Major General His Grace
The Duke of Westminster
Bt KG CB CVO OBE TD CD DL
Photographed by Allan Warren in 1997
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
In office
19 February 1979 – 11 November 1999
as a hereditary peer
Preceded byThe 5th Duke of Westminster
Succeeded bySeat abolished
Personal details
Born
Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor

(1951-12-22)22 December 1951
Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom[1]
Died9 August 2016(2016-08-09) (aged 64)
Preston, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom
Spouse
​
(m. 1978)​
Children
Parents
ResidenceEaton Hall, Cheshire
Known for
  • Landowning
  • Property development
  • Philanthropy
Civilian awards
Other titlesEarl Grosvenor (1967–1979)
Websitewww.grosvenorestate.com
Military service
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Branch/serviceBritish Army
Years of service1973–2012
RankMajor General
UnitNorth Irish Horse
Commands
Military awards

Major General Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster, Bt, KG, CB, CVO, OBE, TD, CD, DL(22 December 1951 – 9 August 2016), was a British landowner, businessman, aristocrat, Territorial Army general, and peer. He was the son of Robert Grosvenor, 5th Duke of Westminster, and Viola Lyttelton. He was Chairman of the property company Grosvenor Group. In the first ever edition of The Sunday Times Rich List, published in 1989, he was ranked as the second richest person in the United Kingdom,[2] with a fortune of £3.2 billion (approximately £8.47 billion in today's value[3]), with only Queen Elizabeth II above him.

Born in Northern Ireland, Grosvenor moved from an island in the middle of Lower Lough Erne to be educated at Sunningdale and Harrow boarding schools in the south of England. After a troubled education, he left school with two O-levels. He entered the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, and served in the Territorial Army, where he was promoted to major-general in 2004.

Via Grosvenor Estates, the business he inherited along with the dukedom in 1979, the Duke was the richest property developer in the United Kingdom and one of the country's largest landowners, with property in Edinburgh, Liverpool, Oxford, Cambridge, Southampton and Cheshire, including the family's country seat of Eaton Hall, as well as 300 acres (0.47 sq mi) of Mayfair and Belgravia in Central London.[4] The business also has interests in other parts of Europe. According to The Sunday Times Rich List in 2016, the Duke was worth £9.35 billion, placing him sixth in the list and making him the third-richest British citizen.

The Duke died on 9 August 2016 after suffering a heart attack. The title then passed to his son, Hugh.

Family and other businesses

The Grosvenor family's first development was in Mayfair, Central London, in the early 18th century; the second big development came around 100 years later and was in another exclusive part of London – Belgravia, developed by the family after the end of Napoleonic Wars and the conversion of Buckingham Palace – which is just one mile east. After developing the two parts of Central London, the family business expanded. During the second half of the 20th century, the business expanded into the Americas and developed Annacis Island and Vancouver, both in British Columbia in the west of Canada in the 1950s. The family business started developing in Australia in the 1960s. They moved to Asia in the early 1990s and to Continental Europe just before the millennium. In April 2000, the firm moved into new London offices. The business was headed by the 6th Duke himself, who was Chairman of the Trustees.

The Duke was also Director of Claridge's Hotel from 1981 until 1993, and of Marcher Sound from 1992 until 1997.[5]

Early life

As a child the Duke lived on an island in the middle of Lower Lough Erne in Northern Ireland (Ely Lodge, Blaney, County Fermanagh). His early education was in Northern Ireland before he was sent at age 7 to Sunningdale School in Ascot, followed by Harrow. Because of his Fermanagh accent, the Duke struggled to fit in at first, and even after his accent was "bullied" out of him, he found it difficult to make friends. Unhappy at boarding school, his education suffered.[6][7] He left school with two O-levels in history and English.[6][8]

Military career

As Earl Grosvenor he joined the Territorial Army in 1970, as a trooper, family estate responsibilities having caused him to abandon a Regular Army career in the 9th/12th Lancers.[9] After entering RMA Sandhurst in 1973, he passed out as an officer cadet and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve of the Royal Armoured Corps (Queen's Own Yeomanry) on 13 May 1973.[10][11] He was promoted to lieutenant on 13 May 1975 and to captain on 1 July 1980.[12][13] He was promoted to the acting rank of major on 1 January 1985 and to the substantive rank on 22 December.[14]

