George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood
Encyclopedia
George Henry Hubert Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood, KBE AM (7 February 192311 July 2011), styled The Hon. George Lascelles before 1929 and Viscount Lascelles between 1929 and 1947, was the elder son of the 6th Earl of Harewood
(1882–1947), and Princess Mary, Princess Royal
, the only daughter of King George V of the United Kingdom
and Queen Mary
. He had a younger brother, The Honourable Gerald Lascelles
. Lord Harewood was the eldest nephew of King George VI
and was a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. He succeeded to his father's earldom on 23 May 1947.
and Princess Mary, Viscountess Lascelles
, and first grandchild of King George V
and Queen Mary
, who stood as sponsors at his christening. The christening took place on 25 March 1923 at St Mary's Church in the village of Goldsborough
, near Knaresborough
adjoining the family home Goldsborough Hall
a month later his uncle The Duke of York married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
. He served as a Page of Honour
at the coronation of his uncle, King George VI
, in May 1937. He was educated at Ludgrove School
, Eton College
and King's College, Cambridge
, after which he was commissioned into the Grenadier Guards
. He rose to the rank of captain. During World War II
, he fought in Italy. The Germans captured and held him as a prisoner of war
in Oflag IV-C (Colditz)
from 1944 to May 1945. In March 1945 Adolf Hitler
signed his death warrant; the SS general commanding the camp, Gottlob Berger
, realizing the war was lost, refused to carry out the sentence and released the future earl to the Swiss. In 1945–46, he served as aide-de-camp
to his great uncle, Lord Athlone
, who was then Governor General of Canada
. Lord Harewood served as a Counsellor of State
in 1947, 1953–54, and 1956. On 7 February 1956 he took his seat in the House of Lords.
(originally called Maria Donata Stein when she was born 18 October 1926), a concert pianist and the daughter of the Viennese
music publisher Erwin Stein
. Their marriage produced three sons:
This marriage ended in divorce in 1967, considered a scandal at the time. Marion went on to marry politician Jeremy Thorpe
.
Lord Harewood was married a second time on 31 July 1967 to Patricia "Bambi" Tuckwell
(born 24 November 1926), an Australian violinist and sister of the musician Barry Tuckwell
. The wedding took place at Waveny Park
in New Canaan, Connecticut
. A Time
magazine article published at the time suggested that the choice of a wedding location outside of England
was due to the Church of England
's views on divorce. They had one son:
The Queen gave her consent to the marriage of Mark Lascelles and Judith Anne Kilburn on 10 May 2011, and the two were married 16 July 2011.
. He served as editor of Opera
magazine from 1950 to 1953 and as director of the Royal Opera House
, Covent Garden from 1951 to 1953 and again from 1969 to 1972. He served as chairman of the board of the English National Opera
(ENO) from 1986 to 1995; Managing Director of the ENO from 1972 to 1985; artistic director of the Edinburgh
, Adelaide
and Leeds
Festivals; Managing Director of the ENO offshoot English National Opera North
from 1978 to 1981. Lord Harewood served as a governor of the BBC
from 1985 to 1987 and as the president of the British Board of Film Classification
from 1985 to 1996. He was the author or editor of three books, Kobbé's Complete Opera Book
(ed. 1954, now The New Kobbé's Opera Book, edited with Antony Peattie, latest ed. 1997), The Tongs and the Bones (an autobiography, 1981), and Kobbé's Illustrated Opera Book (ed. 1989). He was chairman of Historic Masters
, an unusual vinyl record label dedicated to high quality issues of rare historic 78 rpm recordings of opera singers. He was a noted friend and colleague of the late opera diva Maria Callas
and is featured in the 1968 EMI
documentary The Callas Conversations Vol. I, during which he interviewed Callas at length concerning her career and ideas about opera.
His other interests included football
: he served as president of Leeds United Football Club
from 1961 until his death and was president of the Football Association
from 1963 to 1972.
(KBE) in 1986. On 1 July 2010 he was appointed an honorary Member of the Order of Australia
, "for service to the arts in Australia and to supporting Australia's artists in the United Kingdom".
Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood
Henry George Charles Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood KG GCVO DSO TD , styled The Hon. Henry Lascelles before 1892 and Viscount Lascelles between 1892 and 1929, was the son of the 5th Earl of Harewood and Lady Florence Bridgeman.Lascelles was commissioned into the Grenadier Guards and commanded the...
(1882–1947), and Princess Mary, Princess Royal
Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood
The Princess Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood was a member of the British Royal Family; she was the third child and only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary. She was the sixth holder of the title of Princess Royal...
, the only daughter of King George V of the United Kingdom
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
and Queen Mary
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
. He had a younger brother, The Honourable Gerald Lascelles
Gerald Lascelles
The Honourable Gerald David Lascelles was the younger son of the 6th Earl of Harewood and Mary, Princess Royal, the only daughter of King George V of the United Kingdom and Mary of Teck. He was the first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. He was styled The Honourable Gerald Lascelles...
. Lord Harewood was the eldest nephew of King George VI
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
and was a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. He succeeded to his father's earldom on 23 May 1947.
Early life
George Lascelles was born at his parents' London home of Chesterfield House on 7 February 1923, the first child of Henry Lascelles, Viscount LascellesHenry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood
Henry George Charles Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood KG GCVO DSO TD , styled The Hon. Henry Lascelles before 1892 and Viscount Lascelles between 1892 and 1929, was the son of the 5th Earl of Harewood and Lady Florence Bridgeman.Lascelles was commissioned into the Grenadier Guards and commanded the...
and Princess Mary, Viscountess Lascelles
Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood
The Princess Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood was a member of the British Royal Family; she was the third child and only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary. She was the sixth holder of the title of Princess Royal...
, and first grandchild of King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
and Queen Mary
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
, who stood as sponsors at his christening. The christening took place on 25 March 1923 at St Mary's Church in the village of Goldsborough
Goldsborough, North Yorkshire
Goldsborough is a village and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated near the River Nidd and 1 mile east of Knaresborough....
, near Knaresborough
Knaresborough
Knaresborough is an old and historic market town, spa town and civil parish in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, located on the River Nidd, four miles east of the centre of Harrogate.-History:...
adjoining the family home Goldsborough Hall
Goldsborough Hall
Goldsborough Hall is a Jacobean stately home located in the village of Goldsborough, North Yorkshire, England. It is a member of the Historic Houses Association...
a month later his uncle The Duke of York married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Wedding of Prince Albert, Duke of York, and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
The wedding of Prince Albert, Duke of York , and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon took place on 26 April 1923 at Westminster Abbey.-Courtship and proposals:...
. He served as a Page of Honour
Page of Honour
While a page is a comparatively low-ranking servant, a Page of Honour is a ceremonial position in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. It requires attendance on state occasions, but does not now involve the daily duties which were once attached to the office of page...
at the coronation of his uncle, King George VI
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
, in May 1937. He was educated at Ludgrove School
Ludgrove School
Ludgrove School is an independent preparatory boarding school for about 200 boys, aged from seven or eight years to thirteen. It is situated in the civil parish of Wokingham Without, adjoining the town of Wokingham in the English county of Berkshire.-History:...
, Eton College
Eton 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"....
and King's College, Cambridge
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
, after which he was commissioned into the Grenadier Guards
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
. He rose to the rank of captain. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he fought in Italy. The Germans captured and held him 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...
in Oflag IV-C (Colditz)
Oflag IV-C
Oflag IV-C, often referred to as Colditz Castle because of its location, was one of the most famous German Army prisoner-of-war camps for officers in World War II; Oflag is a shortening of Offizierslager, meaning "officers camp"...
from 1944 to May 1945. In March 1945 Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
signed his death warrant; the SS general commanding the camp, Gottlob Berger
Gottlob Berger
Gottlob Berger was a German Nazi who held the rank of Obergruppenführer during World War II and was later convicted of war crimes.In 1939, he was Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler's main recruiting officer...
, realizing the war was lost, refused to carry out the sentence and released the future earl to the Swiss. In 1945–46, he served as aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to his great uncle, Lord Athlone
Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone
Major-General Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone , was a close relative of the shared British and Canadian royal family, as well as a British military commander and major-general who served as Governor-General of the Union of South Africa, the...
