Charles Greville, 7th Earl of Warwick

Charles Guy Fulke Greville, 7th Earl of Warwick, 7th Earl Brooke (4 March 1911 – 20 January 1984), was a British peer and the last Earl of Warwick to live at the family seat Warwick Castle before its sale in 1978. He became the first British aristocrat to star in a Hollywood movie, and was later nicknamed The Duke of Hollywood by the local press.

Born in London as the eldest son of Leopold Greville, 6th Earl of Warwick and his wife Elfrida Eden, 'Fulkie' was educated at Eton and in Switzerland. He succeeded in the earldom aged 16 in January 1928 following the death of the father. He joined the Grenadier Guards following completion of his education.

Acting Career

In 1936, Charles Greville became the first British aristocrat to be offered a Hollywood contract by MGM. He was to receive £200 a year, a free valet and secretary.

Newspaper reports at the time suggested his reasoning for taking a film contract was sex motivated. He referred to his wages as his own "pocket money" and that he was 'simply seeking a job like everyone else'. He used the stage name Michael Brooke to distance himself from his aristocratic background. After six months he was dropped by MGM resulting in a long court battle thereafter.

As the highest-profile Englishman in Hollywood, Charles became a celebrity figure with nicknames like 'The Duke of Hollywood' and 'Warwick the Filmmaker' (a pun on Warwick the Kingmaker). Listed with a string of high-profile affairs including Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich and Paulette Goddard, he was famed for socialising within celebrity circles.

In 1938, he was offered another chance at acting through Paramount. He finally got his chance to star in a movie and was given a lead role in The Dawn Patrol alongside David Niven and Errol Flynn. This would be his only mainstream movie however, and he was subsequently dropped thereafter.

The Earl of Warwick

Following his failure in America, Charles returned to the United Kingdom. During the Second World War, he opened his home to evacuees from Coventry during the Blitz and to the Ministry of Supplies. It was rumoured that Nazi war criminal Rudolf Hess was also held by the Earl of Warwick for one night on his transportation to London.

He was Mayor of Warwick between 1950 and 1951. He organised large celebrations in the town of Warwick for the success of Randolph Turpin and hosted King George VI and Queen Elizabeth for a visit in 1951.

Charles was an active political figure supporting his uncle Anthony Eden in his campaign to become a future Prime Minister in the 1950s. He was also active in blocking new agricultural legislation in the House of Lords.

Later life

In 1955, Charles Greville would buy homes in Switzerland, Italy and France and begin travelling between all three. In 1957, he funded and established the illustrious Eagle Ski Club in Gstaad, Switzerland becoming its first honorary President.

Throughout the next decade, Charles began to sell many of the family possessions including estates in Warwick, heirlooms and much of the armour collection at Warwick Castle.

In 1967, he handed over control of his family estate to his son David Greville, Lord Brooke. His son sold Warwick Castle to Madame Tussauds in 1978 causing a public confrontation between father and son. Charles died in Rome in 1984 and was buried at St. Mary's Church, Warwick.

Marriages

Lord Warwick was married three times, firstly in 1933 (div.1938) to Rose Bingham (d.1972), daughter of David Cecil Bingham (of the Earls of Lucan) and granddaughter of the 5th Earl of Rosslyn and secondly in 1942 (div.1949) to Mary Kathleen Hopkinson. Lord Warwick married thirdly in 1963 Janine Josephine Detry de Mares. He was also engaged to Margaret Whigham, later Duchess of Argyll, but the engagement was broken off in March 1932.

David Greville, 8th Earl of Warwick, his son by his first wife, Rose Bingham, inherited his titles.

References

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Earl of Warwick
• Michael Brooke at the Internet Movie Database