Charles Wellesley, 9th Duke of Wellington
| His Grace The Duke of Wellington OBE DL | |
|---|---|
|
Wellington as the Chairman of the Council of King's College London at the Royal Festival Hall, London in 2009. | |
| Born |
Arthur Charles Valerian Wellesley 19 August 1945 Princess Christian Nursing Home, Windsor, Berkshire, England |
| Alma mater |
Eton College Christ Church, Oxford |
| Title | Duke of Wellington |
| Predecessor | Arthur Wellesley |
| Spouse(s) | Princess Antonia of Prussia |
| Children |
Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Douro Lady Honor Montagu Lady Mary Wellesley Lady Charlotte Wellesley Lord Frederick Wellesley |
| Parent(s) |
Arthur Wellesley, 8th Duke of Wellington Diana McConnel |
Arthur Charles Valerian Wellesley, 9th Duke of Wellington, OBE DL (born 19 August 1945), is the present Duke of Wellington. He is the son of Valerian Wellesley, 8th Duke of Wellington, and his wife, Diana McConnel.
Apart from his British titles, Wellington holds the hereditary titles of 9th Prince of Waterloo (Prins van Waterloo) of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, and Duke of the Victory (Duque da Vitória) of the Kingdom of Portugal with its subsidiary titles Marquis of Torres Vedras (Marquês de Torres Vedras) and Count of Vimeiro (Conde de Vimeiro). These were granted to the first Duke as victory titles for his distinguished services as victorious commanding general in the Peninsular War (in Spain and Portugal), and at the Battle of Waterloo (in what is now Belgium).
The 9th Duke of Wellington is also the 10th Duke of Ciudad Rodrigo (Duque de Ciudad Rodrigo) of the Kingdom of Spain, which on 10 March 2010 was ceded to him by his father. In accordance with Spanish procedure, Wellington petitioned formal claim to the title with the Spanish authorities.[1] King Juan Carlos of Spain, through his Minister, granted the succession of the Dukedom to Wellington by Royal Decree on 21 May 2010, reported officially in the Official Bulletin of State for 12 June 2010.[2]
Education
The Duke was born as Earl of Mornington in 1945 at Princess Christian Nursing Home, Windsor, Berkshire, and was educated at Eton College. Later, he attended university at Christ Church, Oxford. He has three younger brothers and one younger sister.
Marriage
He married Princess Antonia of Prussia (who no longer uses her royal title) on 3 February 1977 at St. Paul's Church, Knightsbridge, London.
They have five children:
- Arthur Gerald Wellesley, Marquess of Douro (born 31 January 1978); married (4 June 2005) to former model Jemma Kidd, a fashion stylist and great-granddaughter of Lord Beaverbrook. They have twins and a younger son:
- Lady Mae Madeleine (born 4 January 2010).
- Arthur Darcy, Earl of Mornington (born 4 January 2010).
- Lord Alfred (born 10 December 2014).[3]
- Lady Honor Victoria Wellesley (born 25 October 1979); married (as his second wife) the Honourable Orlando Montagu, younger son of the Earl of Sandwich, and had issue:
- Walter Montagu (born 3 December 2005); first grandchild of the Duke and the Duchess, then the Marquess and Marchioness of Douro.
- Nancy Jemima Montagu (born January 2007).
- Lady Mary Luise Wellesley (born 16 December 1986).[4]
- Lady Charlotte Anne Wellesley (born 8 October 1990); attends Oxford University.
- Lord Frederick Charles Wellesley (born 30 September 1992); attended Eton College.
Politics
Wellington stood as Conservative candidate for Islington North in 1974, finishing in second place. He was a member of Basingstoke Borough Council from 1978–1979. He subsequently served as Conservative MEP for Surrey from 1979–1984, and as Conservative MEP Surrey West from 1984–1989.
Charity
Wellington has worked for a number of non profit or charitable organisations. He was a patron of British Art at the Tate Gallery (1987–1990), a member of the Royal College of Art between (1992–97), Chair of British-Spanish Tertulias (1993–98) and Trustee of the Phoenix Trust from 1996–2001). He received an OBE in 1999 for services to British-Spanish business relations. He was appointed a Deputy Lord-Lieutenant of Hampshire in 1999. In 2003 he was given a four-year appointment as a Commissioner for English Heritage.
