Bruce Shand
Encyclopedia
Major
Bruce Middleton Hope Shand, MC and bar
, DL
, (22 January 1917 – 11 June 2006) was an officer in the British Army
. He is best known as the father of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, the second wife of Charles, Prince of Wales
.
and Le Corbusier
and whose company, Finmar, imported furniture by Alvar Aalto
into the United Kingdom. His mother was Edith Marguerite Harrington (1893–1981), later Mrs. Charles Tippett. Bruce Shand's parents divorced when he was three years old. His father went on to remarry three times, but he did not see his father again until he was 18. One of his two half-sisters is Baroness Howe of Idlicote
, wife of Geoffrey Howe
.
His mother remarried to Herbert Charles Tippett, a golf course designer. Contrary to some newspaper reports, young Bruce was not abandoned by his mother and stepfather but taken to live with them in Westbury, Long Island, New York in 1921, a passage of his life which he rather curiously chose to omit from his autobiography, giving the erroneous impression of having been abandoned. After visiting the UK in June 1923, Bruce and his mother returned to the US in September 1923 with the stated intent (according to US immigration records) of residing permanently in the United States and taking US citizenship. When he returned to the UK it was to begin his education, organised and paid for by his grandparents. His mother and stepfather returned to the UK in 1927 and moved to Ireland in the 1930s. Tippet died in Rye, Sussex in 1945 and Shand's mother, in Cooden Beach, Sussex in 1981.
Shand was educated at Rugby
and Sandhurst Military Academy
, and was commissioned in the 12th Lancers
as a second lieutenant
in 1937. He became a troop leader in "A" Squadron. His interests included fox hunting
and polo
.
. The 12th Lancers were equipped with lightly armed Morris armoured cars in a reconnaissance role. The regiment spent six months at Foncquevillers
during the Phoney War, then advanced to the River Dyle and retreated in the face of the German blitzkrieg
. Shand won his first MC in 1940, covering the withdrawal to Dunkirk, from where he was evacuated back to England, arriving back in Margate
on 31 May 1940.
After a period with the regiment in Poole
and in Reigate
, and an interlude training the North Irish Horse
in Northern Ireland
, Shand was sent with the regiment to North Africa in September 1941 as part of the 7th Armoured Division, where he was promoted to Captain
. He won his second MC in January 1942, covering the withdrawal of armoured cars of the 6th Rajputana Rifles
in the face of a strong counterattack by the Afrika Corps. He met Winston Churchill
shortly before the Second Battle of El Alamein
. On 6 November 1942, on a probe towards Marsa Matruh
, his vehicle was surrounded and destroyed. Shand's two crewmen were killed, and he was wounded. He was captured and taken to Greece as a prisoner of war
. After treatment in Athens
, he was held at Oflag IX A
in Spangenberg Castle, near Spangenberg
, for the duration.
and the former Sonia Keppel
. They had two daughters, Camilla and Annabel, and a son, Mark
. He had many business interests, but was most notably a partner in Block, Grey and Block, a firm of wine merchants in South Audley Street, Mayfair
, later joining Ellis, Son and Vidler of Hastings
and London. He kept a house in Kensington
and a second in Plumpton
in Sussex
, but later moved to Dorset
.
Shand was a Deputy Lieutenant
of Sussex
, and Vice-Lieutenant
of East Sussex
from 1974 until 1992. He remained passionate about fox hunting
, and was Master of Southdown Fox Hounds from 1956 to 1975. He was Exon
and later Adjutant
and Clerk of the Cheque of the Queen's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard. He wrote a memoir of his war entitled Previous Engagements, and was a reviewer of military books for Country Life
.
Shand maintained a public silence throughout his daughter's relationship with the Prince of Wales, particularly after the relationship became public knowledge.
His wife, the Hon Rosalind Shand, died 14 July 1994 aged 72, having long suffered from osteoporosis
. He died from cancer
in 2006, aged 89 at his home in Stourpaine
, Dorset
, with his family at his bedside. After a funeral service at the Holy Trinity Church in Stourpaine on 16 June, Shand's body was cremated
.
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Bruce Middleton Hope Shand, MC and bar
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
, DL
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
, (22 January 1917 – 11 June 2006) was an officer in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. He is best known as the father of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, the second wife of Charles, Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
.
