William Peel, 3rd Earl Peel
Encyclopedia
William James Robert Peel, 3rd Earl Peel GCVO
, PC, DL
(born 3 October 1947), styled Viscount Clanfield until 1969, is a cross-bench (non-party) member of the House of Lords
and Lord Chamberlain
of the Royal Household
.
, and Kathleen McGrath, daughter of Michael McGrath. He is a great-great-grandson of Prime Minister
Sir Robert Peel. He attended Ampleforth College
, and then went on to the University of Tours
in France
and the Royal Agricultural College
, Cirencester
.
, from 1993 to 2006, and Lord Warden of the Stannaries
from 1994-2006. He was a member of the Nature Conservancy Council
, with English Nature
, from 1991 to 1996. He is President of the Game Conservancy Trust and was President of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
from 1989 to 1996. Lord Peel was also on the Yorkshire Dales National Park Committee for six years and became a Deputy Lieutenant of North Yorkshire
in 1998. He is an elected hereditary crossbench member of the House of Lords
.
In June 2006 it was announced that Lord Peel would succeed Lord Luce
as Lord Chamberlain
. On 11 October 2006, he kissed hands
with The Queen
upon his appointment and was invested as a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
(GCVO), and became Chancellor of the Order. On 14 November 2006, Lord Peel was sworn in as a Member of the Privy Council.
and his wife, Mary Churchill
, daughter of Sir Winston Churchill
, on 15 April 1989. They have one daughter, Lady Antonia Mary Catherine Peel (born 1991).
Lord Peel's son, Lord Clanfield, married Matilda Rose Aykroyd (born 15 March 1978) in 2004. Matilda is the third daughter and fourth (and youngest) child of second Lieutenant of the Coldstream Guards
David Peter Aykroyd (born 6 June 1937) and his wife Lydia Huldine Beamish (18 January 1939 - 9 July 2004). Lord and Lady Clanfield have three daughters, The Honourable Isla Rose Huldine Peel (born 24 March 2005), The Honourable Willa Katherine Peel (born 1 December 2006) and The Honourable Florence Iona Emily Peel (born 1 January 2011)
Lord Peel's daughter by his first wife, Lady Iona Peel, married Robert Alexander Edward Bowen on 14 May 2005.
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...
, PC, DL
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....
(born 3 October 1947), styled Viscount Clanfield until 1969, is a cross-bench (non-party) member of 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....
and Lord Chamberlain
Lord Chamberlain
The Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State....
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....
.
Background and education
Lord Peel is the eldest son of Arthur Peel, 2nd Earl PeelArthur Peel, 2nd Earl Peel
Arthur William Ashton Peel, 2nd Earl Peel , styled Viscount Clanfield from 1929 to 1937, was a British peer....
, and Kathleen McGrath, daughter of Michael McGrath. He is a great-great-grandson of Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Sir Robert Peel. He attended 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...
, and then went on to the University of Tours
François Rabelais University
François Rabelais University or University of Tours, is a public university in Tours, France. The university is named after the French writer François Rabelais, and was founded in 1969.-Organisation:...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
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...
, Cirencester
Cirencester
Cirencester is a market town in east Gloucestershire, England, 93 miles west northwest of London. Cirencester lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames, and is the largest town in the Cotswold District. It is the home of the Royal Agricultural College, the oldest agricultural...
.
Career
Lord Peel was a member of the Prince's Council, part of the Duchy of CornwallDuchy of Cornwall
The Duchy of Cornwall is one of two royal duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Lancaster. The eldest son of the reigning British monarch inherits the duchy and title of Duke of Cornwall at the time of his birth, or of his parent's succession to the throne. If the monarch has no son, the...
, from 1993 to 2006, and Lord Warden of the Stannaries
Lord Warden of the Stannaries
The Lord Warden of the Stannaries used to exercise judicial and military functions in Cornwall, United Kingdom, and is still the official who, upon the commission of the monarch or Duke of Cornwall for the time being, has the function of calling a Stannary Parliament of tinners...
from 1994-2006. He was a member of the Nature Conservancy Council
Nature Conservancy Council
The Nature Conservancy Council was a United Kingdom government agency responsible for designating and managing National Nature Reserves and other nature conservation areas in Great Britain between 1973 and 1991 ....
, with English Nature
English Nature
English Nature was the United Kingdom government agency that promoted the conservation of wildlife, geology and wild places throughout England between 1990 and 2006...
, from 1991 to 1996. He is President of the Game Conservancy Trust and was President of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust is a wildlife trust covering the traditional county of Yorkshire, England.The Trust is part of the UK-wide partnership of 47 Wildlife Trusts.It was formed in 1946, as the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Trust, essentially to preserve its first nature reserve Askham Bog on the...
from 1989 to 1996. Lord Peel was also on the Yorkshire Dales National Park Committee for six years and became a Deputy Lieutenant of 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...
in 1998. He is an elected hereditary crossbench member of 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....
.
In June 2006 it was announced that Lord Peel would succeed Lord Luce
Richard Luce, Baron Luce
Richard Napier Luce, Baron Luce, was Lord Chamberlain to HM The Queen from 2000 to 2006, and was previously Governor of Gibraltar and a Conservative Member of Parliament and Government Minister.-Early career:...
as Lord Chamberlain
Lord Chamberlain
The Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State....
. On 11 October 2006, he kissed hands
Kiss Hands
To kiss hands is a constitutional term used in the United Kingdom to refer to the formal installation of Crown-appointed British government ministers to their office....
with The Queen
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,...
upon his appointment and was invested as a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
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...
(GCVO), and became Chancellor of the Order. On 14 November 2006, Lord Peel was sworn in as a Member of the Privy Council.
Family
Lord Peel married Veronica Naomi Livingston Timpson (born 21 January 1950), daughter of Major John Alastair Livingston Timpson and his wife (married 25 May 1940), Elizabeth P. Houstoun-Boswall (born 21 May 1915), on 28 March 1973. They had two children, Ashton Robert Gerard Peel, Viscount Clanfield (born 16 September 1976), and Lady Iona Joy Julia Peel (born 18 September 1978). The marriage was dissolved in 1987. He married, secondly, The Honourable Charlotte Clementine Soames (born 17 July 1954), daughter of Lord SoamesChristopher Soames, Baron Soames
Arthur Christopher John Soames, Baron Soames, GCMG, GCVO, CH, CBE, PC was a British politician belonging to the Conservative Party and the son-in-law of Winston Churchill. A European Commissioner and the last Governor of Southern Rhodesia, he had previously been the longtime Member of Parliament...
and his wife, Mary Churchill
Mary Soames, Baroness Soames
Mary Soames, Baroness Soames, is the youngest of Winston Churchill and his wife Clementine's five children and, as of 2011, the sole surviving child...
, daughter of Sir Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
, on 15 April 1989. They have one daughter, Lady Antonia Mary Catherine Peel (born 1991).
Lord Peel's son, Lord Clanfield, married Matilda Rose Aykroyd (born 15 March 1978) in 2004. Matilda is the third daughter and fourth (and youngest) child of second Lieutenant of the Coldstream Guards
Coldstream 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....
David Peter Aykroyd (born 6 June 1937) and his wife Lydia Huldine Beamish (18 January 1939 - 9 July 2004). Lord and Lady Clanfield have three daughters, The Honourable Isla Rose Huldine Peel (born 24 March 2005), The Honourable Willa Katherine Peel (born 1 December 2006) and The Honourable Florence Iona Emily Peel (born 1 January 2011)
Lord Peel's daughter by his first wife, Lady Iona Peel, married Robert Alexander Edward Bowen on 14 May 2005.