Arthur Wellesley, 5th Duke of Wellington
| His Grace The Duke of Wellington | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 June 1876 |
| Died | 11 December 1941 (aged 65) |
| Spouse(s) | Lilian Coats |
| Parents |
Arthur Wellesley, 4th Duke of Wellington Kathleen Bulkeley-Williams |
Arthur Charles Wellesley, 5th Duke of Wellington (9 June 1876 – 11 December 1941), known as Arthur Wellesley from 1876 to 1900, and as Marquess of Douro from 1900 to 1934, was a British nobleman and landowner.
Background and military career
Wellesley was the son of Lord Arthur Charles Wellesley and his wife Kathleen Bulkeley Williams. His father inherited the title and vast Wellington estates on his older brother's death in 1900, and became the 4th Duke of Wellington.
Wellesley attended Eton between 1890 and 1895, and later attended Trinity College at Cambridge. He was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Lincolnshire Regiment, and in January 1900 joined the Grenadier Guards as second lieutenant.[1] He fought with his regiment in the Second Boer War 1900-02, and returned from South Africa in July 1902,[2] resigning his commission in 1903. He returned to active service as a temporary reserve second lieutenant in 1915, during World War I, and relinquished his commission in 1919, still a second lieutenant.
In 1934, he succeeded to the Dukedom; he was also a Justice of the Peace.
Far right
The Duke was a supporter of several far right-wing causes. He was a member of the Anglo-German Fellowship from 1935 and served as President of the Liberty Restoration League, which was described by Inspector Pavey (an ex-Scotland Yard detective employed by the Board of Deputies of British Jews to infiltrate the far right) as being anti-semitic. When Archibald Maule Ramsay formed the 'Right Club' in 1939, Wellington chaired its early meetings. Ramsay, describing the Right Club, boasted that "The main objective was to oppose and expose the activities of organised Jewry."[3] On the day that World War II broke out, the Duke of Wellington was quoted as blaming the conflict on "anti-appeasers and the fucking Jews".[4]
Family
Lord Douro married, in 1909, Hon. Lilian Maud Glen Coats, daughter of the George Coats, 1st Baron Glentanar. They had two children
- Lady Anne Wellesley (1910–1998)
- Captain Henry Valerian George Wellesley, 6th Duke of Wellington (1912–1943)
References
- ↑ "No. 27154". The London Gazette. 16 January 1900. p. 288.
- ↑ "The Army in South Africa - The return of the Troops". The Times (36809). London. 2 July 1902. p. 11.
- ↑ Callan, Paul (12 September 2009). "Hitler's aristocratic admirers". Daily Express. London. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
- ↑ Farndale, Nigel (15 November 2009). "Stephen Poliakoff: Anti-semitism will always be around". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Duke of Wellington
- Duke of Wellington's Regiment – West Riding
| Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Arthur Wellesley |
Duke of Wellington 1934–1941 |
Succeeded by Henry Wellesley |
| Dutch nobility | ||
| Preceded by Arthur Wellesley |
Prince of Waterloo 1934–1941 |
Succeeded by Henry Wellesley |
| Spanish nobility | ||
| Preceded by Arthur Wellesley |
Duke of Ciudad Rodrigo 1934–1941 |
Succeeded by Henry Wellesley |
| Portuguese nobility | ||
| Preceded by Arthur Wellesley |
Duke of Vitória 1934–1941 |
Succeeded by Henry Wellesley |
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