Michael Fitzalan-Howard
Encyclopedia
Major-General
Lord Michael Fitzalan-Howard, GCVO
, CB
, CBE
, MC
(22 October 1916 – 2 November 2007) was an officer in the British Army
for 34 years. He was then Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps
in the British Royal Household
for 9 years until 1981, and Gold Stick-in-Waiting
and Colonel of the Life Guards
for 20 years, finally retiring in 1999.
and Mona Fitzalan-Howard, 11th Baroness Beaumont
. He was 15 months younger than the eldest sibling, Miles, 17th Duke of Norfolk. He had two other brothers and four sisters, all with first names beginning with the letter "M". He became The Honourable Michael in 1924 when his father succeeded as 3rd Baron Howard of Glossop
. He grew up at his mother's family seat, Carlton Towers
in North Yorkshire
.
Fitzalan-Howard and his elder brother followed parallel courses in their education and career. Both were educated at Ampleforth College
, before Oxbridge
- Michael at Trinity College, Cambridge
from 1935 to 1938, and Miles at Christ Church, Oxford
. Both then took a commission in the British Army
- Michael in the Scots Guards
in 1938 and Miles in the Grenadier Guards
. Michael joined the 3rd battalion of the Scots Guards when it was formed in April 1944.
after D-Day
: Michael commanded a squadron of the 3rd Scots Guards, while Miles was brigade major
of 5th Guards Armoured Brigade
. A third brother, Martin, commanded a tank in the 2nd Grenadier Guards. Michael and Miles both won the Military Cross
in 1944. Michael's MC was awarded for leading several attacks in the bocage
near Estry and Chênedollé
. He then became brigade major of the 32nd Guards Brigade, beating his brother in the race to Brussels
. Their brigades then leapfrogged each other on the advance through Eindhoven to the Rhine and the Elbe
. Michael was mentioned in dispatches
.
Michael and Miles, both career officers, remained in the Army after the War. Michael was best man at Miles' wedding in 1949. Both were promoted to colonel in 1958, and then to brigadier in 1961. Miles became a major-general in 1968, three months before his brother.
Fitzalan-Howard served as brigade major with the 1st Guards Brigade in Palestine
, and then as an instructor at the Staff Colleges in Haifa
in 1946 and at Camberley
immediately afterwards. He served as brigade major of the 2nd Guards Brigade in Malaya and in London, and was appointed MBE
in 1949. He was appointed MVO
in 1953 after working on the funeral of King George VI. He served as second-in-command of the 1st Scots Guards in Suez
, then commanded 2nd Scots Guards in 4th Guards Brigade of the British Army of the Rhine
. He promoted to brigadier and became chief of staff, London District, in 1958. He returned to Germany to commanded the 4th Guards Brigade, and was advanced to CBE in 1962.
He was promoted to major general in 1964 and became the first commander of the ground forces in Allied Command Europe Mobile Force, a tri-service unit combining forces from several members of NATO. He was then Chief of Staff of Southern Command
, based in Salisbury. He was appointed CB
in 1968, and was Major-General commanding the Household Division
and General Officer Commanding
London District
from 1968 to 1971. He was also colonel of the Lancashire Regiment from 1966 to 1970, and then colonel of the Queen's Lancashire Regiment
until 1978, and honorary colonel of Cambridge University OTC
from 1968 to 1971. He retired from the Army in 1971, and was advanced to KCVO.
from 1972 to 1981, and was advanced to GCVO when he retired from that role. He served as a Deputy Lieutenant
for Wiltshire from 1974, and was also chairman of the Territorial Army and Volunteer Reserve Council.
In 1975, Fitzalan-Howard's elder brother, Miles succeeded as the 17th Duke of Norfolk
, and Michael became Lord Michael Fitzalan-Howard when he and his siblings were granted the rank
of younger sons and daughters of a duke
that year.
He succeeded The Earl Mountbatten of Burma
as Gold Stick-in-Waiting
and Colonel of the Life Guards in 1979, offices which he held for 20 years. He became an Extra Equerry
to Queen Elizabeth II
in 1999.
Michael Fitzalan-Howard died, aged 91, in 2007, survived by his third wife, the daughter of his first marriage, and his five children from his second marriage.
Major-General (United Kingdom)
Major general is a senior rank in the British Army. Since 1996 the highest position within the Royal Marines is the Commandant General Royal Marines who holds the rank of major general...
Lord Michael Fitzalan-Howard, GCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, CBE
Order 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...
, MC
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....
(22 October 1916 – 2 November 2007) 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...
for 34 years. He was then Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps
Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps
Her Majesty's Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps is a senior member of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. He is the Queen's link with the diplomatic community in London, arranges the annual Diplomatic Corps Reception by the Sovereign, organises the regular presentation of...
in the British Royal Household
Royal Household
A Royal Household in ancient and medieval monarchies formed the basis for the general government of the country as well as providing for the needs of the sovereign and his relations....
for 9 years until 1981, and Gold Stick-in-Waiting
Gold Stick and Silver Stick
The Gold Stick and the Silver Stick are bodyguard positions in the British Royal Household, personal attendants to the Sovereign on ceremonial occasions....
and Colonel of the Life Guards
Life Guards (British Army)
The Life Guards is the senior regiment of the British Army and with the Blues and Royals, they make up the Household Cavalry.They originated in the four troops of Horse Guards raised by Charles II around the time of his restoration, plus two troops of Horse Grenadier Guards which were raised some...
for 20 years, finally retiring in 1999.
