Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
Encyclopedia
Claude George Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, KG
, KT
, GCVO
, TD
, (14 March 1855 – 7 November 1944) was a landowner and the maternal grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II.
From 1937 he was known as "14th and 1st Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne", because he was the 14th Earl in the peerage of Scotland
but the 1st Earl in the peerage of the United Kingdom
.
, London
, the son of Claude Bowes-Lyon, 13th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
, and his wife, the former Frances Dora Smith
. His younger brother Patrick Bowes-Lyon was a tennis
player who won the 1887 Wimbledon
doubles.
After being educated at Eton College
he received a commission in the 2nd Life Guards
in 1876, and served for six years until the year after his marriage. He was an active member of the Territorial Army and served as Honorary Colonel of the 4th/5th Battalion of the Black Watch
.
Upon succeeding his father to the Earldom on 16 February 1904, he inherited large estates in Scotland
and England
, including Glamis Castle
, St Paul's Walden Bury
, and Woolmers Park, near Hertford
. He was made Lord Lieutenant
of Angus
, an office he resigned when his daughter became Queen. He had a keen interest in forestry
, and was one of the first to grow larch
from seed in Britain. His estates had a large number of smallholders and he had a reputation for being unusually kind to his tenants. His contemporaries described him as an unpretentious man, often seen in "an old macintosh tied with a piece of twine". He worked his own land and enjoyed physical labour in the grounds of his estates. Visitors mistook him for a common labourer.
Despite the Earl's reservations about royalty, in 1923 his youngest daughter, Elizabeth, married George V
's second son, Prince Albert, Duke of York
, and Lord Strathmore was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
to mark the marriage. Five years later he was made a Knight of the Thistle
.
In 1936 his son-in-law's brother, Edward VIII, abdicated and his son-in-law became King. As the queen consort
's father, he was created a Knight of the Garter
and Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
in the Coronation Honours of 1937. This enabled him to sit in the House of Lords
as an Earl (because members of the Peerage of Scotland
did not automatically sit in the House of Lords, he had previously sat only as a Baron
through the Barony of Bowes created for his father).
The Earl made his own cocoa for breakfast, and always had a jug of water by his place at dinner so he could dilute his own wine. Later in life he became extremely deaf. Lord Strathmore died of bronchitis
on 7 November 1944, aged 89, at Glamis Castle
. (Lady Strathmore had died in 1938.) He was succeeded by his son, Patrick Bowes-Lyon, Lord Glamis
.
, Surrey
. The couple had ten children, of whom they were very fond. The Earl would part his moustache in a theatrical but courteous gesture before kissing them:
Order of the Garter
The 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...
, KT
Order of the Thistle
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order...
, GCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The 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...
, TD
Territorial Decoration
The Territorial Decoration was a medal of the United Kingdom awarded for long service in the Territorial Force and its successor, the Territorial Army...
, (14 March 1855 – 7 November 1944) was a landowner and the maternal grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II.
From 1937 he was known as "14th and 1st Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne", because he was the 14th Earl in the peerage of Scotland
Peerage of Scotland
The Peerage of Scotland is the division of the British Peerage for those peers created in the Kingdom of Scotland before 1707. With that year's Act of Union, the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England were combined into the Kingdom of Great Britain, and a new Peerage of Great Britain was...
but the 1st Earl in the peerage of the United Kingdom
Peerage of the United Kingdom
The Peerage of the United Kingdom comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Act of Union in 1801, when it replaced the Peerage of Great Britain...
.
Life and family
Claude was born in Lowndes SquareLowndes Square
Lowndes Square is an upmarket residential community in Belgravia, London. Like much of Belgravia it is characterised by grand terraces with white stucco houses. The square runs parallel with Sloane Street to the east, east of the Harvey Nichols store and Knightsbridge tube station. It is home to...
, London
London
London 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...
, the son of Claude Bowes-Lyon, 13th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
Claude Bowes-Lyon, 13th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
Claude Bowes-Lyon, 13th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne , styled The Honourable from 1847 to 1865, was a British peer. He was the 13th holder of the Earldom of Strathmore and Kinghorne....
, and his wife, the former Frances Dora Smith
Frances Bowes-Lyon, Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne
Frances Dora Bowes-Lyon, Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne was a British noblewoman. She was the paternal grandmother of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother and thus a great grandmother of the current monarch, Queen Elizabeth II.Her father was Oswald Smith, of Blendon Hall , and her mother was...
. His younger brother Patrick Bowes-Lyon was a tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player who won the 1887 Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
doubles.
