David Somerset, 11th Duke of Beaufort

For Chief Cashier of the Bank of England, see David Somerset (banker).

The Duke of Beaufort
The Duke photographed by Allan Warren
Born	(1928-02-23) 23 February 1928
Title	Duke of Beaufort
Tenure	5 February 1984&–present
Predecessor	Henry Somerset, 10th Duke of Beaufort
Heir	Henry John FitzRoy Somerset, Marquess of Worcester
Spouse(s)	Lady Caroline Jane Thynne (m. 1950; her death 1995) Miranda Elisabeth née Morley (m. 2000)
Issue	Henry John FitzRoy Somerset, Marquess of Worcester Lady Anne Mary Somerset Lord Edward Alexander Somerset Lord John Robert Somerset
Parents	Henry Robert Somers Fitzroy de Vere Somerset Bettine Violet née Malcolm

David Robert Somerset, 11th Duke of Beaufort (born 23 February 1928), known as Mr David Somerset until 1984, is a British peer.

Early life

He is the son of Henry Robert Somers Fitzroy de Vere Somerset and Bettine Violet Malcolm and was educated at Eton College. His father was the grandson of Lord Henry Somerset, second son of the 8th Duke of Beaufort, and the temperance activist Lady Isabella Somers-Cocks. He and his family descend in the male line from Edward III of England; the first Somerset was a legitimized son of Henry Beaufort, Duke of Somerset, whose grandfather was a legitimized son of John of Gaunt.

He is a sixth cousin, once removed, of Queen Elizabeth II, through their common ancestor William Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire.

Military career

The Duke of Beaufort
Born	(1928-02-23)23 February 1928
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1946–
Service number	370772

He was commissioned into the Coldstream Guards on 6 September 1946 as a second lieutenant. He was promoted to lieutenant on 1 January 1949.

Career

He held the office of Hereditary Keeper of Raglan Castle, was President of the British Horse Society between 1988 and 1990, and was chairman of Marlborough Fine Art. He ranked 581st in the Sunday Times Rich List 2008, with an estimated wealth of £135m in land.

River Tawe footbridge

The Duke was criticised in January 2009 when a Swansea councillor, Ioan Richard, discovered via the Freedom of Information Act that the duke had been paid £281,431 for a 70 ft bridge to be built over the River Tawe near Swansea. The dukedom was granted the ownership of the river bed 400 years ago, so when the local council wanted to build a bridge linking a shopping centre to the Liberty Stadium, home of Swansea City football club and the Ospreys rugby team, the council had to pay the duke for the right to build it. Richard stated that he was "furious that public money had to be used to pay one of Britain's richest estates. For centuries Swansea folk have paid rents to the Duke of Beaufort and we don't owe this powerful and wealthy family anything." A spokesman for the duke's estate at Badminton House responded: "We do not want to comment about a private transaction."

Family

He married, firstly, Lady Caroline Jane Thynne (28 August 1928 – 22 April 1995), daughter of Henry Thynne, 6th Marquess of Bath, on 5 July 1950. The marriage took place at St Peter's Church, Eaton Square, in the presence of the King and Queen and members of the royal family.

They had four children:

• Henry John FitzRoy Somerset, Marquess of Worcester (b. 22 May 1952), married Tracy Louise Ward (a granddaughter of the 3rd Earl of Dudley, former actress and environmental activist) and has issue, two sons and one daughter.
  • Robert Somerset, styled Earl of Glamorgan (b. 1989)
  • Lady Isabella Somerset
  • Lord Alexander Somerset
• Lady Anne Mary Somerset (b. 21 January 1955), historian, married Matthew Carr (deceased) and has issue, one daughter.
• Lord Edward Alexander Somerset (b. 1 May 1958). He married in 1982 the Hon. (Georgiana) Caroline Davidson (2nd daughter of John Davidson, 2nd Viscount Davidson) and is reported as divorcing her after he was jailed. They have issue:
  • Francesca Somerset
  • Rose Somerset
• Lord John Robert Somerset (b. 5 November 1964) also known as Lord Johnson Somerset, married to (now divorced from) Lady Cosima Vane-Tempest-Stewart (daughter of Alexander Charles Robert Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 9th Marquess of Londonderry), and has issue.
  • Lyle Somerset
  • Romy Somerset

The Duke married, secondly, Miranda Elisabeth Morley (born 1947), on 2 June 2000. She is a daughter of Brigadier General Michael Frederick Morley. The Duke was nominated to the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1988.

