Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster
Encyclopedia
Major-General
Major-General (United Kingdom)
Major general is a senior rank in the British Army. Since 1996 the highest position within the Royal Marines is the Commandant General Royal Marines who holds the rank of major general...

 Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster, (born 22 December 1951), is the son of Robert George Grosvenor, 5th Duke of Westminster
Robert Grosvenor, 5th Duke of Westminster
Lieutenant-Colonel Robert George Grosvenor, 5th Duke of Westminster DSO TD JP DL , was a British soldier, landowner, businessman and politician. In the 1970s he was the richest man in Britain....

, and his wife Hon. Viola Maud Lyttelton. He is the owner of property company Grosvenor Group
Grosvenor Group
Grosvenor is a privately owned property group with offices in 18 cities. It has four regional investment & development businesses in Britain & Ireland, the Americas, Australia and Asia Pacific; an international fund management business, which operates across these markets and in continental Europe;...

. According to the Sunday Times Rich List 2011
Sunday Times Rich List 2011
The Sunday Times Rich List 2011 is the 23rd annual survey of the wealthiest people in the United Kingdom, published by The Sunday Times on 8 May 2011...

, the Duke of Westminster is worth £6.7 billion placing him fourth in the list behind Lakshmi Mittal
Lakshmi Mittal
Lakshmi Narayan Mittal is an Indian steel magnate. He is the chairman and chief executive officer of ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steelmaking company....

, Alisher Usmanov
Alisher Usmanov
Alisher Burkhanovich Usmanov is an Uzbek-born Russian businessman.According to the 2011 edition of Forbes magazine, the oligarch is one of Russia's richest men, with a fortune estimated at US$17.7 billion, and the world's 35th richest person.Usmanov is married and is a graduate of Moscow State...

 and Roman Abramovich
Roman Abramovich
Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich is a Russian businessman and the main owner of the private investment company Millhouse LLC.In 2003, Abramovich was named Person of the Year by Expert, a Russian business magazine. He shared this title with Mikhail Khodorkovsky...

 and making him the richest British person. He was educated at Harrow School
Harrow School
Harrow 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 Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...

. In 2005, he became Chancellor
Chancellor (education)
A chancellor or vice-chancellor is the chief executive of a university. Other titles are sometimes used, such as president or rector....

 of the University of Chester
University of Chester
The University of Chester is a public research university located in Chester, United Kingdom. The University, based on a main campus in Chester and a smaller campus in Warrington, offers a range of foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate courses, as well as undertaking academic research.Chester...

.

Via Grosvenor Estates, the Duke is the richest property developer in the United Kingdom and one of the country's largest landowners, with vast estates in Lancashire, Cheshire and Scotland, as well as large areas of Mayfair
Mayfair
Mayfair is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster.-History:Mayfair is named after the annual fortnight-long May Fair that took place on the site that is Shepherd Market today...

 and Belgravia
Belgravia
Belgravia is a district of central London in the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Noted for its immensely expensive residential properties, it is one of the wealthiest districts in the world...

 in central London. The Duke also owns estates in Canada and Spain.

Military career

After leaving Harrow School with a single O-level, the Duke joined the Territorial Army in 1970 as a trooper
Trooper (rank)
Trooper from the French "troupier" is the equivalent rank to private in a regiment with a cavalry tradition in the British Army and many other Commonwealth armies, including those of Australia, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand. Today, most cavalry units operate in the armoured role, equipped...

.

In 1973 the Duke entered Sandhurst and subsequently commanded the North Irish Horse
North Irish Horse
The North Irish Horse is a yeomanry unit of the British Territorial Army raised in the northern counties of Ireland in the aftermath of the Second Boer War...

, The Cheshire Yeomanry
Cheshire Yeomanry
The Cheshire Yeomanry was a yeomanry regiment that can trace its history back to 1797 when Sir John Fleming Leicester of Tabley raised a county regiment of light cavalry in response to the growing fears of invasion from Napoleonic France....

 Squadron, founded by his ancestors, and The Queen's Own Yeomanry
Queen's Own Yeomanry
The Queen's Own Yeomanry is an armoured regiment of the British Territorial Army. The Queen's Own Yeomanry is the only Yeomanry regiment that serves in the formation reconnaissance role, equipped with the CVR family of armoured reconnaissance vehicles, including Scimitar and Spartan.On...

. He was also appointed the Honorary Colonel of several Regiments, including the 7th Regt. Army Air Corps, the Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry
Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry
The Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry is a yeomanry regiment of the United Kingdom's Territorial Army. It currently serves in the armoured replacement role, providing replacement tank crews for regular armoured regiments....

, the Queen's Own Yeomanry, Northumbria Universities Officer Training Corps, Colonel in Chief of the Canadian Royal Westminster Regiment, the North Irish Horse
North Irish Horse
The North Irish Horse is a yeomanry unit of the British Territorial Army raised in the northern counties of Ireland in the aftermath of the Second Boer War...

 and Colonel Commandant
Colonel Commandant
Colonel Commandant is a military title used in the armed forces of some English-speaking countries. The title, not a substantive rank, could denote a senior colonel with authority over fellow colonels...

 Yeomanry
Yeomanry
Yeomanry is a designation used by a number of units or sub-units of the British Territorial Army, descended from volunteer cavalry regiments. Today, Yeomanry units may serve in a variety of different military roles.-History:...

.

The Duke was Grand Prior of the Priory of England for the Military and Hospitaller Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem, 1995-2001.