Promoted to lieutenant-colonel on 1 April 1992, he subsequently commanded the North Irish Horse, the Cheshire Yeomanry Squadron, founded by his ancestors, and the Queen's Own Yeomanry.[15] He was promoted to colonel on 31 December 1994 and was appointed honorary colonel of the 7th Regt Army Air Corps (1 January 1996) and the Northumbrian Universities Officer Training Corps (30 November 1995).[16][17][18] Promoted to brigadier on 17 January 2000, he was also appointed Honorary Colonel of the Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry on 14 May 2001.[19][20] He was also appointed Colonel-in-Chief of the Canadian Royal Westminster Regiment, the North Irish Horse, and as Colonel Commandant Yeomanry.

The Duke was Grand Prior of the Priory of England of the Military and Hospitaller Order of St Lazarus of Jerusalem, 1995–2001.[21] In 2004, he was appointed to the new post of Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Reserves and Cadets), with promotion in the rank of major-general. In March 2007, having served in the Ministry of Defence as Assistant CDS for four years, he handed over responsibility for 50,000 reservists and 138,000 cadets to Major General Simon Lalor, in the wake of the Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal in which Westminster was also implicated. The Duke became Deputy Commander Land Forces (Reserves) in May 2011.[22] He retired from the Armed Forces in 2012.

Benevolent work for service personnel

The Duke was President of the BLESMA from 1992, and the Yeomanry Benevolent Fund from 2005, national Vice-President of the Royal British Legion from 1993, and the Reserve Forces' Ulysses Trust from 1995, the Not Forgotten Society from 2004, and Chairman of the Nuffield Trust for the Forces of the Crown from 1992, all until his death. He was Vice-President of the Royal Engineers Music Foundation 1990–94.[5]

In 2011, having already funded a feasibility study, the Duke purchased the estate at Stanford Hall, Nottinghamshire, to make possible the creation of a Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre (DNRC) to provide the highest quality support for military casualties.[23] Work started on the £300m project in April 2016,[24] and was completed in 2018 to replace those at Headley Court.[25][26] The Duke remained actively involved in the project until his death.[27]

He was Vice-President of the Royal United Services Institute from 1993 until 2012, President of The Tank Museum, Bovington, from 2002, and a committee member of the National Army Museum between 1988–1997 and from 2013 until his death.[5]

Educational interests

Despite his poor educational attainments, Westminster was given several honorary degrees and fellowships (listed below) in later life and took an outward-looking interest in youth. He was Director of the International Students Trust from 1976 until 1993, Pro-Chancellor of Keele University from 1986 until 1993, Chancellor of Manchester Metropolitan University from 1992 until 2002, and first appointed Chancellor of the University of Chester in 2005, serving until his death.[5]

He was a supporter of The Prince's Trust, and was a committee member of the Trust and a Patron from 2001 for North West England.[5]

Sports interests and conservation work

His main personal recreations were field shooting and fishing. He served as President of the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust for 1987–2000 and Vice-President thereafter,[28] President of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation from 1992 until 2000, and the Atlantic Salmon Trust from 2004 until his death. He was a member of the MCC and Royal Yacht Squadron and President of Worcestershire County Cricket Club in 1984–1986 and of the Youth Sports Trust 1996–2004.[5]

He was President of the committee planning the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester from 1998, and from 1991 until 1994 had been Director of the committee set up to coordinate the projected 2000 Summer Olympic Games and Paralympics that would have been held at Manchester had the British bid succeeded.[5]

Other charities and organisations

His Grace the 6th Duke of Westminster, Foundation Chancellor of the University of Chester 2005–2016

He served as a judge in Prince Edward's charity television special The Grand Knockout Tournament in 1987.