Early life
Fitzalan-Howard was the second son of Bernard Fitzalan-Howard, 3rd Baron Howard of GlossopBernard Fitzalan-Howard, 3rd Baron Howard of Glossop
Bernard Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 3rd Baron Howard of Glossop, MBE was a British peer.Fitzalan-Howard was the eldest son of the Francis Fitzalan-Howard, 2nd Baron Howard of Glossop and was educated at the London Oratory School and Trinity College, Cambridge. He became a Captain in the Lovat Scouts...
and Mona Fitzalan-Howard, 11th Baroness Beaumont
Mona Fitzalan-Howard, 11th Baroness Beaumont
Mona Josephine Tempest Fitzalan-Howard, 11th Baroness Beaumont, Baroness Howard of Glossop, OBE was a British peeress.-Personal life:...
. He was 15 months younger than the eldest sibling, Miles, 17th Duke of Norfolk. He had two other brothers and four sisters, all with first names beginning with the letter "M". He became The Honourable Michael in 1924 when his father succeeded as 3rd Baron Howard of Glossop
Baron Howard of Glossop
Baron Howard of Glossop, in the County of Derby, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, since 1975 a subsidiary title of the dukedom of Norfolk. It was created in 1869 for the Liberal politician Lord Edward Howard, the second son of Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 13th Duke of Norfolk...
. He grew up at his mother's family seat, Carlton Towers
Carlton Towers
Carlton Towers is in Carlton , North Yorkshire, England. It is a Grade I listed Victorian gothic country house designed by Edward Welby Pugin. It is the Yorkshire home of the Duke of Norfolk....
in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
.
Fitzalan-Howard and his elder brother followed parallel courses in their education and career. Both were educated at Ampleforth College
Ampleforth College
Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire, England, is the largest Roman Catholic co-educational boarding independent school in the United Kingdom. It opened in 1802, as a boys' school, and is run by the Benedictine monks and lay staff of Ampleforth Abbey...
, before Oxbridge
Oxbridge
Oxbridge is a portmanteau of the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge in England, and the term is now used to refer to them collectively, often with implications of perceived superior social status...
- Michael at Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
from 1935 to 1938, and Miles at Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
. Both then took a commission 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...
- Michael in the Scots Guards
Scots Guards
The Scots Guards is a regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, whose origins lie in the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland...
in 1938 and Miles in 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...
. Michael joined the 3rd battalion of the Scots Guards when it was formed in April 1944.
Army career
As majors, the brothers both fought in tanks in the Guards Armoured Division in the Second World War, fighting in the breakout from CaenCaen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
after D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
: Michael commanded a squadron of the 3rd Scots Guards, while Miles was brigade major
Brigade Major
In the British Army, a Brigade Major was the Chief of Staff of a brigade. He held the rank of Major and was head of the brigade's "G - Operations and Intelligence" section directly and oversaw the two other branches, "A - Administration" and "Q - Quartermaster"...
of 5th Guards Armoured Brigade
5th Guards Armoured Brigade
The 5th Guards Armoured Brigade was a Second World War British Army formation, a component unit of the Guards Armoured Division.- History :This brigade was converted from the 20th Infantry Brigade on 15 September 1941. It was stationed in the United Kingdom until 30 June 1944 when it arrived in...
. A third brother, Martin, commanded a tank in the 2nd Grenadier Guards. Michael and Miles both won the Military Cross
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....
in 1944. Michael's MC was awarded for leading several attacks in the bocage
Bocage
Bocage is a Norman word which has entered both the French and English languages. It may refer to a small forest, a decorative element of leaves, a terrain of mixed woodland and pasture, or a type of rubble-work, comparable with the English use of 'rustic' in relation to garden...
near Estry and Chênedollé
Chênedollé
Chênedollé is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
. He then became brigade major of the 32nd Guards Brigade, beating his brother in the race to Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
. Their brigades then leapfrogged each other on the advance through Eindhoven to the Rhine and the Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
. Michael was mentioned in dispatches
Mentioned in Dispatches
A soldier Mentioned in Despatches is one whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which is described the soldier's gallant or meritorious action in the face of the enemy.In a number of countries, a soldier's name must be mentioned in...
.
Michael and Miles, both career officers, remained in the Army after the War. Michael was best man at Miles' wedding in 1949. Both were promoted to colonel in 1958, and then to brigadier in 1961. Miles became a major-general in 1968, three months before his brother.