, who was then Governor General of Canada
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
. Lord Harewood served as a Counsellor of State
Counsellor of State
In the United Kingdom, Counsellors of State are senior members of the British royal family to whom the Monarch, currently Elizabeth II, delegates certain state functions and powers when she is in another Commonwealth realm, abroad or unavailable for other reasons...
in 1947, 1953–54, and 1956. On 7 February 1956 he took his seat in the House of Lords.
Marriages
On 29 September 1949, Lord Harewood married Marion SteinMarion Stein
Maria Donata Nanetta Paulina Gustava Erwina Wilhelmine Stein, CBE , known as Marion Stein, is an Austrian concert pianist and, as a former Countess of Harewood, is also a former member of the British Royal Family....
(originally called Maria Donata Stein when she was born 18 October 1926), a concert pianist and the daughter of the Viennese
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
music publisher Erwin Stein
Erwin Stein
Erwin Stein was an Austrian musician and writer, prominent as a pupil and friend of Schoenberg, with whom he studied between 1906 and 1910. He was one of Schoenberg’s principal assistants in organizing the Society for Private Musical Performances...
. Their marriage produced three sons:
- David, 8th Earl of Harewood (born 21 October 1950 in BayswaterBayswaterBayswater is an area of west London in the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to the west . It is a built-up district located 3 miles west-north-west of Charing Cross, bordering the north of Hyde Park over Kensington Gardens and having a population density of...
, LondonLondonLondon 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...
) - The HonourableThe HonourableThe prefix The Honourable or The Honorable is a style used before the names of certain classes of persons. It is considered an honorific styling.-International diplomacy:...
James LascellesJames LascellesJames Edward Lascelles , styled The Hon. James Lascelles, is a British musician and the second son of the 7th Earl of Harewood and his first wife, the former Marion Stein...
(born 5 October 1953 in Bayswater, London) - The Honourable Jeremy LascellesJeremy LascellesRobert Jeremy Hugh Lascelles , is the youngest child of George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood and his first wife, Marion Stein who later married Jeremy Thorpe. He is a great-grandson of George V, so he is a second cousin to the Prince of Wales and is 51st in line to inherit the British throne...
(born 14 February 1955 in Bayswater, London)
This marriage ended in divorce in 1967, considered a scandal at the time. Marion went on to marry politician Jeremy Thorpe
Jeremy Thorpe
John Jeremy Thorpe is a British former politician who was leader of the Liberal Party from 1967 to 1976 and was the Member of Parliament for North Devon from 1959 to 1979. His political career was damaged when an acquaintance, Norman Scott, claimed to have had a love affair with Thorpe at a time...
.
Lord Harewood was married a second time on 31 July 1967 to Patricia "Bambi" Tuckwell
Patricia Lascelles, Countess of Harewood
Patricia "Bambi" Lascelles, Countess of Harewood is an Australian violinist and fashion model.-Life and career:Patricia Elizabeth Tuckwell was born in Melbourne, the daughter of Charles Tuckwell and his wife, Elizabeth and an older sister of Barry Tuckwell...
(born 24 November 1926), an Australian violinist and sister of the musician Barry Tuckwell
Barry Tuckwell
Barry Emmanuel Tuckwell AC, OBE , is an Australian horn player who has spent most of his professional life in the United Kingdom and the United States.- Early life and education :...
. The wedding took place at Waveny Park
Waveny Park
Waveny Park is a park in New Canaan, Connecticut. The park's centerpiece is "the castle" built in 1912 and surrounded by of fields, ponds and trails. The architect for the structure was William Tubby...
in New Canaan, Connecticut
New Canaan, Connecticut
New Canaan is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, northeast of Stamford, on the Fivemile River. The population was 19,738 according to the 2010 census.The town is one of the most affluent communities in the United States...
. A Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine article published at the time suggested that the choice of a wedding location outside of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
was due to the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
's views on divorce. They had one son:
- Mark Hubert Lascelles (born 4 July 1964 in MaryleboneMaryleboneMarylebone is an affluent inner-city area of central London, located within the City of Westminster. It is sometimes written as St. Marylebone or Mary-le-bone....