Personal life

The Duke at his desk in 1988
The grave of the 6th Duke of Westminster

The Duke of Westminster married Natalia Ayesha Phillips, the daughter of Lt-Col. Harold Pedro Joseph Phillips and his wife Georgina Wernher, in 1978. His wife is a descendant of the Russian poet Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin and therefore of his African ancestor Abram Gannibal as well as of George II. Their children are:

In 1998, the Duke suffered a nervous breakdown and depression, citing the overwhelming pressures of business and public life.[8] His depression worsened after reports in newspapers that he had employed the services of prostitutes.[35]

Death

The Duke died on 9 August 2016 at Royal Preston Hospital in Preston, Lancashire, after suffering a heart attack at his Abbeystead Estate.[36][37] A private funeral attended by close relatives was held on 12 August, and a memorial service was held at Chester Cathedral on 28 November.[38] He is buried in the family plot at St Mary's Church, Eccleston.[39]

That the Grosvenor family stood to pay very little, if any, inheritance tax on his £9bn+ fortune led to calls for a review of how the inheritance of trust funds and similar assets are handled in the UK.[40][41]

Honours

Orders

Order of the Bath Royal Victorian Order Baronet
Order of the British Empire Order of Saint John Queen Elizabeth II
Silver Jubilee Medal		 Queen Elizabeth II
Golden Jubilee Medal
Queen Elizabeth II
Diamond Jubilee Medal		 Efficiency Decoration Volunteer Reserves
Service Medal		 Canadian Forces'
Decoration
Decorations

Medals

Foreign dynastic orders

Other

Honorary military appointments

Arms

Coat of arms of Major General Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster, KG, CB, CVO, OBE, TD, CD, DL, Bt
Notes
The dukedom of Westminster was created by Queen Victoria in 1874.
Coronet
A Coronet of a Duke
Crest
A Talbot statant Or
Escutcheon
Quarterly: 1st and 4th, Azure a Portcullis with chains pendant Or on a Chief of the last between two united Roses of York and Lancaster a Pale charged with the Arms of King Edward the Confessor (City of Westminster); 2nd and 3rd, Azure a Garb Or (Grosvenor)
Supporters
On either side a Talbot reguardant Or collared Azure
Motto
Virtus Non Stemma (Virtue not ancestry)
Orders
Order of the Garter; Order of the Bath; Royal Victorian Order; Order of the British Empire

Ancestry

See also

Bibliography

  • Quinn, Tom The Reluctant Billionaire: The Tragic Life of Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster, Biteback Publishing 2017.