After being educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
he received a commission in the 2nd Life Guards
Life Guards (British Army)
The Life Guards is the senior regiment of the British Army and with the Blues and Royals, they make up the Household Cavalry.They originated in the four troops of Horse Guards raised by Charles II around the time of his restoration, plus two troops of Horse Grenadier Guards which were raised some...
in 1876, and served for six years until the year after his marriage. He was an active member of the Territorial Army and served as Honorary Colonel of the 4th/5th Battalion of the Black Watch
Black Watch
The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The unit's traditional colours were retired in 2011 in a ceremony led by Queen Elizabeth II....
.
Upon succeeding his father to the Earldom on 16 February 1904, he inherited large estates in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, including Glamis Castle
Glamis Castle
Glamis Castle is situated beside the village of Glamis in Angus, Scotland. It is the home of the Earl and Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and is open to the public....
, St Paul's Walden Bury
St Paul's Walden Bury
St. Paul's Walden Bury is a stately home and surrounding gardens located in the village of St Paul's Walden in Hertfordshire. A home of the Bowes-Lyon family, it is best known for its connection to the late Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother...
, and Woolmers Park, near Hertford
Hertford
Hertford is the county town of Hertfordshire, England, and is also a civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of the county. Forming a civil parish, the 2001 census put the population of Hertford at about 24,180. Recent estimates are that it is now around 28,000...
. He was made Lord Lieutenant
Lord Lieutenant
The title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British monarch's personal representatives in the United Kingdom, usually in a county or similar circumscription, with varying tasks throughout history. Usually a retired local notable, senior military officer, peer or business person is given the post...
of Angus
Angus
Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
, an office he resigned when his daughter became Queen. He had a keen interest in forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
, and was one of the first to grow larch
Larch
Larches are conifers in the genus Larix, in the family Pinaceae. Growing from 15 to 50m tall, they are native to much of the cooler temperate northern hemisphere, on lowlands in the north and high on mountains further south...
from seed in Britain. His estates had a large number of smallholders and he had a reputation for being unusually kind to his tenants. His contemporaries described him as an unpretentious man, often seen in "an old macintosh tied with a piece of twine". He worked his own land and enjoyed physical labour in the grounds of his estates. Visitors mistook him for a common labourer.
Despite the Earl's reservations about royalty, in 1923 his youngest daughter, Elizabeth, married George V
George V
George V was king of the United Kingdom and its dominions from 1910 to 1936.George V or similar terms may also refer to:-People:* George V of Georgia * George V of Imereti * George V of Hanover...
's second son, Prince Albert, Duke of York
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
, and Lord Strathmore was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
Royal Victorian Order
The 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...
to mark the marriage. Five years later he was made a Knight of the Thistle
Order of the Thistle
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order...
.
In 1936 his son-in-law's brother, Edward VIII, abdicated and his son-in-law became King. As the queen consort
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
's father, he was created a Knight of the Garter
Order of the Garter
The 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...
and Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
Peerage of the United Kingdom
The Peerage of the United Kingdom comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Act of Union in 1801, when it replaced the Peerage of Great Britain...
in the Coronation Honours of 1937. This enabled him to sit in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
as an Earl (because members of the Peerage of Scotland
Peerage of Scotland
The Peerage of Scotland is the division of the British Peerage for those peers created in the Kingdom of Scotland before 1707. With that year's Act of Union, the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England were combined into the Kingdom of Great Britain, and a new Peerage of Great Britain was...
did not automatically sit in the House of Lords, he had previously sat only as a Baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
through the Barony of Bowes created for his father).
The Earl made his own cocoa for breakfast, and always had a jug of water by his place at dinner so he could dilute his own wine. Later in life he became extremely deaf. Lord Strathmore died of bronchitis
Bronchitis
Acute bronchitis is an inflammation of the large bronchi in the lungs that is usually caused by viruses or bacteria and may last several days or weeks. Characteristic symptoms include cough, sputum production, and shortness of breath and wheezing related to the obstruction of the inflamed airways...
on 7 November 1944, aged 89, at Glamis Castle
Glamis Castle
Glamis Castle is situated beside the village of Glamis in Angus, Scotland. It is the home of the Earl and Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and is open to the public....
. (Lady Strathmore had died in 1938.) He was succeeded by his son, Patrick Bowes-Lyon, Lord Glamis
Patrick Bowes-Lyon, 15th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
Patrick Bowes-Lyon, 15th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne was an uncle of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.-Biography:...
.
