Charles Robert Spencer, 6th Earl Spencer KGThe Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
,
GCVOThe Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
,
PCA privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
,
VRDThe Volunteer Reserve Decoration was awarded to commissioned officers in the United Kingdom's Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve for long service and good conduct.The VRD was established in 1908...
(30 October 1857 – 26 September 1922), styled
The Honourable Charles Spencer until 1905 and known as
The Viscount Althorp between 1905 and 1910, was a British courtier and
LiberalThe Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician. An MP from 1880 to 1895 and again from 1900 to 1905, he served as
Vice-Chamberlain of the HouseholdThe Vice-Chamberlain of the Household is usually a junior government whip in the British House of Commons and is an officer of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. He or she is the Deputy to the Lord Chamberlain of the Household. The Vice-Chamberlain's main role is to compile...
from 1892 to 1895. Ennobled as Viscount Althorp in 1905, he was
Lord ChamberlainThe Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State....
from 1905 to 1912 in the Liberal administrations headed by
Sir Henry Campbell-BannermanSir Henry Campbell-Bannerman GCB was a British Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1905 to 1908 and Leader of the Liberal Party from 1899 to 1908. He also served as Secretary of State for War twice, in the Cabinets of Gladstone and Rosebery...
and
H. H. AsquithHerbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC, KC served as the Liberal Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916...
. In 1910 he succeeded his half-brother in the earldom of Spencer. Lord Spencer was a great-grandfather of
Diana, Princess of WalesDiana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
.
Background and education
Spencer was born in
St. James'sSt James's is an area of central London in the City of Westminster. It is bounded to the north by Piccadilly, to the west by Green Park, to the south by The Mall and St. James's Park and to the east by The Haymarket.-History:...
,
WestminsterThe City of Westminster is a London borough occupying much of the central area of London, England, including most of the West End. It is located to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and its southern boundary...
, the son of
Frederick Spencer, 4th Earl SpencerVice-Admiral Frederick Spencer, 4th Earl Spencer KG, CB, PC , styled The Honourable Frederick Spencer until 1845, was a British naval commander, courtier and Whig politician. He initially served in the Royal Navy and fought in the Napoleonic Wars and the Greek War of Independence, eventually rising...
, by his second wife Adelaide Seymour, daughter of Horace Beauchamp Seymour and granddaughter of
Lord Hugh SeymourVice-Admiral Lord Hugh Seymour was a senior British Royal Navy officer of the late 18th century who was the fifth son of Francis Seymour-Conway, 1st Marquess of Hertford and became known for being both a prominent society figure and a highly competent naval officer...
.
John Spencer, 5th Earl SpencerJohn Poyntz Spencer, 5th Earl Spencer KG, PC , known as Viscount Althorp from 1845 to 1857 , was a British Liberal Party politician under and close friend of British prime minister William Ewart Gladstone...
, was his elder half-brother. He was educated at
HarrowHarrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
and
Trinity College, CambridgeTrinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
.
Political career
Spencer represented
Northamptonshire NorthNorth Northamptonshire was a county constituency in Northamptonshire, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- Boundaries :...
in parliament from 1880 to 1885 and
Northamptonshire MidMid Northamptonshire was a county constituency in Northamptonshire, which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.-History:...
from 1885 to 1895 and again from 1900 to 1905. In 1898 he contested
HertfordHertford was the name of a parliamentary constituency in Hertfordshire, which elected Members of Parliament from 1298 until 1974. It was represented in the House of Commons of England from 1298 to 1707, then of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and finally in the House of...
. He was a Groom-in-Waiting to
Queen VictoriaVictoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
between February and June 1886. In 1892 he was sworn of the
Privy CouncilHer Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
and appointed
Vice-Chamberlain of the HouseholdThe Vice-Chamberlain of the Household is usually a junior government whip in the British House of Commons and is an officer of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. He or she is the Deputy to the Lord Chamberlain of the Household. The Vice-Chamberlain's main role is to compile...
under
William Ewart GladstoneWilliam Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
, a post he held until 1895, the last year under the premiership of
Lord RoseberyArchibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, KG, PC was a British Liberal statesman and Prime Minister. Between the death of his father, in 1851, and the death of his grandfather, the 4th Earl, in 1868, he was known by the courtesy title of Lord Dalmeny.Rosebery was a Liberal Imperialist who...
. Between 1900 and 1905 he was a Liberal whip.
On 19 December 1905, he was created
Viscount Althorp, of Great Brington in the County of Northampton, so as to allow him to become
Lord ChamberlainThe Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State....
in
Sir Henry Campbell-BannermanSir Henry Campbell-Bannerman GCB was a British Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1905 to 1908 and Leader of the Liberal Party from 1899 to 1908. He also served as Secretary of State for War twice, in the Cabinets of Gladstone and Rosebery...
's new Liberal administration (his older brother was still Earl Spencer at that time). On 13 August 1910 he inherited the earldom on the death of his childless elder brother,
John Spencer, 5th Earl SpencerJohn Poyntz Spencer, 5th Earl Spencer KG, PC , known as Viscount Althorp from 1845 to 1857 , was a British Liberal Party politician under and close friend of British prime minister William Ewart Gladstone...