Early life
Shand was born in London, the son of Philip Morton Shand (1888–1960), an architectural writer and critic who was a close friend of Walter GropiusWalter Gropius
Walter Adolph Georg Gropius was a German architect and founder of the Bauhaus School who, along with Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier, is widely regarded as one of the pioneering masters of modern architecture....
and Le Corbusier
Le Corbusier
Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier , was a Swiss-born French architect, designer, urbanist, writer and painter, famous for being one of the pioneers of what now is called modern architecture. He was born in Switzerland and became a French citizen in 1930...
and whose company, Finmar, imported furniture by Alvar Aalto
Alvar Aalto
Hugo Alvar Henrik Aalto was a Finnish architect and designer. His work includes architecture, furniture, textiles and glassware...
into the United Kingdom. His mother was Edith Marguerite Harrington (1893–1981), later Mrs. Charles Tippett. Bruce Shand's parents divorced when he was three years old. His father went on to remarry three times, but he did not see his father again until he was 18. One of his two half-sisters is Baroness Howe of Idlicote
Elspeth Howe, Baroness Howe of Idlicote
Elspeth Rosamund Morton Howe, Baroness Howe of Idlicote CBE is a British Crossbencher life peer who has served in many capacities in public life. As the wife of Geoffrey Howe, she can also be known as Lady Howe of Aberavon.She is the daughter of the writer Philip Morton Shand by his fourth wife...
, wife of Geoffrey Howe
Geoffrey Howe
Richard Edward Geoffrey Howe, Baron Howe of Aberavon, CH, QC, PC is a former British Conservative politician. He was Margaret Thatcher's longest-serving Cabinet minister, successively holding the posts of Chancellor of the Exchequer, Foreign Secretary, and finally Leader of the House of Commons...
.
His mother remarried to Herbert Charles Tippett, a golf course designer. Contrary to some newspaper reports, young Bruce was not abandoned by his mother and stepfather but taken to live with them in Westbury, Long Island, New York in 1921, a passage of his life which he rather curiously chose to omit from his autobiography, giving the erroneous impression of having been abandoned. After visiting the UK in June 1923, Bruce and his mother returned to the US in September 1923 with the stated intent (according to US immigration records) of residing permanently in the United States and taking US citizenship. When he returned to the UK it was to begin his education, organised and paid for by his grandparents. His mother and stepfather returned to the UK in 1927 and moved to Ireland in the 1930s. Tippet died in Rye, Sussex in 1945 and Shand's mother, in Cooden Beach, Sussex in 1981.
Shand was educated at Rugby
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
and Sandhurst Military Academy
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
, and was commissioned in the 12th Lancers
12th Royal Lancers
The 12th Royal Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. In 1960, it was amalgamated with 9th Queen's Royal Lancers, to form 9th/12th Royal Lancers .-History:...
as a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in 1937. He became a troop leader in "A" Squadron. His interests included fox hunting
Fox hunting
Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase, and sometimes killing of a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds, and a group of followers led by a master of foxhounds, who follow the hounds on foot or on horseback.Fox hunting originated in its current...
and polo
Polo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
.
Second World War
In the Second World War, he served in France as part of the British Expeditionary ForceBritish Expeditionary Force (World War II)
The British Expeditionary Force was the British force in Europe from 1939–1940 during the Second World War. Commanded by General Lord Gort, the BEF constituted one-tenth of the defending Allied force....
. The 12th Lancers were equipped with lightly armed Morris armoured cars in a reconnaissance role. The regiment spent six months at Foncquevillers
Foncquevillers
Foncquevillers is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming village situated south of Arras, at the junction of the D3, D6 and the D28 roads.-Population:-World War I:...
during the Phoney War, then advanced to the River Dyle and retreated in the face of the German blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg
For other uses of the word, see: Blitzkrieg Blitzkrieg is an anglicized word describing all-motorised force concentration of tanks, infantry, artillery, combat engineers and air power, concentrating overwhelming force at high speed to break through enemy lines, and, once the lines are broken,...
. Shand won his first MC in 1940, covering the withdrawal to Dunkirk, from where he was evacuated back to England, arriving back in Margate
Margate
-Demography:As of the 2001 UK census, Margate had a population of 40,386.The ethnicity of the town was 97.1% white, 1.0% mixed race, 0.5% black, 0.8% Asian, 0.6% Chinese or other ethnicity....
on 31 May 1940.
After a period with the regiment in Poole
Poole
Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
and in Reigate
Reigate
Reigate is a historic market town in Surrey, England, at the foot of the North Downs, and in the London commuter belt. It is one of the main constituents of the Borough of Reigate and Banstead...
, and an interlude training the North Irish Horse
North Irish Horse
The North Irish Horse is a yeomanry unit of the British Territorial Army raised in the northern counties of Ireland in the aftermath of the Second Boer War...
in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, Shand was sent with the regiment to North Africa in September 1941 as part of the 7th Armoured Division, where he was promoted to Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
. He won his second MC in January 1942, covering the withdrawal of armoured cars of the 6th Rajputana Rifles
6th Rajputana Rifles
The 6th Rajputana Rifles were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. They were formed in 1922, after the Indian government reformed the army. They moved away from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments...
in the face of a strong counterattack by the Afrika Corps. He met Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
shortly before the Second Battle of El Alamein
Second Battle of El Alamein
The Second Battle of El Alamein marked a major turning point in the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. The battle took place over 20 days from 23 October – 11 November 1942. The First Battle of El Alamein had stalled the Axis advance. Thereafter, Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery...
