Patrick Terence William Span Plunket, 7th Baron Plunket
Encyclopedia
Patrick Terence William Span Plunket, 7th Baron Plunket CVO
, (8 September 1923-1975) was Equerry
to Queen Elizabeth II
and Deputy Master of the Household
of the Royal Household
(1954-1975).
Plunket's mother, Dorothé Mabel Lewis, was the illegitimate daughter of the actress Fannie Ward
and 7th Marquess of Londonderry
. Briefly married to Capt. Jack Barnato, who died during World War I, she married as her second husband Terence Plunket, 6th Baron Plunket.
When his parents were killed in an air accident, Plunket succeeded to the family peerage
(created in 1827) in 1938. He and his brothers were then raised by an aunt, the Hon. Helen Rhodes. He was educated at Eton College
and joined the Irish Guards
.
Plunket was temporary Equerry
to King George VI
and then to Queen Elizabeth II (1948-1954) as a captain
. On 8 September 1957 he was promoted to major
and to lieutenant-colonel 8 April 1969.
Plunket was Trustee
of the Wallace Collection
and of the National Art Collection Fund.
Unmarried, Plunket died in 1975. He is buried in the Royal Family
's private burial ground at Frogmore
in Windsor Park
. There is a memorial to him in Valley Gardens, Windsor Great Park (a little pavilion with four columns) at the top of the valley.
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...
, (8 September 1923-1975) was 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,...
and Deputy Master of the Household
Master of the Household
The Master of the Household is the operational head of the "below stairs" elements of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom...
of the 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....
(1954-1975).
Plunket's mother, Dorothé Mabel Lewis, was the illegitimate daughter of the actress Fannie Ward
Fannie Ward
Fannie Ward was an American actress of stage and screen, known for comedic roles as well as The Cheat, a sexually–charged 1915 silent film directed by Cecil B. DeMille....
and 7th Marquess of Londonderry
Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 7th Marquess of Londonderry
Charles Stewart Henry Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 7th Marquess of Londonderry, KG, MVO, PC, PC , styled Lord Stewart until 1884 and Viscount Castlereagh between 1884 and 1915, was an Anglo-Irish peer and had careers in both Irish and British politics...
. Briefly married to Capt. Jack Barnato, who died during World War I, she married as her second husband Terence Plunket, 6th Baron Plunket.
When his parents were killed in an air accident, Plunket succeeded to the family peerage
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...
(created in 1827) in 1938. He and his brothers were then raised by an aunt, the Hon. Helen Rhodes. He was educated at 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 joined 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...
.
Plunket was temporary 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 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 then to Queen Elizabeth II (1948-1954) as a 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...
. On 8 September 1957 he was promoted to major
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. ...
and to lieutenant-colonel 8 April 1969.
Plunket was Trustee
Trustee
Trustee is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another...
of the Wallace Collection
Wallace Collection
The Wallace Collection is a museum in London, with a world-famous range of fine and decorative arts from the 15th to the 19th centuries with large holdings of French 18th-century paintings, furniture, arms & armour, porcelain and Old Master paintings arranged into 25 galleries.It was established in...
and of the National Art Collection Fund.
Unmarried, Plunket died in 1975. He is buried in the Royal Family
House of Windsor
The House of Windsor is the royal house of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded by King George V by royal proclamation on the 17 July 1917, when he changed the name of his family from the German Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to the English Windsor, due to the anti-German sentiment in the United Kingdom...
's private burial ground at Frogmore
Frogmore
The Frogmore Estate or Gardens comprise of private gardens within the grounds of the Home Park, adjoining Windsor Castle, in the English county of Berkshire. The name derives from the preponderance of frogs which have always lived in this low-lying and marshy area.It is the location of Frogmore...
in Windsor Park
Windsor Park
Windsor Park is a football stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland and the home ground of Linfield F.C. and the Northern Ireland national football team. It is also where the Irish Cup and Irish League Cup finals are played.-History:...
. There is a memorial to him in Valley Gardens, Windsor Great Park (a little pavilion with four columns) at the top of the valley.