Henry Herbert, 6th Earl of Carnarvon
Henry George Alfred Marius Victor Francis Herbert, 6th Earl of Carnarvon (7 November 1898 – 22 September 1987) was a British peer. He was the son of George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon and Almina Wombwell, whose biological father was banker Alfred de Rothschild.[1]
Life
Styled Lord Porchester from birth, he inherited the Earldom of Carnarvon on the 1923 death of his father – who was famously funding archaeologist Howard Carter when he discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun. The 6th Earl attributed the death of his father to the "Curse of Tutankhamun", claiming that the moment his father died on 5 April in Egypt, the family dog howled and died a sympathetic death at Highclere Castle, the family seat.[2] In his memoirs, he described an unloving upbringing by his parents. After his father died, he became responsible for the upkeep of Highclere Castle while his mother refused him an inheritance. She remarried only eight months after the death of her first husband.[3]
Marriages and issue
Henry Herbert, 6th Earl of Carnarvon married Anne Catherine Tredick Wendell on 17 July 1922 and they divorced in 1936. They had two children:
- Henry George Reginald Molyneux Herbert, 7th Earl of Carnarvon (19 January 1924 - 10 September 2001). He married Jean Margaret Wallop, daughter of Hon. Oliver Malcolm Wallop and Jean Moore, on 7 January 1956. They have three children:
- George Herbert, 8th Earl of Carnarvon (10 November 1956)
- The Hon. Henry "Harry" Herbert (2 March 1959)
- Lady Carolyn Herbert (27 January 1962).
- Lady Anne Penelope Marian Herbert (3 March 1925). She married Captain Reinier Gerrit Anton van der Woude, on 21 April 1945. They have three children:
- Michael Gerrit van der Woude (25 March 1946)
- David Anthony van der Woude (7 November 1947)
- Penelope Catherine Mary van der Woude (19 August 1952).
Henry Herbert, the 6th Earl, following his divorce from Catherine, married Tilly Losch (former wife of Edward James) on 1 September 1939: they divorced in 1947.
His obituary by Hugh Massingberd famously described him as a "most uncompromisingly direct ladies' man".[4]
Publications
Late in life he published two books of memoirs:
- No Regrets: Memoirs of the Earl of Carnarvon (1976).
- Ermine Tales: More Memoirs of the Earl of Carnarvon (1980).
Further reading
- Cross William, Lordy! Tutankhamun's Patron As A Young Man , Book Midden Publishing, 2012 ( ISBN 978-1-905914-05-0).
- Cross William, The Life and Secrets of Almina Carnarvon : 5th Countess of Carnarvon of Tutankhamun Fame , 3rd Ed 2011 ( ISBN 978-1-905914-08-1).
- Cross William, Catherine and Tilly: Porchey Carnarvon's Two Duped Wives: The Tragic Tales of the Sixth Countesses of Carnarvon, Book Midden Publishing, 2013 ( ISBN 978-1905914-25-8).
References
- ↑
- ↑ See Thomas Hoving, Tutankhamun: The Untold Story, New York: Simon and Schuster, 1980, p. 226.
- ↑ Rennell, Tony (31 December 2011). "How the real life Downton heir plotted to kill his father". Mail Online. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
- ↑ "My Mentor: Andrew McKie On Hugh Massingberd Archived 8 January 2008 at the Wayback Machine.", The Independent, 23 January 2006
Peerage of Great Britain | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by George Herbert |
Earl of Carnarvon 1923–1987 |
Succeeded by Henry George Herbert |