David Somerset, 11th Duke of Beaufort
Encyclopedia
David Robert Somerset, 11th Duke of Beaufort (born 23 February 1928) is a British
peer
. He was nominated to the International Best Dressed List
Hall of Fame in 1988.
. He and his family descend in the male line from Edward III of England
; the first Somerset was an illegitimate son of Henry Beaufort, Duke of Somerset, whose grandfather was an illegitimate son of John of Gaunt.
on 6 September 1946 as a Second Lieutenant
. He was promoted to Lieutenant
on 1 January 1949.
, was President of the British Horse Society
between 1988 and 1990 and chairman of Marlborough Fine Art
. He ranked 581st in the Sunday Times Rich List 2008
, with an estimated wealth of £135m in land.
near Swansea
. The dukedom was granted the ownership of the river bed 400 years ago, so when the local council wanted to build a bridge linking a shopping centre to the Liberty Stadium
, home of Swansea City football club and the Ospreys rugby team, the council had to pay the duke for the right to build it. Richard stated that he was "furious that public money had to be used to pay one of Britain's richest estates. For centuries Swansea folk have paid rents to the Duke of Beaufort and we don't owe this powerful and wealthy family anything." A spokesman for the duke's estate at Badminton House
responded: "We do not want to comment about a private transaction."
, on 5 July 1950. They had four children:
David Somerset married, secondly, Miranda Elisabeth Morley (born 1947), on 2 June 2000. She is a daughter of Brigadier General Michael Frederick Morley.
The Duke's heir apparent is his eldest son Henry John FitzRoy Somerset, Marquess of Worcester
(b. 22 May 1952).
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
peer
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
. He was nominated to the International Best Dressed List
International Best Dressed List
The International Best Dressed List was founded by fashionista Eleanor Lambert in 1940 as an attempt to boost the reputation of American fashion at the time.People who have been on the list include from A to Z:-The International Hall of Fame: Women:...
Hall of Fame in 1988.
Early life
He is the son of Henry Robert Somers Fitzroy de Vere Somerset and Bettine Violet Malcolm and was educated at Eton CollegeEton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
. He and his family descend in the male line from Edward III of England
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
; the first Somerset was an illegitimate son of Henry Beaufort, Duke of Somerset, whose grandfather was an illegitimate son of John of Gaunt.
Military career
He was commissioned into the Coldstream GuardsColdstream Guards
Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
on 6 September 1946 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...
. He was promoted to Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
on 1 January 1949.
Career
He held the office of Hereditary Keeper of Raglan CastleRaglan Castle
Raglan Castle is a late medieval castle located just north of the village of Raglan in the county of Monmouthshire in south east Wales. The modern castle dates from between the 15th and early 17th-centuries, when the successive ruling families of the Herberts and the Somersets created a luxurious,...
, was President of the British Horse Society
British Horse Society
The British Horse Society is a membership-based equine charity, with a stated vision of "a society which provides a strong voice for horses and people and which spreads awareness through support, training and education"...
between 1988 and 1990 and chairman of Marlborough Fine Art
Marlborough Fine Art
Marlborough Fine Art was founded in London, England, in 1946 by Frank Lloyd and Harry Fischer.In 1963, a gallery was opened in Manhattan, New York, USA,on Madison Avenue and 57th Street, which later relocated in 1971 to its present location, 40 West 57th Street. The gallery operates another New...
. He ranked 581st in the Sunday Times Rich List 2008
Sunday Times Rich List 2008
The Sunday Times Rich List 2008 was published on 27 April 2008.Since 1989 the UK national Sunday newspaper The Sunday Times has published an annual magazine supplement to the newspaper called the Sunday Times Rich List...
, with an estimated wealth of £135m in land.
River Tawe footbridge
The duke was criticised in January 2009 when a Swansea councillor, Ioan Richard, discovered via the Freedom of Information Act, that the duke had been paid £281,431 for a 70 ft bridge to be built over the River TaweRiver Tawe
The River Tawe is a river in South Wales. It flows in a principally south-westerly direction for some from its source below Moel Feity in the Old Red Sandstone hills of the western Brecon Beacons to the Bristol Channel at Swansea. Its main tributaries are the right bank Upper and Lower Clydach...
near Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
. The dukedom was granted the ownership of the river bed 400 years ago, so when the local council wanted to build a bridge linking a shopping centre to the Liberty Stadium
Liberty Stadium, Swansea
The Liberty Stadium is a purpose-built sports stadium and conferencing venue in the Landore area of Swansea, Wales. The stadium is all-seated, with a capacity of 20,532 making it the largest purpose-built venue in Swansea and the third largest stadium in Wales after the Millennium Stadium and the...
