineage, working variously as a publican, a graphic designer on newspapers, and latterly as an expert on medieval stained glass.
In 1983, he inherited the earldom on the death of his father Edward FitzClarence, 6th Earl of Munster. From then until the Government's expulsion of the hereditary peers in 1999, as part of the House of Lords Act, he was a regular attender at the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. For a short time he sat on the cross benches, but soon moved to the Conservative side of the House. A shy man, he spoke rarely there, content to be one of those silent peers that made the Lords, as Byron thought, so formidable an audience.
Early life, education and military service
Anthony Charles FitzClarence was born as the only son of Edward FitzClarence, who succeeded as 6th Earl in 1975 on the death of his kinsman the 5th Earl of Munster, formerly Paymaster-General in Neville Chamberlain's administration. Anthony's grandfather, Brigadier-General Charles FitzClarenceCharles FitzClarence
Brigadier General Charles FitzClarence VC was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
, had won a VC serving with the Royal Fusiliers at Mafeking, and was married to Winston Churchill's cousin, Lady Violet Spencer-Churchill.
The future Seventh Earl was sent to St Edward's School, Oxford, before further private education in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. He was intensely patriotic and in 1942, aged 16, he volunteered for the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, serving for the remainder of the war as a rating on the carrier HMS Illustrious
HMS Illustrious (R87)
HMS Illustrious , the fourth Illustrious of the British Royal Navy, was an aircraft carrier which saw service in World War II, the lead ship of the Illustrious-class of carriers which also included Victorious, Formidable, and Indomitable.-Construction:Illustrious was built by Vickers-Armstrongs at...
. He was wounded in action, and went in Illustrious to the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
and the Far East.
His fluent French was put to practical use in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
when, with some French sailors, he negotiated for his shipmates a substantial exchange of "pusser's rum" for claret
Claret
Claret is a name primarily used in British English for red wine from the Bordeaux region of France.-Usage:Claret derives from the French clairet, a now uncommon dark rosé and the most common wine exported from Bordeaux until the 18th century...
. He left the Navy for reasons of ill health in 1947, but always enjoyed sailing thereafter.
Career
Having no private means to speak of, he began to look for a job in which he could express his artistic talent and, after training at the Central School of Arts and Crafts in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, in 1950 he became a graphic design
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
er. From 1957 until 1966 he worked for the Daily Mirror newspaper group, and then from 1966 until 1969 was in the publicity department of the old Sun newspaper, before its takeover by Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
.
After being made redundant in 1969, he continued to work as a freelance designer for another decade. He became Viscount FitzClarence in 1975 on the succession of his father to the earldom. In 1979, he briefly became the landlord of a pub in Haslemere
Haslemere
Haslemere is a town in Surrey, England, close to the border with both Hampshire and West Sussex. The major road between London and Portsmouth, the A3, lies to the west, and a branch of the River Wey to the south. Haslemere is approximately south-west of Guildford.Haslemere is surrounded by hills,...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. He then joined the staff of the Burrell Collection in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
as a stained glass conservator.
He had already developed an interest in heraldic glass engraving, and initially his job was to ensure that the medieval stained glass panels selected for exhibition were in good condition. But his skill at arranging displays meant that he was soon put in charge of designing the collection's entire display of stained glass, which contained both small panels and a group of larger pieces, including entire windows. These he integrated into the structure of the building, illuminating them with natural light.
He left the Burrell Collection
Burrell Collection
The Burrell Collection is an art collection in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated in Pollok Country Park on the south side of the city.-History:...
soon after it had opened to the public in 1983, and from 1983 until 1989 worked at the Chapel Studio, a leading firm of stained glass designers and conservators. Latterly, he had begun to create a digital archive of thousands of photographs of examples of stained glass.
Fitzclarence was well liked by his fellow peers at the House of Lords, where he took a keen interest in issues as diverse as museum funding, defence matters and osteoporosis. For many years he was an enthusiastic member of the House of Lords Yacht Club, competing in matches against the House of Commons. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts
Royal Society of Arts
The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce is a British multi-disciplinary institution, based in London. The name Royal Society of Arts is frequently used for brevity...
.
Marriages and children
First, he married Louise Margaret Diane Delvigne in 1949, but they divorced in 1966. Together they had two daughters:- Lady Tara Francesca Fitz-Clarence (born 6 August 1952)
- Lady Finola Dominique Fitz-Clarence (born 6 December 1953)
Secondly, he married Pamela Hyde in 1966, but this marriage was also dissolved in 1979. They had one daughter:
- Lady Georgina Fitz-Clarence (born 1966)
Thirdly, he married Dorothy Maxwell in 1979, who died in 1995. He married, fourthly, in 1997, Halina Winska. She survives him, together with his two daughters of the first marriage, the daughter of the second, and an adopted stepdaughter.
His marriages did not produce any sons, and with no heirs the titles became extinct on the death of the earl in 2000.