Ancestry

Family of David Somerset, 11th Duke of Beaufort

16. Henry Somerset, 8th Duke of Beaufort               8. Lord Henry Somerset                       17. Lady Georgiana Curzon-Howe               4. Henry Somerset                             18. Charles Somers-Cocks, 3rd Earl Somers               9. Lady Isabella Somers-Cocks                       19. Virginia Pattle               2. Henry Somerset                                   20. William Beauclerk, 9th Duke of St Albans               10. William Beauclerk, 10th Duke of St Albans                       21. Elizabeth Gubbins               5. Lady Katherine Beauclerk                             22. Ralph Bernal-Osborne               11. Grace Bernal-Osborne                       23. Catherine Osborne               1. David Somerset, 11th Duke of Beaufort                                         24. William Malcolm               12. James Malcolm                       25. Margaret Cormack               6. Charles Malcolm                             26. James Atty               13. Adeline Atty                       27. Catharine Welby               3. Bettine Malcolm                                   28. The Hon. William Hore               14. Walter Hore-Ruthven, 9th Lord Ruthven of Freeland                       29. Dells Lowen               7. The Hon. Beatrice Hore-Ruthven                             30. Philip Gore, 4th Earl of Arran               15. Lady Caroline Gore                       31. Elizabeth Napier

Patrilineal descent

The Duke's patriline is the line from which he is descended father to son. Hugues du Perche, lived 10th century Geoffrey II, Count of Gâtinais, d. 1040s Fulk IV, Count of Anjou, 1043-1109 Fulk, King of Jerusalem, d. 1143 Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou, 1113-1151 Henry II of England, 1133-1189 John, King of England, 1166-1216 Henry III of England, 1207-1272 Edward I of England, 1239-1307 Edward II of England, 1284-1327 Edward III of England, 1312-1377 John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, 1340-1399 John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset, 1373-1410 Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset, 1406-1455 Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset, 1436-1464 Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester, c. 1460-1526 Henry Somerset, 2nd Earl of Worcester, c. 1496-1549 William Somerset, 3rd Earl of Worcester, c. 1526-1589 Edward Somerset, 4th Earl of Worcester, c. 1550-1628 Henry Somerset, 1st Marquess of Worcester, c. 1577-1646 Edward Somerset, 2nd Marquess of Worcester, 1603-1667 Henry Somerset, 1st Duke of Beaufort, 1629-1700 Charles Somerset, Marquess of Worcester, 1660-1698 Henry Somerset, 2nd Duke of Beaufort, 1684-1714 Charles Somerset, 4th Duke of Beaufort, 1709-1756 Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort, 1744-1803 Henry Somerset, 6th Duke of Beaufort, 1766-1835 Henry Somerset, 7th Duke of Beaufort, 1792-1853 Henry Somerset, 8th Duke of Beaufort, 1824-1899 Lord Henry Somerset, 1849-1932 Henry Somerset, 1874-1945 Henry Somerset, 1898-1965 David Somerset, 11th Duke of Beaufort, b. 1928

Arms

Arms of David Somerset, 11th Duke of Beaufort

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Notes The coat of arms of the Duke of Beaufort Coronet The coronet of a Duke Crest A Portcullis Or nailed Azure and chained of the first Escutcheon Quarterly, 1st and 4th, Azure three Fleurs-de-lys Or (France), 2nd and 3rd, Gules three Lions passant guardant in pale Or (England), all within a Bordure compony Argent and Azure Supporters Dexter: a Panther Argent flames issuing from his mouth and ears proper plain collared and chained Or and semée of Torteaux, Hurts and Pommes alternately Sinister: a Wyvern with wings endorsed Vert holding in its mouth a Sinister Hand couped at the wrist Gules Motto Mutare vel timere sperno (Latin for "I scorn to change or to fear")

References

• Burke's Peerage

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Duke of Beaufort
• David Somerset, 11th Duke of Beaufort
• genealogics.org

Peerage of England
Preceded by Henry Somerset	Duke of Beaufort 1984–present	Incumbent
Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom
Preceded by His Grace The Duke of Grafton	Gentlemen	Succeeded by His Grace The Duke of St. Albans