, London). Because he was not born in wedlock, he is ineligible to inherit his father's earldom and not in the line of succession to the throne. He married Andrea Kershaw (born 16 June 1964 in Stourport-on-SevernStourport-on-SevernStourport-on-Severn, often shortened to Stourport, is a town and civil parish in the Wyre Forest District of North Worcestershire, England, a few miles to the south of Kidderminster and down stream on the River Severn from Bewdley...
, WorcestershireWorcestershireWorcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
) on 8 August 1992 in HarewoodHarewoodHarewood is a village and civil parish in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, West Yorkshire, England. The A61 runs through the village, from Leeds city centre in the south to Harrogate in the north...
; they have three children:- Charlotte Patricia Lascelles (born 24 January 1996 in WestminsterWestminsterWestminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
, London) - Imogen Mary Lascelles (born 23 January 1998 in LeedsLeedsLeeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, West YorkshireWest YorkshireWest Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
) - Miranda Rose Lascelles (born 15 July 2000 in Leeds, West Yorkshire)
- Charlotte Patricia Lascelles (born 24 January 1996 in Westminster
The Queen gave her consent to the marriage of Mark Lascelles and Judith Anne Kilburn on 10 May 2011, and the two were married 16 July 2011.
Opera and football
A music enthusiast, Lord Harewood devoted most of his career to operaOpera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
. He served as editor of Opera
Opera (magazine)
Opera is a monthly British magazine devoted to covering all things related to opera.Based in London, the magazine was founded in 1950 by George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood. It was launched at the house of Richard Buckle, under the imprint 'Ballet Publications Ltd'...
magazine from 1950 to 1953 and as director of the Royal Opera House
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
, Covent Garden from 1951 to 1953 and again from 1969 to 1972. He served as chairman of the board of the English National Opera
English National Opera
English National Opera is an opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St. Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with the Royal Opera, Covent Garden...
(ENO) from 1986 to 1995; Managing Director of the ENO from 1972 to 1985; artistic director of the Edinburgh
Edinburgh International Festival
The Edinburgh International Festival is a festival of performing arts that takes place in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, over three weeks from around the middle of August. By invitation from the Festival Director, the International Festival brings top class performers of music , theatre, opera...
, Adelaide
Adelaide Festival of Arts
The Adelaide Festival of Arts is an arts festival held biennially in the South Australian capital of Adelaide. Although locally considered to be one of the world's greatest celebrations of the arts, that is internationally renowned and the pre-eminent cultural event in Australia, it is actually...
and Leeds
Leeds Festival (classical music)
The Leeds Festival was a classical music festival which took place between 1858 and 1985 in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.The first festival celebrated the opening of Leeds Town Hall by Queen Victoria on 7 September 1858...
Festivals; Managing Director of the ENO offshoot English National Opera North
Opera North
Opera North is an English opera company based in Leeds. The company's home theatre is the Leeds Grand Theatre, but it also presents regular seasons in several other cities, at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham, the Lowry Centre, Salford Quays and the Theatre Royal, Newcastle...
from 1978 to 1981. Lord Harewood served as a governor of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
from 1985 to 1987 and as the president of the British Board of Film Classification
British Board of Film Classification
The British Board of Film Classification , originally British Board of Film Censors, is a non-governmental organisation, funded by the film industry and responsible for the national classification of films within the United Kingdom...
from 1985 to 1996. He was the author or editor of three books, Kobbé's Complete Opera Book
The Complete Opera Book
The Complete Opera Book is a guide to operas by American music critic and author Gustav Kobbé first published in the United States in 1919 and the United Kingdom in 1922...
(ed. 1954, now The New Kobbé's Opera Book, edited with Antony Peattie, latest ed. 1997), The Tongs and the Bones (an autobiography, 1981), and Kobbé's Illustrated Opera Book (ed. 1989). He was chairman of Historic Masters
Historic Masters
Historic Masters is a historical reissue record label, based in Takeley, Hertfordshire, England, dedicated to making available quality pressings on vinyl of rare 78 rpm recordings of opera singers...
, an unusual vinyl record label dedicated to high quality issues of rare historic 78 rpm recordings of opera singers. He was a noted friend and colleague of the late opera diva Maria Callas
Maria Callas
Maria Callas was an American-born Greek soprano and one of the most renowned opera singers of the 20th century. She combined an impressive bel canto technique, a wide-ranging voice and great dramatic gifts...
and is featured in the 1968 EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
documentary The Callas Conversations Vol. I, during which he interviewed Callas at length concerning her career and ideas about opera.