On 1 October 2007 he became Chairman of the Governing Council of King's College London, an institution of which his wife Princess Antonia is an alumna, and of which his ancestor Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington was instrumental in the foundation.
Business career
- Deputy Chairman of Thames Valley Broadcasting Ltd between 1975 and 1984.
- Director of Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia Ltd between 1977 and 1980.
- Councillor for Basingstoke Borough Council between 1978 and 1979.
- Director of Eucalyptus Pulp Mills Ltd between 1979 and 1988.
- Director of Transatlantic Holdings plc between 1983 and 1996.
- Director of Global Asset Management Worldwide Inc between 1984 and 1999.
- Deputy Chairman of Deltec Panamerica SA between 1985 and 1989.
- Chairman of Deltec Securities (UK) Ltd between 1986 and 1989.
- Director of Continental and Industrial Trust plc between 1987 and 1990.
- Deputy Chairman of Guinness Mahon Holdings Ltd between 1988 and 1991.
- Director of Sun Life Corp Ltd between 1988 and 1996.
- Director of Rothmans International Ltd between 1990 and 1993.
- Chairman of Dunhill Holdings Ltd between 1991 and 1993.
- Deputy Chairman of Vendôme Luxury Group plc between 1993 and 1999.
- Chairman of Framlington Group Ltd between 1994 and 1999.
- Chairman of Sun Life & Provincial Holdings plc in 1996.
- Director of Pernod Ricard, SA
Wellington was an Independent Member of the Board of Directors of Sanofi SA since May 2002. He is also a Member of the Company Nominating, Governance and Strategy Committees.
Titles and styles
- 19 August 1945 – 4 January 1972: Earl of Mornington
- 4 January 1972 – 31 December 2014: Marquess of Douro
- 31 December 2014 – present: His Grace The Duke of Wellington
- 10 March 2010 – present (in Spain): The Most Excellent The Duke of Ciudad Rodrigo
- 31 December 2014 – present (in Belgium and the Netherlands): His Highness The Prince of Waterloo
- 31 December 2014 – present (in Portugal – titular, as Portuguese monarchy abolished in 1910): His Excellency The Duke of the Victory
Besides being the Duke of Wellington, he also belongs to the Dutch, Belgian,[5] Spanish and Portuguese nobility.
On 10 March 2010, the Marquess of Douro claimed the title of Duke of Ciudad Rodrigo together with the accompanying title Grandee of Spain, as his father ceded them to him.[6] King Juan Carlos of Spain, through his minister, granted the succession of the dukedom to the Marquess by Royal Decree of 21 May 2010 as confirmed by the notice in the Official Bulletin of State dated 12 June 2010.[7]
References
- ↑ "BOE, 30 de marzo de 2010, sección V." (PDF). Retrieved 2013-02-05.
- ↑ "BOE, 12 de junio de 2010". Boe.es. Retrieved 2013-02-05.
- ↑ His birth was only reported in the Daily Mail 31 December 2014 in a story about the late Duke not meeting his newborn great-grandson. See also "Jemma Kidd's husband becomes heir apparent to the Duke of Wellington after his grandfather dies six months before 200th anniversary of Waterloo" 31 December 2014, retrieved 1 January 2015. The date of birth was reported on the Peerage News group on Google Groups.
- ↑ Maung, Carole Aye (5 September 1997). "Our Auntie Diana". The Mirror. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- ↑ Descendants of persons granted Dutch nobility before 1839 (independence of Belgium) are considered to belong to Dutch as well as Belgian nobility.
- ↑ BOE, 30 de marzo de 2010, sección V.
- ↑ BOE, 12 de junio de 2010.
External links
Media related to Charles Wellesley, 9th Duke of Wellington at Wikimedia Commons
| Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by His Grace The Duke of Leinster |
His Grace The Duke of Wellington United Kingdom Order of Precedence Gentlemen |
Succeeded by His Grace The Duke of Sutherland |
| Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by Arthur Wellesley |
Duke of Wellington 2014–present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Peerage of Ireland | ||
| Preceded by Arthur Wellesley |
Earl of Mornington 2014–present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Dutch nobility | ||
| Preceded by Arthur Wellesley |
Prince of Waterloo 2014–present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Spanish nobility | ||
| Preceded by Arthur Wellesley |
Duke of Ciudad Rodrigo 2010–present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Portuguese nobility | ||
| Preceded by Arthur Wellesley |
Duke of Victoria 2014–present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
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