. On 6 November 1942, on a probe towards Marsa Matruh
Marsa Matruh
Marsa Matrouh is a Mediterranean seaport and the capital of the Matrouh Governorate in Egypt. It is west of Alexandria and 222 km from Sallum, on the main highway from the Nile Delta to the Libyan border. Another highway leads south from the town, toward the Western Desert and the oases of...
, his vehicle was surrounded and destroyed. Shand's two crewmen were killed, and he was wounded. He was captured and taken to Greece as a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
. After treatment in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, he was held at Oflag IX A
Oflag IX-A/H
Oflag IX-A/H was a German Prisoner of War camp at Spangenberg castle in Germany during the Second World WarIt was used from 1939 to 1945, and housed mainly British POWs but also some French Air Force personnel early in the war....
in Spangenberg Castle, near Spangenberg
Spangenberg
- Geography :Spangenberg lies in the Schwalm-Eder district some 35 km southeast of Kassel, west of the Stölzinger Gebirge, a low mountain range. Spangenberg is the demographical centrepoint of Germany.- History :...
, for the duration.
Later life
Shand returned to England in 1945, declining an opportunity to continue service in the Army. On 2 January 1946, he married the Hon Rosalind Maud Cubitt, daughter of the 3rd Baron AshcombeRoland Cubitt, 3rd Baron Ashcombe
Roland Calvert Cubitt, 3rd Baron Ashcombe was a member of the British aristocracy. He became Baron Ashcombe on the death of his father Henry Cubitt, 2nd Baron Ashcombe in 1947.-Education and career:...
and the former Sonia Keppel
Sonia Cubitt, Baroness Ashcombe
Sonia Rosemary Cubitt, Baroness Ashcombe OBE DStJ was the daughter of Hon. George Keppel and his wife, Alice and the grandmother of the Duchess of Cornwall. Violet Trefusis was her sister.On 16 November 1920, she married Hon...
. They had two daughters, Camilla and Annabel, and a son, Mark
Mark Shand
Mark Roland Shand , is a British travel writer and conservationist.Shand is the son of Bruce Shand MC and his wife the Hon Rosalind Maud Cubitt, daughter of the 3rd Baron Ashcombe and the former Sonia Keppel. His elder sister is HRH The Duchess of Cornwall. He was educated at Milton Abbey School...
. He had many business interests, but was most notably a partner in Block, Grey and Block, a firm of wine merchants in South Audley Street, Mayfair
Mayfair
Mayfair is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster.-History:Mayfair is named after the annual fortnight-long May Fair that took place on the site that is Shepherd Market today...
, later joining Ellis, Son and Vidler of Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
and London. He kept a house in Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
and a second in Plumpton
Plumpton, East Sussex
Plumpton is a village and civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England. The village is located five miles north-west of Lewes. The parish includes the small village of Plumpton and the larger village of Plumpton Green to the north where most of the community and services are based...
in Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, but later moved to Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
.
Shand was a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, and Vice-Lieutenant
Lord Lieutenant
The title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British monarch's personal representatives in the United Kingdom, usually in a county or similar circumscription, with varying tasks throughout history. Usually a retired local notable, senior military officer, peer or business person is given the post...
of East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
from 1974 until 1992. He remained passionate about fox hunting
Fox hunting
Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase, and sometimes killing of a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds, and a group of followers led by a master of foxhounds, who follow the hounds on foot or on horseback.Fox hunting originated in its current...
, and was Master of Southdown Fox Hounds from 1956 to 1975. He was Exon
Exon
An exon is a nucleic acid sequence that is represented in the mature form of an RNA molecule either after portions of a precursor RNA have been removed by cis-splicing or when two or more precursor RNA molecules have been ligated by trans-splicing. The mature RNA molecule can be a messenger RNA...
and later Adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
and Clerk of the Cheque of the Queen's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard. He wrote a memoir of his war entitled Previous Engagements, and was a reviewer of military books for Country Life
Country Life (magazine)
Country Life is a British weekly magazine, based in London at 110 Southwark Street, and owned by IPC Media, a Time Warner subsidiary.- Topics :The magazine covers the pleasures and joys of rural life, as well as the concerns of rural people...
.
Shand maintained a public silence throughout his daughter's relationship with the Prince of Wales, particularly after the relationship became public knowledge.
His wife, the Hon Rosalind Shand, died 14 July 1994 aged 72, having long suffered from osteoporosis
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a disease of bones that leads to an increased risk of fracture. In osteoporosis the bone mineral density is reduced, bone microarchitecture is deteriorating, and the amount and variety of proteins in bone is altered...
. He died from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in 2006, aged 89 at his home in Stourpaine
Stourpaine
Stourpaine is a village in north Dorset, England, situated on the River Stour and A350 road in the south east corner of the Blackmore Vale, under Cranborne Chase, three miles north west of Blandford Forum. The village has a population of 608 ....
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, with his family at his bedside. After a funeral service at the Holy Trinity Church in Stourpaine on 16 June, Shand's body was cremated
Cremation
Cremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
.