Marriage and issue
He married Cecilia Cavendish-Bentinck on 16 July 1881 in PetershamPetersham
Petersham is a place in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames on the east of the bend in the River Thames south of Richmond, which it shares with neighbouring Ham. It provides the foreground of the scenic view from Richmond Hill across Petersham Meadows, with Ham House further along the River...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. The couple had ten children, of whom they were very fond. The Earl would part his moustache in a theatrical but courteous gesture before kissing them:
| Name | Birth | Death | Age | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Hon Violet Hyacinth Bowes-Lyon | 17 April 1882 | 17 October 1893 | 11 years | She died from diphtheria Diphtheria Diphtheria is an upper respiratory tract illness caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, a facultative anaerobic, Gram-positive bacterium. It is characterized by sore throat, low fever, and an adherent membrane on the tonsils, pharynx, and/or nasal cavity... and was buried at Ham Ham, London Ham is a district in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames on the River Thames.- Location :Its name derives from the Old English word Hamme meaning place in the bend in the river. Together with Petersham, Ham lies to the east of the bend in the river south of Richmond and north of Kingston... church. She was never styled 'Lady' because she died before her father succeeded to the Earldom. |
| The Lady Mary Frances Bowes-Lyon Mary Elphinstone, Lady Elphinstone Mary Frances Buller-Fullerton-Elphinstone, Lady Elphinstone and Baroness Elphinstone DCVO was a maternal aunt and godparent of Elizabeth II.-Biography:... |
30 August 1883 | 8 February 1961 | 77 years | She married Sidney Elphinstone, 16th Lord Elphinstone; in 1910, and had issue. |
| Patrick Bowes-Lyon, Lord Glamis Patrick Bowes-Lyon, 15th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne Patrick Bowes-Lyon, 15th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne was an uncle of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.-Biography:... (later 15th and 2nd Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne) |
22 September 1884 | 25 May 1949 | 64 years | He married Lady Dorothy Osborne (daughter of George Osborne, 10th Duke of Leeds George Osborne, 10th Duke of Leeds George Godolphin Osborne, 10th Duke of Leeds JP , styled Earl of Danby from birth until 1872 and subsequently Marquess of Carmarthen until 1895, was a British peer and Conservative politician.-Background:... ) in 1908, and had issue. |
| Lieutenant The Hon. John Bowes-Lyon John Herbert Bowes-Lyon John Herbert "Jock" Bowes-Lyon , was the second son of the 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne and the Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne, the favourite brother of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon... |
1 April 1886 | 7 February 1930 | 43 years | Known as Jock, he married The Hon. Fenella Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis (daughter of Charles Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis, 21st Baron Clinton Charles Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis, 21st Baron Clinton Charles John Robert Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis, 21st Baron Clinton, GCVO, PC was a British peer.Trefusis was the eldest son of the 20th Baron Clinton and his wife, Harriet. On 1 June 1886, he married his third cousin Lady Jane McDonnell and they had two daughters:*Hon... ) in 1914, and had issue. |
| The Hon. Alexander Francis Bowes-Lyon | 14 April 1887 | 19 October 1911 | 24 years | Known as Alec, he died unmarried in his sleep of a tumour at the base of the cerebrum. |
| Captain The Hon. Fergus Bowes-Lyon Fergus Bowes-Lyon Captain Fergus Bowes-Lyon was an older brother of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.He was born at Glamis Castle in Angus and educated at Eton College, Berkshire. Just a fortnight after the start of World War I, he married Lady Christian Norah Dawson-Damer , daughter of the 5th Earl of... |
18 April 1889 | 26 September 1915 | 26 years | He married Lady Christian Dawson-Damer (daughter of Lionel Dawson-Damer, 5th Earl of Portarlington) in 1914, and had issue. |
| The Lady Rose Constance Bowes-Lyon Rose Leveson-Gower, Countess Granville Rose Leveson-Gower, Countess Granville, GCVO was the third daughter of 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne by his wife, Nina Cecilie Cavendish-Bentinck, and an elder sister of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother.On 24 May 1916, Rose married Hon... |
6 May 1890 | 17 November 1967 | 77 years | She married William Leveson-Gower, 4th Earl Granville William Leveson-Gower, 4th Earl Granville Vice Admiral William Spencer Leveson-Gower, 4th Earl Granville KG, GCVO, CB, DSO , styled The Honourable William Leveson-Gower until 1939, was a British naval commander and governor.-Background:... in 1916, and had issue |
| Lieutenant-Colonel The Hon. Michael Claude Hamilton Bowes-Lyon | 1 October 1893 | 1 May 1953 | 59 years | Known as Mickie, he was a Prisoner of War Prisoner of war A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict... during World War I World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... . He married Elizabeth Cator in 1928, and had issue. He died of asthma Asthma Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath... and heart failure in Bedfordshire Bedfordshire Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east.... . |
| The Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II... |
4 August 1900 | 30 March 2002 | 101 years | In 1923, she married The Prince Albert, Duke of York George VI of the United Kingdom George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death... , later King George VI, and had issue. In later life, she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. |
| The Hon. Sir David Bowes-Lyon David Bowes-Lyon Sir David Bowes-Lyon KCVO was the sixth son of Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and Cecilia Nina Cavendish-Bentinck... |
2 May 1902 | 13 September 1961 | 59 years | He married Rachel Clay in 1929, and had issue. |