, home of Swansea City football club and the Ospreys rugby team, the council had to pay the duke for the right to build it. Richard stated that he was "furious that public money had to be used to pay one of Britain's richest estates. For centuries Swansea folk have paid rents to the Duke of Beaufort and we don't owe this powerful and wealthy family anything." A spokesman for the duke's estate at Badminton House
Badminton House
Badminton House is a large country house in Gloucestershire, England, and has been the principal seat of the Dukes of Beaufort since the late 17th century, when the family moved from Raglan Castle, which had been ruined in the English Civil War...
responded: "We do not want to comment about a private transaction."
Family
He married, firstly, Lady Caroline Jane Thynne (28 August 1928 – 22 April 1995), daughter of Henry Thynne, 6th Marquess of BathHenry Thynne, 6th Marquess of Bath
Henry Frederick Thynne, 6th Marquess of Bath JP , styled Lord Henry Thynne until 1916 and Viscount Weymouth between 1916 and 1946, was a British politician, aristocrat and landowner.-Background and education:...
, on 5 July 1950. They had four children:
- Henry John FitzRoy Somerset, Marquess of WorcesterHenry Somerset, Marquess of WorcesterHenry John FitzRoy Somerset, Marquess of Worcester , also known as Bunter Worcester, is a farmer and chartered surveyor and the son and heir of David Somerset, 11th Duke of Beaufort and Lady Caroline Jane Thynne...
(b. 22 May 1952), married Tracy Louise WardTracy Louise WardTracy Louise Ward, Marchioness of Worcester, frequently referred to as Tracy Worcester is a former actress, now an environmental campaigner.She is a daughter of the Hon...
(a granddaughter of the 3rd Earl of DudleyEarl of DudleyEarl of Dudley, of Dudley Castle in the County of Stafford, is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, both times for members of the Ward family. This family descends from Sir Humble Ward, the son of a wealthy goldsmith and jeweller to King Charles I...
) and has issue. - Lady Anne Mary Somerset (b. 21 January 1955), married Matthew Carr and has issue.
- Lord Edward Alexander Somerset (b. 1 May 1958), married Hon. Georgiana Davidson (daughter of John Davidson, 2nd Viscount Davidson) and has issue.
- Lord John Robert Somerset (b. 5 November 1964) also known as Lord Johnson Somerset, married to (now divorced from) Lady Cosima Vane-Tempest-Stewart (daughter of Alexander Charles Robert Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 9th Marquess of Londonderry), and has issue.
David Somerset married, secondly, Miranda Elisabeth Morley (born 1947), on 2 June 2000. She is a daughter of Brigadier General Michael Frederick Morley.
The Duke's heir apparent is his eldest son Henry John FitzRoy Somerset, Marquess of Worcester
Henry Somerset, Marquess of Worcester
Henry John FitzRoy Somerset, Marquess of Worcester , also known as Bunter Worcester, is a farmer and chartered surveyor and the son and heir of David Somerset, 11th Duke of Beaufort and Lady Caroline Jane Thynne...
(b. 22 May 1952).
Ancestry
- David Somerset, 11th Duke of Beaufort
- Henry Robert Somers Fitzroy de Vere Somerset
- Henry Charles Somers Augustus
- Lord Henry SomersetLord Henry SomersetLord Henry Richard Charles Somerset PC, DL, JP was a British Conservative politician. He served as Comptroller of the Household under Benjamin Disraeli between 1874 and 1879.-Background:...
- Henry Somerset, 8th Duke of BeaufortHenry Somerset, 8th Duke of BeaufortCaptain Henry Charles FitzRoy Somerset, 8th Duke of Beaufort KG, PC, DL , styled Earl of Glamorgan until 1835 and Marquess of Worcester from 1835 to 1853, was a British peer, soldier and Conservative politician...
- Henry Somerset, 7th Duke of BeaufortHenry Somerset, 7th Duke of BeaufortMajor Henry Somerset, 7th Duke of Beaufort KG , styled Earl of Glamorgan until 1803 and Marquess of Worcester between 1803 and 1835, was a British peer, soldier and politician.-Background:...
- Henry Somerset, 6th Duke of Beaufort
- Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of BeaufortHenry Somerset, 5th Duke of BeaufortHenry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort KG was the only son of Charles Noel Somerset, 4th Duke of Beaufort and his wife, Elizabeth Berkeley. Styled Marquess of Worcester from 1746, on his father's death on 28 October 1756, he succeeded him as Duke of Beaufort.He succeeded to the title of 13th Lord...