In 2004 the Duke was appointed to the new post of Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff
Chief of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom)
The Chief of the Defence Staff is the professional head of the British Armed Forces, a senior official within the Ministry of Defence, and the most senior uniformed military adviser to the Secretary of State for Defence and the Prime Minister...

 with responsibility for Reserves and Cadets, with promotion to the rank of Major-General (NATO OF-7), a two-star
2 star rank
An officer of two-star rank is a senior commander in many of the armed services holding a rank described by the NATO code of OF-7. The term is also used by some armed forces which are not NATO members...

 general officer rank.

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. Lalor subsequently handed over to Major-General Greg Smith, another Territorial Army officer.

The Duke is now indirectly engaged in the Prime Minister's Reserves Review (Future Reserves 2020), led by the Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff
Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff
The Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff is the deputy to the Chief of the Defence Staff, the professional head of the British Armed Forces.-List of Vice Chiefs of the Defence Staff:*1964 to 1966 - Air Chief Marshal Sir Alfred Earle...

, General Sir Nicholas Houghton. He was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) for his military service in the 2008 Birthday Honours. He is also an Honorary Vice President of the Royal United Services Institute
Royal United Services Institute
The Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies , officially still known by its old name, the Royal United Services Institution, is a British defence and security think tank. It was founded in 1831 by The Duke of Wellington.RUSI describes itself asIt won Prospect Magazine's...

.

Personal life

As a child the Duke lived on an island in the middle of Lough Erne
Lough Erne
Lough Erne, sometimes Loch Erne , is the name of two connected lakes in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. The lakes are widened sections of the River Erne. The river begins by flowing north, and then curves west into the Atlantic. The southern lake is further up the river and so is named Upper...

. His early education was in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

 before attending Sunningdale School
Sunningdale School
Sunningdale School is a family-run boys' preparatory independent school of around 100 pupils, situated in Sunningdale in Berkshire, close to London, England.-Introduction:...

 and Harrow School
Harrow School
Harrow 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...

.

The Duke of Westminster married Natalia Ayesha Phillips
Natalia Grosvenor, Duchess of Westminster
Natalia Ayesha Grosvenor, Duchess of Westminster is the wife of Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster.The Duchess of Westminster is the younger daughter of Lt.-Col. Harold Pedro Joseph Phillips and his wife, Georgina Wernher. Her elder sister is Alexandra, Duchess of Abercorn...

, the daughter of Lt Col.
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...

 Harold Pedro Joseph Phillips and his wife Georgina Wernher, in 1978. His wife is a direct descendant of the Russian poet Alexander S. Pushkin and therefore of his African ancestor Ibrahim Hannibal as well as of King George II
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...

, making her distantly in line for the British throne. Their children are:
  • Lady Tamara Katherine Grosvenor (b. 20 December 1979), married Edward Bernard Charles van Cutsem (6 November 2004). The couple have a son, Jake van Cutsem (b. in 2009).
  • Lady Edwina Louise Grosvenor (b. 4 November 1981), married Daniel Robert Snow
    Dan Snow
    Daniel Robert Snow is an English television presenter. He has presented and appeared in many popular history-related programmes for the BBC and is the "History Hunter" for The One Show.-Early life and background:...

     (27 November 2010)
  • Hugh Richard Louis Grosvenor, Earl Grosvenor (b. 29 January 1991), the Duke's heir apparent.
  • Lady Viola Georgina Grosvenor (b. 12 October 1992)

Titles and styles

  • Gerald Grosvenor, Esq (1951–1967)
  • Earl Grosvenor (1967–1979)
  • His Grace The Duke of Westminster (1979–present)

Honours

  • Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath
    Order of the Bath
    The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...

     (Military Division) (2008)
  • Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order 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...

     (2003)
  • Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
    Order of the British Empire
    The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...

     (Military Division) (1995)
  • Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Francis I
    Royal Order of Francis I
    The Royal Order of Francis I is a dynastic Order of Knighthood of the Royal House of Bourbon Two Sicilies...

  • Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Lazarus
    Order of Saint Lazarus
    This article concerns the order of knighthood named after Saint Lazarus. For other uses of the name Lazarus, see Lazarus .The Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem is an order of chivalry which originated in a leper hospital founded by the Knights Hospitaller in 1098 by the...

     (1995)
  • Knight of the Venerable Order of Saint John
    Venerable Order of Saint John
    The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...

     (1991)
  • Territorial Decoration
    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...

     (1994)
  • Canadian Forces Decoration
    Canadian Forces Decoration
    The Canadian Forces Decoration is a Canadian award bestowed upon members of the Canadian Forces who have completed twelve years of military service, with certain conditions. By convention, it is also given to the Governor General of Canada upon his or her appointment as viceroy, which includes the...

     (unknown)
  • Deputy Lieutenant
    Deputy Lieutenant
    In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....

     (Cheshire) (1982)

Honorary military appointments

  • Honorary Colonel The Queen's Own Yeomanry
    Queen's Own Yeomanry
    The Queen's Own Yeomanry is an armoured regiment of the British Territorial Army. The Queen's Own Yeomanry is the only Yeomanry regiment that serves in the formation reconnaissance role, equipped with the CVR family of armoured reconnaissance vehicles, including Scimitar and Spartan.On...

  • Honorary Colonel 7th Regt. Army Air Corps
  • Honorary Colonel-in-Chief Royal Westminster Regiment, New Westminster, BC, Canada
  • Honorary Colonel Yeomanry, Royal Armoured Corps
    Royal Armoured Corps
    The Royal Armoured Corps is currently a collection of ten regular regiments, mostly converted from old horse cavalry regiments, and four Yeomanry regiments of the Territorial Army...

  • Honorary Colonel Northumbria Universities Officer Training Corps

External links



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