Charles Gordon-Lennox, 11th Duke of Richmond
Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox, 11th Duke of Richmond, 11th Duke of Lennox, 11th Duke of Aubigny, 6th Duke of Gordon DL (born 8 January 1955), styled Lord Settrington until 1989, and Earl of March and Kinrara from 1989 to 2017, is a British aristocrat and owner of Goodwood Estate in West Sussex.[1] He is the founder of the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Goodwood Revival.
The Duke of Richmond | |
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The Duke in 2011 | |
Born | Charles Gordon-Lennox 8 January 1955 |
Title | 11th Duke of Richmond 11th Duke of Lennox 11th Duke of Aubigny 6th Duke of Gordon |
Spouse(s) |
Janet Elizabeth Astor
(m. 1991) |
Children | 5 |
Parents |
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He is president of the British Automobile Racing Club, Patron of the TT Riders Association and an honorary member of the British Racing Drivers Club, the Guild of Motoring Writers, and the 500 Owners Club.
Photography
Having had a passion for film and photography since the age of 10, Lord Settrington left Eton College at the first possible opportunity and at 17 worked for the film director Stanley Kubrick on the film Barry Lyndon.[1]
In 2012, a major exhibition of his recent photographic work, 'Nature Translated', was staged at the Bermondsey Project Space in London. The exhibition was shown at the Marble Palace, part of the State Russian Museum in St Petersburg, in January 2014 and in Moscow as part of the Moscow Photography Biennale in April 2014. Two new exhibitions of the Duke's photographs were held in early 2015: 'Wood Land' which was held at Venus Over Manhattan Gallery in New York City, and 'Abstract and Intentional' which was held at Hamiltons Gallery in London.
Goodwood
The Earl of March, as he was then known, moved from London to the family seat Goodwood to take over management of the estate, following the family tradition of the duke handing over management of the estate to the heir apparent when the latter turns forty.[1]
Motor sport at Goodwood was started by his grandfather, Freddie Richmond, who opened the Goodwood Motor Circuit in 1948. March established the Festival of Speed at Goodwood House in 1993. He then brought motor racing back to the circuit, which had closed in 1966, with the creation of the Goodwood Revival in 1998. Both events have since become recognised [2] as some of the most unusual, exciting and creative events in the world.
The Goodwood Estate covers 12,000 acres to the north of Chichester. The Goodwood Estate Company is a diverse portfolio of businesses which includes: Goodwood Racecourse, a 4,000 acre organic farm, two eighteen hole golf courses, Goodwood Aerodrome and Flying School, and a 91 bedroom hotel. The Group employs over 550 people and attracts 800,000 visitors to the Estate each year. The headquarters of Rolls Royce Motor Cars is also on the Estate.
Family
The Duke lives in Goodwood House with his wife, Janet (née Astor), and their four children.
He has been married twice, and has three sons and two daughters:
- 1) Sally Clayton; one daughter
- I) Lady Alexandra Gordon-Lennox (born 1985)
- 2) The Honourable Janet Elizabeth Astor (born 1 December 1961), daughter of the 3rd Viscount Astor (30 November 1991 to date); one daughter and three sons
- II) Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox, Earl of March and Kinrara (born 20 December 1994), is the Duke's heir apparent
- III) Lord William Rupert Charles Gordon-Lennox (born 29 November 1996)
- IV) Lady Eloise Cordelia Gordon-Lennox (born 10 March 2000)
- V) Lord Frederick Lysander Gordon-Lennox (born 10 March 2000)
In January 2016 he and the Duchess (then Earl and Countess of March) were attacked and tied up in a major jewel robbery at Goodwood.[3]
Titles
- 8 January 1955 – 2 November 1989: Lord Settrington
- 2 November 1989 – 1 September 2017: Earl of March and Kinrara
- 1 September 2017 – present: His Grace The Duke of Richmond, Lennox, and Gordon
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In popular culture
March's name appears in the video game Gran Turismo 6, when he sends players an invitation related to the Goodwood Festival of Speed.[4]
References
- O'Grady, Sean (30 July 2009). "Earl of March: A glorious example of the landed classes". The Independent.
- "Alain Elkann Interviews Lord March about the Goodwood sporting Estate, including the Goodwood Revival, Glorious Goodwood and Festival of Speed". alainelkanninterviews.com. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
- "Goodwood House raid: Ring Charles II gave to mistress among heirlooms stolen in £700k stately home break-in". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
- Gran Turismo 6 Archived 27 August 2015 at the Wayback Machine, gran-turismo.com. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
External links
- Information about his association with Goodwood
- "Typical biker: Earl of March". The Daily Telegraph. 19 September 2000.
- 2012 Goodwood Revival Picture Gallery
Peerage of England | ||
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Preceded by Charles Gordon-Lennox |
Duke of Richmond 4th creation 2017–present |
Incumbent |
Peerage of Scotland | ||
Preceded by Charles Gordon-Lennox |
Duke of Lennox 2nd creation 2017–present |
Incumbent |
Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
Preceded by Charles Gordon-Lennox |
Duke of Gordon 2nd creation 2017–present |
Incumbent |
French nobility | ||
Preceded by Charles Gordon-Lennox |
Duke of Aubigny 2017–present |
Incumbent |
Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom | ||
Preceded by The Duke of Somerset |
Gentlemen The Duke of Richmond |
Succeeded by The Duke of Grafton |