James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Abercorn
Encyclopedia
James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Abercorn, KG
(born 4 July 1934), is the current Duke of Abercorn
in the Peerage of Ireland
, having succeeded his father in June 1979. The son of James Edward Hamilton, 4th Duke of Abercorn, and Lady Mary Crichton (daughter of Lt.-Col. Henry William Crichton, Viscount Crichton (1872–1914), eldest son of John Crichton, 4th Earl Erne
). He is a former politician
and Lord Steward of the Household.
and the Royal Agricultural College
, in 1952 he was commissioned into the Grenadier Guards
. In 1964 he became Ulster Unionist
MP
for Fermanagh and South Tyrone
(when he held the courtesy title Marquess of Hamilton), succeeding his first cousin, Lord Robert Grosvenor (later Duke of Westminster)
. He held his seat in the 1966 election but lost it to a Unity candidate, Frank McManus
, in 1970 by 1,423 votes. In 1986, he was appointed Lord Lieutenant of County Tyrone and stood down in 2009. In 1999, he was appointed a Knight of the Order of the Garter
. He was colonel
of the Irish Guards
from 2000 to 2008. Additionally, he was appointed Lord Steward of the Household in 2001, serving until 2009.
He is one of the largest landowners in all of Ireland
with more than 15,000 acres (61 km²). His seat is Baronscourt, near Newtownstewart
, County Tyrone
, Northern Ireland
.
The Dukedom of Abercorn is in the Peerage of Ireland
and did not carry an entitlement to a seat in the House of Lords
, but until 1999 the Duke was entitled to sit there under his subsidiary title Marquess of Abercorn, in the Peerage of Great Britain
.
(b. 27 February 1946), eldest daughter of Lt.-Col. Harold Pedro Joseph Phillips (1909–1980) and Georgina Wernher
(1919-2011), elder daughter and co-heiress of Sir Harold Wernher, 3rd Baronet
, of Luton Hoo
, Bedfordshire
). The Duchess is known by her second name Alexandra, and her nickname "Sacha". She is the elder sister of Natalia
, wife of the Duke of Westminster
.
The Duke and Duchess of Abercorn have two sons and a daughter:
He is also a relative of the late Diana, Princess of Wales
as he is the first cousin of Diana's father, the 8th Earl Spencer. The current duke's father, the 4th Duke of Abercorn
was the brother of Diana's grandmother, Cynthia Spencer, Countess Spencer
. Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, who is the next King of England, and Prince Harry of Wales
are both his grandnephews.
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
(born 4 July 1934), is the current Duke of Abercorn
Duke of Abercorn
The title Duke of Abercorn was created in the Peerage of Ireland in 1868 and bestowed upon James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Abercorn.This article also covers the Earls and Marquesses of Abercorn, all named after Abercorn, West Lothian, in Scotland.-History:...
in the Peerage of Ireland
Peerage of Ireland
The Peerage of Ireland is the term used for those titles of nobility created by the English and later British monarchs of Ireland in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland. The creation of such titles came to an end in the 19th century. The ranks of the Irish peerage are Duke, Marquess, Earl,...
, having succeeded his father in June 1979. The son of James Edward Hamilton, 4th Duke of Abercorn, and Lady Mary Crichton (daughter of Lt.-Col. Henry William Crichton, Viscount Crichton (1872–1914), eldest son of John Crichton, 4th Earl Erne
John Crichton, 4th Earl Erne
John Henry Crichton, 4th Earl Erne KP, PC , known as Viscount Crichton from 1842 to 1885, was an Anglo-Irish peer and Conservative politician....
). He is a former politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and Lord Steward of the Household.
Career
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"....
and the Royal Agricultural College
Royal Agricultural College
The Royal Agricultural College is a higher education institution located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, UK. Established in 1845, it was the first agricultural college in the English speaking world...
, in 1952 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...
. In 1964 he became Ulster Unionist
Ulster Unionist Party
The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Fermanagh and South Tyrone
Fermanagh and South Tyrone (UK Parliament constituency)
Fermanagh and South Tyrone is a Parliamentary constituency in the British House of Commons. The current MP for the constituency is Michelle Gildernew of Sinn Féin....
(when he held the courtesy title Marquess of Hamilton), succeeding his first cousin, Lord Robert Grosvenor (later Duke of Westminster)
Robert Grosvenor, 5th Duke of Westminster
Lieutenant-Colonel Robert George Grosvenor, 5th Duke of Westminster DSO TD JP DL , was a British soldier, landowner, businessman and politician. In the 1970s he was the richest man in Britain....
. He held his seat in the 1966 election but lost it to a Unity candidate, Frank McManus
Frank McManus (Irish politician)
Frank McManus is an Irish nationalist activist and former Member of the British House of Commons.Born in Lisnaskea, County Fermanagh,he is a brother of Father Seán McManus, the Irish-American lobbyist and Catholic priest, and Pat McManus, a member of the IRA killed in an explosion in 1958.He...
, in 1970 by 1,423 votes. In 1986, he was appointed Lord Lieutenant of County Tyrone and stood down in 2009. In 1999, he was appointed a Knight of the Order of the Garter
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
. He was colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
of the Irish Guards
Irish Guards
The Irish Guards , part of the Guards Division, is a Foot Guards regiment of the British Army.Along with the Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of the two Irish regiments remaining in the British Army. The Irish Guards recruit in Northern Ireland and the Irish neighbourhoods of major British cities...
from 2000 to 2008. Additionally, he was appointed Lord Steward of the Household in 2001, serving until 2009.