References

  1. ↑ "Billionaire landowner and close friend of Prince Charles the Duke of Westminster dies aged 64 after sudden illness". The Telegraph. 9 August 2016. Archived from the original on 6 November 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  2. ↑ "Rich List: Changing face of wealth". BBC News. 18 April 2013. Archived from the original on 6 November 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  3. ↑ UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  4. ↑ "Grosvenor announces senior management appointments". Grosvenor. 5 April 2016. Archived from the original on 23 August 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Who's Who. A & C Black. 2016. p. 2453. ISBN 978-1-472-90470-6.
  6. 1 2 "Desert Island Discs, Duke of Westminster". BBC Radio 4. 7 July 1995. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  7. ↑ "Remembering the Duke of Westminster". Grosvenor Estate. 11 August 2016. Archived from the original on 13 August 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  8. 1 2 Davies, Caroline (10 August 2016). "New Duke of Westminster inherits £9bn fortune aged 25". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 11 August 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  9. ↑ Obituary, Daily Telegraph, 10 August 2016.
  10. ↑ "No. 46013". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 June 1973. p. 7556.
  11. ↑ "No. 46419". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 December 1974. p. 12151.
  12. ↑ "No. 46621". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 June 1975. p. 8373.
  13. ↑ "No. 48337". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 October 1980. p. 14267.
  14. ↑ "No. 50485". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 April 1986. p. 5171.
  15. ↑ "No. 52885". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 April 1992. p. 6174.
  16. ↑ "No. 54027". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 May 1995. p. 6604.
  17. ↑ "No. 54320". The London Gazette. 19 February 1996. p. 2559.
  18. ↑ "No. 54289". The London Gazette. 15 January 1996. p. 690.
  19. ↑ "No. 55935". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 August 2000. p. 8748.
  20. ↑ "No. 56249". The London Gazette (Supplement). 19 June 2001. p. 7221.
  21. ↑ "History". Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  22. ↑ "Defence Viewpoints". Archived from the original on 27 October 2017. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
  23. ↑ "The origins of the DNRC programme". Archived from the original on 2 October 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  24. ↑ "Stanford Hall: £300m military rehab centre work starts". BBC News. Archived from the original on 24 February 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  25. ↑ "Stanford Hall: £300m military rehab centre work starts". BBC News. 14 April 2016. Archived from the original on 18 April 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  26. ↑ Jarram, Matt (10 August 2016). "Duke of Westminster's Stanford Hall dream still going ahead". Loughborough Echo online. Archived from the original on 11 August 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  27. ↑ "DNRC homepage film – Duke of Westminster interview from 0:28". YouTube. Archived from the original on 18 February 2017. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  28. ↑ "The Duke of Westminster pays visit to GWCT - 04 June 2019". GWCT. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  29. ↑ "The Duke of Westminster – Gone Home". Cheshire Scouts. Archived from the original on 5 August 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  30. ↑ "UK | Royals attend top society wedding". BBC News. 6 November 2004. Archived from the original on 5 November 2005. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  31. ↑ "Lady Edwina Grosvenor's fight for prisoners". The Tatler. 11 August 2016. Archived from the original on 9 July 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  32. ↑ "Flintshire". Flintshirechronicle.co.uk. 1 January 2012. Archived from the original on 30 December 2010. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  33. ↑ Saad, Nardine (23 October 2013). "Prince George christened; William and Kate name seven godparents". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  34. ↑ Bridger-Linning, Stephanie (28 April 2023). "Key Coronation duty for the Duke of Westminster – Prince George's newly-engaged billionaire godfather". Tatler. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  35. ↑ "The Duke of Westminster – obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 10 August 2016. Archived from the original on 7 September 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  36. ↑ "Billionaire landowner Duke of Westminster dies". Sky News. 10 August 2016. Archived from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  37. ↑ "Duke of Westminster died of heart attack, coroner's office confirms". The Telegraph. 11 August 2016. Archived from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  38. ↑ "Private funeral held for Duke of Westminster". BBC News. 12 August 2016. Archived from the original on 12 August 2016. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  39. ↑ Holmes, David (27 November 2016). "Duke of Westminster's untimely death came out of the blue". Chester Chronicle. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  40. ↑ Garside, Juliette (11 August 2016). "Duke's £9bn inheritance prompts call for tax overhaul". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 12 August 2016. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
  41. ↑ "Inheritance tax, and how the Dukes of Westminster avoid it on their £9bn fortune". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 6 November 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  42. ↑ "No. 50800". The London Gazette. 13 January 1987. p. 461.
  43. ↑ "No. 52712". The London Gazette. 11 November 1991. p. 17188.
  44. ↑ "No. 53893". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1994. p. 6.
  45. ↑ "No. 56916". The London Gazette. 23 April 2003. p. 5017.
  46. ↑ "No. 58729". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 June 2008. p. 2.
  47. ↑ "No. 60173". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 June 2012. p. 3.
  48. ↑ "Simon Dack Pictures". Getty Images. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  49. ↑ "Deputy Lieutenant Commissions CHESHIRE LIEUTENANCY". The London Gazette. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  50. ↑ "HONORARY DEGREES AWARDED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF KEELE" (PDF). The University of Keele. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 July 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  51. ↑ "Honorary Fellows Index". Liverpool John Moores University. Archived from the original on 16 October 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  52. ↑ "2011 – 1970 Honorary Graduates". Manchester Metropolitan University. Archived from the original on 21 July 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  53. ↑ "Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor (Duke of Westminster), recipient of honorary degree". The University of Salford. Archived from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  54. ↑ "Honorary Awards". The University of Central Lancashire. Archived from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
  55. ↑ "Key figures awarded Honorary Degrees and Fellowship". Harper Adams University. 27 September 2013. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
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