Arthur Gore, 9th Earl of Arran

Arthur Colum Michael Connolly-Gore, 9th Earl of Arran (born 14 July 1938), styled Viscount Sudley before 1983, is a British peer and an elected hereditary member of the House of Lords for the Conservative Party.[1]

Biography

Early life

Lord Arran is the son of Arthur Gore, 8th Earl of Arran and the former Fiona Colquhoun, first daughter of Sir Iain Colquhoun of Luss, 7th Baronet. He was educated at Eton College and Balliol College, Oxford.

Career

He served in the Grenadier Guards, gaining the rank of Second Lieutenant.

He was the assistant manager of the Daily Mail, then assistant general manager of the Daily Express and the Sunday Express in the 1970s. He has also been a director of Waterstone's.

He succeeded as 9th Earl of Arran on 23 February 1983, upon the death of his father. In the Lords, Lord Arran has played an active role for the Conservatives, serving in several junior ministerial roles. In June 2013, he opposed same-sex marriage, adding, "The Roman empire fell for three reasons. There was the worship of sporting heroes, widespread corruption and the decadence and flaunting of homosexuality. I fear that in this country we aren’t too far from being decadent."[2]

Personal life

Arran married Eleanor van Cutsem, granddaughter of Hugh Fortescue, 5th Earl Fortescue, on 28 September 1974. His wife was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the Queen's Birthday Honours 2008. They have two daughters, Lady Laura Duckworth-Chad and Lady Lucy Fortescue-Gore. In 2004, Laura married Major James Duckworth-Chad, MVO, former Equerry to The Queen, and now has issue.[3] Since Lord Arran has no sons by his wife, and all other lines of descent from the 4th Earl of Arran have died out, his heir presumptive is currently a very distant and elderly cousin, descended from the youngest brother of the 4th Earl.[4]

Lord and Lady Arran run the Fortescue family's stately home, Castle Hill House and gardens in Devon, as a venue for weddings and corporate hospitality.[5] They also let out 50 properties on the 5,000-acre Devon estate.[6]

Ancestry

Arms

Arms of Arthur Gore, 9th Earl of Arran
Coronet
A Coronet of an Earl
Crest
A Wolf rampant Argent collared Gules
Escutcheon
Gules a Fess between three Cross Crosslets fitchée Or
Supporters
On either side a Horse argent
Motto
In Hoc Signo Vinces (Under this sign thou shalt conquer)

References

  1. ↑ ‘ARRAN’, Who's Who 2010, A & C Black, 2010; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2009 ; online edn, Nov 2009 accessed 20 Dec 2009.
  2. ↑ Scott Roberts, Earl of Arran: Equal marriage could lead to a ‘decadent’ Britain that ‘flaunts’ homosexuality, Pink News, 4 June 2013
  3. ↑ "Harry Anthony Arthur Herbert Fortescue Duckworth-Chad". Peerage News.
  4. ↑ Paul Annesley Gore (b. 1921).
  5. ↑ "Castle Hill House and gardens".
  6. ↑ Cooper, Rob (18 June 2012). "Couple killed as fire destroys cottage". Daily Mail (London).

External links

Political offices
Preceded by
The Baroness Hooper		 Lord-in-Waiting
1987–1989 		Succeeded by
The Lord Reay
Preceded by
The Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne		 Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard
1994–1995 		Succeeded by
The Lord Inglewood
Peerage of Ireland
Preceded by
Arthur Gore		 Earl of Arran
1983–present 		Incumbent