. He remained Lord Chamberlain until 1912. From 1908 to 1922 he was
Lord Lieutenant of NorthamptonshireBelow is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire. Since 1735, all Lords Lieutenant have also been Custos Rotulorum of Northamptonshire. The lieutenancy included the Soke of Peterborough until 1965, when the Lord Lieutenant of Huntingdonshire became Lord Lieutenant of...
. He was made a Knight Grand Cross of the
Royal Victorian OrderThe Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
in 1911 and a
Knight of the GarterThe Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
in 1913.
Lord Spencer held a large number of foreign decorations: the Grand Cross of
Order of the DannebrogThe Order of the Dannebrog is an Order of Denmark, instituted in 1671 by Christian V. It resulted from a move in 1660 to break the absolutism of the nobility. The Order was only to comprise 50 noble Knights in one class plus the Master of the Order, i.e. the Danish monarch, and his sons...
of
DenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav,
Order of the Polar StarThe Order of the Polar Star is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I of Sweden on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Seraphim....
of
SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
,
Order of the Rising SunThe is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...
of
JapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the
White Eagle of SerbiaOrder of the White Eagle was a Royal Order in the Kingdom of Serbia and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia . King Milan I of Serbia instituted the Order of the White Eagle on 23 January 1883, concurrently with the Order of St. Sava...
,
Order of the Red EagleThe Order of the Red Eagle was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful service to the kingdom, or other achievements...
of
PrussiaPrussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
, Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Carlos III and Order of Philippe le Bon of
FranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He was also an honorary major in and later honorary colonel of the 4th Volunteer Battalion,
Northamptonshire RegimentThe Northamptonshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1960. Its lineage is now continued by The Royal Anglian Regiment.-Formation:The regiment was formed as part of the reorganisation of the infantry by the Childers reforms...
.
Family
Lord Spencer married the Hon. Margaret Baring (14 December 1868 – 4 July 1906), daughter of
Edward Baring, 1st Baron RevelstokeEdward Charles Baring, 1st Baron Revelstoke , was a British banker.-Biography:A member of the famous Baring banking family, "Ned" Baring was the second son of Henry Baring from his second marriage, to Cecilia Anne . Sir Francis Baring, 1st Baronet, was his grandfather and Evelyn Baring, 1st Earl of...
, at St James's Church,
PiccadillyPiccadilly is a major street in central London, running from Hyde Park Corner in the west to Piccadilly Circus in the east. It is completely within the city of Westminster. The street is part of the A4 road, London's second most important western artery. St...
, on 23 July 1887. They had six children:
- Lady Adelaide Margaret Delia Spencer (1889–1981), married Sir Sidney Peel, 1st Baronet
The Honourable Sir Sidney Cornwallis Peel, 1st Baronet , was a British soldier, financier and Conservative politician....
and had issue.
- Albert Edward John Spencer, 7th Earl Spencer
Albert Edward John Spencer, 7th Earl Spencer , styled The Honourable Albert Spencer until 1910 and as Viscount Althorp from 1910 to 1922, and known less formally as "Jack" Spencer, was a British peer...
(1892–1975), the grandfather of Diana, Princess of WalesDiana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
.
- Lieutenant-Commander Hon. Cecil Edward Robert Spencer RN
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
DSCThe Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is...
Croix de guerreThe Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
(1894–1928), died unmarried in a riding accident.
- Lady Lavinia Emily Spencer (1899–1955), married the 4th Baron Annaly and had issue.
- Captain Hon. George Charles Spencer (1903–1982), married (1) Barbara Blumenthal and had issue, married (2) Kathleen Henderson; no issue.
- Lady (Alexandra) Margaret Elizabeth Spencer (1906–1996), married Hon. Henry Douglas-Home (son of the 13th Earl of Home
Charles Cospatrick Archibald Douglas-Home, 13th Earl of Home KT was the father of British Prime Minister, Alec Douglas-Home.Charles was born in 1873, the son of Charles Douglas-Home, 12th Earl of Home...
) and had issue. She was the author of "A Spencer Childhood", published in 1994.
Lord Spencer died in September 1922 at his home in
St James PlaceSt James's is an area of central London in the City of Westminster. It is bounded to the north by Piccadilly, to the west by Green Park, to the south by The Mall and St. James's Park and to the east by The Haymarket.-History:...
,
LondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, aged 64. He had been ill for four months after contracting a 'chill' at a public event in his home county of Northamptonshire. His eldest son Albert succeeded in the earldom.
Styles
- 1857–1880: The Hon. Charles Spencer
- 1880–1892: The Hon. Charles Spencer, MP
- 1892–1895: The Rt. Hon. Charles Spencer, MP
- 1895–1900: The Rt. Hon. Charles Spencer
- 1900–1905: The Rt. Hon. Charles Spencer, MP
- 1905–1910: The Rt. Hon. The Viscount Althorp, PC
- 1910–1911: The Rt. Hon. The Earl Spencer, PC
- 1911–1913: The Rt. Hon. The Earl Spencer, GCVO, PC
- 1913–1922: The Rt. Hon. The Earl Spencer, KG, GCVO, PC
External links