Fitzalan-Howard served as brigade major with the 1st Guards Brigade in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, and then as an instructor at the Staff Colleges in Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
in 1946 and at Camberley
Camberley
Camberley is a town in Surrey, England, situated 31 miles southwest of central London, in the corridor between the M3 and M4 motorways. The town lies close to the borders of both Hampshire and Berkshire; the boundaries intersect on the western edge of the town where all three counties...
immediately afterwards. He served as brigade major of the 2nd Guards Brigade in Malaya and in London, and was appointed MBE
Order 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...
in 1949. He was appointed MVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
in 1953 after working on the funeral of King George VI. He served as second-in-command of the 1st Scots Guards in Suez
Suez
Suez is a seaport city in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez , near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez governorate. It has three harbors, Adabya, Ain Sokhna and Port Tawfiq, and extensive port facilities...
, then commanded 2nd Scots Guards in 4th Guards Brigade of the British Army of the Rhine
British Army of the Rhine
There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine . Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War, and the other after the Second World War.-1919–1929:...
. He promoted to brigadier and became chief of staff, London District, in 1958. He returned to Germany to commanded the 4th Guards Brigade, and was advanced to CBE in 1962.
He was promoted to major general in 1964 and became the first commander of the ground forces in Allied Command Europe Mobile Force, a tri-service unit combining forces from several members of NATO. He was then Chief of Staff of Southern Command
Southern Command (United Kingdom)
-History:The Command was established in 1905 from the Second Army Corps and was initially based at Tidworth but in 1949 moved to Fugglestone Farm near Wilton in Wiltshire....
, based in Salisbury. He was appointed CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
in 1968, and was Major-General commanding the Household Division
Major-General commanding the Household Division
The Major-General commanding the Household Division commands the troops of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. He is also General Officer Commanding London District.-Recent Commanders:The holders of this office include:...
and General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
London District
London District (British Army)
London District is the name given by the British Army to the area of operations encompassing the Greater London area. Established in 1870 as Home District, it was re-formed in 1905 as London District to be an independent district within the larger command structure of the army, and has remained so...
from 1968 to 1971. He was also colonel of the Lancashire Regiment from 1966 to 1970, and then colonel of the Queen's Lancashire Regiment
Queen's Lancashire Regiment
The Queen's Lancashire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the King's Division...
until 1978, and honorary colonel of Cambridge University OTC
Officers Training Corps
The Officer Training Corps is a part of the British Army which provides military leadership training to students at UK universities...
from 1968 to 1971. He retired from the Army in 1971, and was advanced to KCVO.
Later life
After retiring from the Army, Fitzalan-Howard served as Marshal of the Diplomatic CorpsMarshal of the Diplomatic Corps
Her Majesty's Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps is a senior member of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. He is the Queen's link with the diplomatic community in London, arranges the annual Diplomatic Corps Reception by the Sovereign, organises the regular presentation of...
from 1972 to 1981, and was advanced to GCVO when he retired from that role. He served as 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....
for Wiltshire from 1974, and was also chairman of the Territorial Army and Volunteer Reserve Council.
In 1975, Fitzalan-Howard's elder brother, Miles succeeded as the 17th Duke of Norfolk
Duke of Norfolk
The Duke of Norfolk is the premier duke in the peerage of England, and also, as Earl of Arundel, the premier earl. The Duke of Norfolk is, moreover, the Earl Marshal and hereditary Marshal of England. The seat of the Duke of Norfolk is Arundel Castle in Sussex, although the title refers to the...
, and Michael became Lord Michael Fitzalan-Howard when he and his siblings were granted the rank
Order of precedence
An order of precedence is a sequential hierarchy of nominal importance of items. Most often it is used in the context of people by many organizations and governments...
of younger sons and daughters of a duke
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
that year.
He succeeded The Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Admiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas George Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, DSO, PC, FRS , was a British statesman and naval officer, and an uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
as Gold Stick-in-Waiting
Gold Stick and Silver Stick
The Gold Stick and the Silver Stick are bodyguard positions in the British Royal Household, personal attendants to the Sovereign on ceremonial occasions....
and Colonel of the Life Guards in 1979, offices which he held for 20 years. He became an Extra Equerry
Equerry
An equerry , and related to the French word "écuyer" ) is an officer of honour. Historically, it was a senior attendant with responsibilities for the horses of a person of rank. In contemporary use, it is a personal attendant, usually upon a Sovereign, a member of a Royal Family, or a national...
to Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
in 1999.
Family
Fitzalan-Howard married three times. He first married Jean Marion Hamilton-Dalrymple, daughter of Sir Hew Hamilton-Dalrymple, 9th Baronet, on 4 March 1946. They had a daughter, Jean, but his first wife died shortly afterwards, on 28 July 1947. He remarried on 20 April 1950, to Jane Margaret Meade-Newman, daughter of Captain William Patrick Meade-Newman. They had a daughter and four sons. His second wife died in 25 December 1995. He married again, on 2 July 1997, to Victoria Winifred Baring, daughter of Colonel Reginald Edmund Maghlin Russell and the widow of Sir Mark Baring.Michael Fitzalan-Howard died, aged 91, in 2007, survived by his third wife, the daughter of his first marriage, and his five children from his second marriage.