His other interests included football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
: he served as president of Leeds United Football Club
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
from 1961 until his death and was president of the Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
from 1963 to 1972.
Official honours
Queen Elizabeth II created him a Knight Commander of the Order of the British EmpireOrder of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(KBE) in 1986. On 1 July 2010 he was appointed an honorary Member of the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
, "for service to the arts in Australia and to supporting Australia's artists in the United Kingdom".
Family
- At the time of his birth he was 6th in line to the British throneLine of succession to the British ThroneThe line of succession to the British throne is the ordered sequence of those people eligible to succeed to the throne of the United Kingdom and the other 15 Commonwealth realms. By the terms of the Act of Settlement 1701, the succession is limited to the descendants of the Electress Sophia of...
. At his death, he was 46th. - He was the first of nine grandchildren of George V and Queen Mary. He was 21 years older than the youngest grandchild (Prince Richard, Duke of GloucesterPrince Richard, Duke of GloucesterPrince Richard, Duke of Gloucester is a member of the British Royal Family. Prince Richard is the youngest grandchild of King George V and Queen Mary. He has been Duke of Gloucester since his father's death in 1974. He is currently 20th in the line of succession...
). He outlived his two royal cousins Princess Margaret, Countess of SnowdonPrincess Margaret, Countess of SnowdonPrincess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon was the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II and the younger daughter of King George VI....
, Prince William of GloucesterPrince William of GloucesterPrince William of Gloucester was a member of the British Royal Family, a grandson of George V.-Early life:...
, and his brother GeraldGerald LascellesThe Honourable Gerald David Lascelles was the younger son of the 6th Earl of Harewood and Mary, Princess Royal, the only daughter of King George V of the United Kingdom and Mary of Teck. He was the first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. He was styled The Honourable Gerald Lascelles...
. - He was the oldest cousin of Queen Elizabeth II on George VI's side, but The Hon. John Patrick Bowes-Lyon, Master of Glamis, was the Queen's oldest cousin.
Career
- He was the only person to serve as Counsellor of StateCounsellor of StateIn the United Kingdom, Counsellors of State are senior members of the British royal family to whom the Monarch, currently Elizabeth II, delegates certain state functions and powers when she is in another Commonwealth realm, abroad or unavailable for other reasons...
without being a Prince of the United KingdomBritish princeThis is a list of British princes from the accession of George I in 1714. The title of prince is at the will of the sovereign, who can both grant and revoke the title. Individuals holding the title of prince will usually also be styled His Royal Highness or formerly His Highness...
, serving from 1945 to 1951, then 1952 to 1956. - He served as chancellorChancellor (education)A chancellor or vice-chancellor is the chief executive of a university. Other titles are sometimes used, such as president or rector....
of the University of YorkUniversity of YorkThe University of York , is an academic institution located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects...
from 1962 to 1967. - He was ranked #1355 in the Sunday Times Rich List 2008Sunday Times Rich List 2008The 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 £55m—his magnificent art treasures, held in trust and valued at more than £50m, and a 3000 acres (12.1 km²) estate outside Leeds. The estate and house, Harewood HouseHarewood HouseHarewood House is a country house located in Harewood , near Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is a member of Treasure Houses of England, a marketing consortium for nine of the foremost stately homes in England...
, are held by a charity with £9m of assets, and were not counted as part of his wealth.
Titles
- The Hon. George Lascelles (7 February 1923 – 6 October 1929)
- Viscount Lascelles (6 October 1929 – 24 May 1947)
- The Rt Hon. The Earl of Harewood (24 May 1947–1986)
- The Rt Hon. The Earl of Harewood, KBE (1986 – 1 July 2010)
- The Rt Hon. The Earl of Harewood, KBE AM (1 July 2010 – 11 July 2011)
Books
The Tongs And Bones: The Memoirs of Lord Harewood, published by George Weidenfeld and Nicholson (1981), ISBN 0 297 77960 5 is George Lascelles' autobiographyExternal links
- George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood interview by Bruce Duffie
- Obituary, The Daily TelegraphThe Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, 12 July 2011.