- Charles Somerset, 4th Duke of BeaufortCharles Somerset, 4th Duke of BeaufortCharles Noel Somerset, 4th Duke of Beaufort was the younger son of Henry Somerset, 2nd Duke of Beaufort, and his second wife, Rachel Noel. Because his brother had no issue, on 24 February 1746, on his brother's death, he succeeded him and became 4th Duke of Beaufort, the 12th Lord Herbert, and the...
- Henry Somerset, 2nd Duke of BeaufortHenry Somerset, 2nd Duke of BeaufortHenry Somerset, 2nd Duke of Beaufort, KG PC was the only son of Charles Somerset, Marquess of Worcester, and Rebecca Child...
- Charles Somerset, Marquess of WorcesterCharles Somerset, Marquess of WorcesterCharles Somerset, Marquess of Worcester was the eldest son of a peer in the peerage of England and an MP.-Private Life:...
- Henry Somerset, 1st Duke of BeaufortHenry Somerset, 1st Duke of BeaufortHenry Somerset, 1st Duke of Beaufort, KG, PC was an English peer. He was styled Lord Herbert from 1646 until 3 April 1667, when he succeeded his father as 3rd Marquess of Worcester....
- Edward Somerset, 2nd Marquess of WorcesterEdward Somerset, 2nd Marquess of WorcesterEdward Somerset, 2nd Marquess of Worcester , styled Lord Herbert of Ragland from 1628–1644, was an English nobleman involved in royalist politics and an inventor...
- Henry Somerset, 1st Marquess of WorcesterHenry Somerset, 1st Marquess of WorcesterHenry Somerset, 1st Marquess of Worcester was an English aristocrat, inheriting the title Earl of Worcester from his father Edward Somerset, 4th Earl of Worcester, in 1628. He was a prominent and financially important royalist....
- Edward Somerset, 4th Earl of WorcesterEdward Somerset, 4th Earl of WorcesterEdward Somerset, 4th Earl of Worcester, KG, Earl Marshal was an English aristocrat. He was an important advisor to King James I, serving as Lord Privy Seal....
- William Somerset, 3rd Earl of WorcesterWilliam Somerset, 3rd Earl of WorcesterWilliam Somerset, 3rd Earl of Worcester, KG was born before 1526 to Henry Somerset, 2nd Earl of Worcester and his second wife Elizabeth Browne....
- Henry Somerset, 2nd Earl of WorcesterHenry Somerset, 2nd Earl of WorcesterHenry Somerset, 2nd Earl of Worcester was an English nobleman, son of Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester and Elizabeth Herbert, 3rd Baroness Herbert. On his father's death on 15 April 1526, he succeeded as the second Earl of Worcester...
- Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of WorcesterCharles Somerset, 1st Earl of WorcesterCharles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester was the legitimised son of Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset and Joan Hill.-Biography:He was born around 1460 to Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset and Joan Hill...
legitimised son of - Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of SomersetHenry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of SomersetHenry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset was an important Lancastrian military commander during the English Wars of the Roses. He is sometimes numbered the 2nd Duke of Somerset, since the title was re-created for his father after his uncle died...
- Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of SomersetEdmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of SomersetEdmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset, KG , sometimes styled 1st Duke of Somerset, was an English nobleman and an important figure in the Wars of the Roses and in the Hundred Years' War...
- John Beaufort, 1st Earl of SomersetJohn Beaufort, 1st Earl of SomersetJohn Beaufort, 1st Marquess of Somerset and 1st Marquess of Dorset, later only 1st Earl of Somerset, KG was the first of the four illegitimate children of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, and his mistress Katherine Swynford, later his wife...
legitimised (by marriage) son of - John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of LancasterJohn of Gaunt, 1st Duke of LancasterJohn of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster , KG was a member of the House of Plantagenet, the third surviving son of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault...
- Edward III of EnglandEdward III of EnglandEdward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
- Edward II of EnglandEdward II of EnglandEdward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...
- Edward I of EnglandEdward I of EnglandEdward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
- Henry III of EnglandHenry III of EnglandHenry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
- John of EnglandJohn of EnglandJohn , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
- Henry II of EnglandHenry II of EnglandHenry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
- Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou
- Fulk of JerusalemFulk of JerusalemFulk , also known as Fulk the Younger, was Count of Anjou from 1109 to 1129, and King of Jerusalem from 1131 to his death...
- Fulk IV, Count of Anjou
- Geoffrey, Count of Gâtinais
- Bouchard, Count of Gâtinais