He is one of the largest landowners in all of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
with more than 15,000 acres (61 km²). His seat is Baronscourt, near Newtownstewart
Newtownstewart
Newtownstewart is a village and townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is overlooked by hills called Bessy Bell and Mary Gray and is at the confluence of the rivers Strule and Owenkillew. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 1,479 people. It lies within the Strabane District Council...
, County Tyrone
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
, 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...
.
The Dukedom of Abercorn is in the Peerage of Ireland
Peerage of Ireland
The Peerage of Ireland is the term used for those titles of nobility created by the English and later British monarchs of Ireland in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland. The creation of such titles came to an end in the 19th century. The ranks of the Irish peerage are Duke, Marquess, Earl,...
and did not carry an entitlement to a seat in 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....
, but until 1999 the Duke was entitled to sit there under his subsidiary title Marquess of Abercorn, in the Peerage of Great Britain
Peerage of Great Britain
The Peerage of Great Britain comprises all extant peerages created in the Kingdom of Great Britain after the Act of Union 1707 but before the Act of Union 1800...
.
Family
In 1966 he married Alexandra Anastasia "Sacha" PhillipsAlexandra Hamilton, Duchess of Abercorn
Alexandra Anastasia "Sacha" Hamilton, Duchess of Abercorn OBE is the wife of James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Abercorn....
(b. 27 February 1946), eldest daughter of Lt.-Col. Harold Pedro Joseph Phillips (1909–1980) and Georgina Wernher
Georgina Kennard
Georgina Kennard, Lady Kennard , was the mother of Alexandra Hamilton, Duchess of Abercorn, and Natalia Grosvenor, Duchess of Westminster...
(1919-2011), elder daughter and co-heiress of Sir Harold Wernher, 3rd Baronet
Harold Augustus Wernher
Sir Harold Augustus Wernher, 3rd Baronet, GCVO, TD -Biography:He was the son of Sir Julius Wernher, 1st Baronet and his wife Alice Sedgwick Mankiewicz...
, of Luton Hoo
Luton Hoo
Luton Hoo straddles the Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire borders between the towns of Harpenden and Luton. The unusual name "Hoo" is a Saxon word meaning the spur of a hill, and is more commonly associated with East Anglia.- Early History :...
, Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
). The Duchess is known by her second name Alexandra, and her nickname "Sacha". She is the elder sister of Natalia
Natalia Grosvenor, Duchess of Westminster
Natalia Ayesha Grosvenor, Duchess of Westminster is the wife of Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster.The Duchess of Westminster is the younger daughter of Lt.-Col. Harold Pedro Joseph Phillips and his wife, Georgina Wernher. Her elder sister is Alexandra, Duchess of Abercorn...
, wife of the Duke of Westminster
Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster
Major-General Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster, , is the son of Robert George Grosvenor, 5th Duke of Westminster, and his wife Hon. Viola Maud Lyttelton. He is the owner of property company Grosvenor Group...
.
The Duke and Duchess of Abercorn have two sons and a daughter:
- James Harold Charles Hamilton, Marquess of Hamilton (born 19 August 1969), who was married on 7 May 2004 at the Guards Chapel, Wellington BarracksGuards Chapel, Wellington BarracksThe Royal Military Chapel, St. James Park, known as the Guards Chapel, is the religious home of the Household Division at the Wellington Barracks in London. Built in 1838, the chapel was bombed during the Blitz in 1940/1941....
, to Tanya Marie Nation (b. 1971), eldest daughter of Douglas Percy Codrington Nation, senior managing director of Bear StearnsBear StearnsThe Bear Stearns Companies, Inc. based in New York City, was a global investment bank and securities trading and brokerage, until its sale to JPMorgan Chase in 2008 during the global financial crisis and recession...
(1942–2001) and his wife Barbara "Bobbie" Brookes. They have two children, James Alfred Nicholas Hamilton, styled Viscount Strabane (born 30 October 2005) and Lord Claud Douglas Harold Hamilton (b. 12 December 2007). - Lady Sophia Alexandra Hamilton (b. 8 June 1973), who was a modelModel (person)A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
before 1996. She married British warWarWar is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
journalistJournalistA journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
Anthony LoydAnthony LoydAnthony William Vivian Loyd is an English journalist, noted war correspondent, and former British Army officer who saw active service in the First Gulf War.-Biography:...
in 2002, but they divorced, without children, in 2005. - Lord Nicholas Edward Hamilton (b. 5 July 1979).
He is also a relative of the late Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
as he is the first cousin of Diana's father, the 8th Earl Spencer. The current duke's father, the 4th Duke of Abercorn
James Hamilton, 3rd Duke of Abercorn
James Albert Edward Hamilton, 3rd Duke of Abercorn KG, KP, PC , styled Marquess of Hamilton between 1885 and 1913, was a British peer and Unionist politician. He was the first Governor of Northern Ireland, a post he held between 1922 and 1945...
was the brother of Diana's grandmother, Cynthia Spencer, Countess Spencer
Cynthia Spencer, Countess Spencer
Cynthia Elinor Beatrix Spencer, Countess Spencer, DCVO, OBE , known as Lady Cynthia Hamilton until her marriage, and from then as Viscountess Althorp until 1922 when her husband inherited his father's title of Earl Spencer, was a British peeress and the paternal grandmother of Diana, Princess of...
. Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, who is the next King of England, and Prince Harry of Wales
Prince Harry of Wales
Prince Henry of Wales , commonly known as Prince Harry, is the younger son of Charles, Prince of Wales and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and fourth grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
are both his grandnephews.