William Lygon, 7th Earl Beauchamp

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William Lygon, 7th Earl Beauchamp KG, KCMG, PC, (February 20, 1872 – November 15, 1938), British politician, succeeded his father as Earl Beauchamp in 1891, and was mayor of Worcester at age 23. A progressive in his ideas, he was surprised to be offered the post of Governor of New South Wales in May 1899. Though good at the job, he was unpopular in the colony, and Beauchamp returned to Britain in 1900, where he joined the Liberal Party.

Beauchamp was Lord Steward of the Household to King Edward VII and was made a Privy Counsellor in 1906. He served in the Liberal Government as Lord President of the Council from June to November 1910, First Commissioner of Works from 1910 to 1914, Lord President again from 1914 to 1915, and was Liberal Leader in the House of Lords from 1924, supporting the failing party with his substantial fortune.

Beauchamp was made Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire in 1911, carried the Sword of State at the coronation of King George V, was made Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports in 1913 and a Knight of the Garter in 1914.

He was also Chancellor of London University, a Six Master (Governor of RGS Worcester) and Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms.

In 1931, he was "outed" as homosexual (despite his 7 children) to the King and Queen by his violently Tory brother-in-law, the Duke of Westminster, who hoped to ruin the Liberal Party through Beauchamp. Homosexuality was a criminal offence at the time, and the King was horrified, saying "I thought men like that shot themselves".

There was no public scandal, but Lord Beauchamp resigned all his offices, except Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, and went into exile on the Continent. He died of cancer in New York City, aged 66.

Lord Beauchamp is generally supposed to have been the model for Lord Marchmain in Evelyn Waugh's novel, Brideshead Revisited.

[edit] Family

On July 26, 1902, he married Lady Lettice Mary Elizabeth Grosvenor, daughter of Victor Alexander Grosvenor and Lady Sibell Mary Lumley, and granddaughter of the 1st Duke of Westminster. They had three sons and four daughters:

• William Lygon, 8th Earl Beauchamp (3 Jul 1903 - 3 Jan 1979)
• Hon. Hugh Patrick Lygon (2 Nov 1904 - 19 Aug 1936)
• Lady Lettice Lygon (16 Jun 1906 - 1973)
• Lady Sibell Lygon (10 Oct 1907 - 31 Oct 2005)
• Lady Mary Lygon (12 Feb 1910 - 27 Sep 1982)
• Lady Dorothy Lygon (22 Feb 1912 - 13 Nov 2001)
• Hon. Richard Edward Lygon (25 Dec 1916 - 1970)

Political offices
Preceded by The Viscount Hampden	Governor of New South Wales 1899–1901	Succeeded by Sir Harry Rawson
Preceded by The Lord Belper	Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms 1905–1907	Succeeded by The Lord Denman
Preceded by The Earl of Liverpool	Lord Steward 1907–1910	Succeeded by The Earl of Chesterfield
Preceded by The Viscount Wolverhampton	Lord President of the Council 1910	Succeeded by The Viscount Morley of Blackburn
Preceded by Lewis Vernon Harcourt	First Commissioner of Works 1910–1914	Succeeded by The Lord Emmott
Preceded by The Viscount Morley of Blackburn	Lord President of the Council 1914–1915	Succeeded by The Marquess of Crewe
Honorary Titles
Preceded by The Earl of Ducie	Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire 1911–1931	Succeeded by The Duke of Beaufort
Preceded by The Earl Brassey	Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports 1913–1934	Succeeded by The Marquess of Reading
Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Frederick Lygon	Earl Beauchamp 1891–1938	Succeeded by William Lygon