Simon Rufus Isaacs, 4th Marquess of Reading

Early life

Simon Rufus Isaacs was born on 18 May 1942.^[2]

His father was Michael Alfred Rufus Isaacs, 3rd Marquess of Reading (1916–1980) and his mother was Margot Irene (née Duke) (1919–2015).^[3][4] His paternal grandfather was Gerald Rufus Isaacs, 2nd Marquess of Reading (1889–1960). His paternal great-grandfather was Rufus Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading (1860–1935). He became the fourth Marquess of Reading after his father's death in 1980. His maternal great-grandparents were Alfred Moritz Mond, 1st Baron Melchett (1868–1930) and Violet Mond, Baroness Melchett (1867–1945). Eva Violet Mond's grandfather Ludwig Mond (1839–1909) chemist and industrialist created Mond process to extract and purify nickel.

Career

He served as a lieutenant in 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards from 1961 to 1964.^[2]

He worked as a stockbroker from 1964 to 1974, and he was a member of the London Stock Exchange from 1970 to 1974.^[2] From 1975 to 1980, he was Marketing Director of Brahmco International.^[2] He worked for Ralph Lauren Cosmetics from 1979 to 1983.^[2] He then worked for Abbey Lubbock and Abbey Sports and Events from 1984 to 1992.^[2]

Philanthropy

Reading was Chairman of the Land's End John o' Groats Club from 1992 to 1996.^[2] He served as Director of the Global Flying Hospitals from 1996 to 2000.^[2] From 1990 to 2000, he was President of the Dean Close School in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.^[2] He has served on the Board of Directors of CURE International since 2004, and of the Mertens House in Saint Petersburg, Russia since 2008.^[2] He served as a member of the Council of the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem from 2002 to 2008.^[2]

He is a patron of the Nelson Recovery Trust and, since 1998, of the Barnabas Fund.^[2]

In 2003, he criticized the decision made by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sussex, Alasdair Smith, to sell Swanborough Manor in Iford, East Sussex, which was donated by his great-grandmother, Stella Isaacs, Marchioness of Reading (1894–1971) in the hope that it would serve as the main residence of the Vice-Chancellor until 2021.^[5]

Personal life

Simon married Melinda Dewar on 12 May 1979. They have three children and they have six grandchildren:

• Lady Sybilla Alice Rufus Isaacs (3 November 1980) she married Charles B. B. Hart on 9 July 2005. They have three children:
  • Isaac David Boy Hart (15 December 2006)
  • Beatrice Rose Hart (5 November 2009)
  • Florence India Hart (2 August 2011)
  • Celestia (October 2014)
• Lady Natasha Rufus Isaacs (24 April 1983) she married Charles Finch on 8 June 2013. They have two daughters.
  • Georgia Liberty Andrena (24 February 2015)
  • Cienna Freya (26 May 2017)
• Julian Rufus Isaacs, Viscount Erleigh (26 May 1986)

They resided at historic Jayne's Court in the heart of the village of Bisley, Gloucestershire for four generations before selling the manor. He is a member of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club and has frequently appeared at The Lawn Tennis Championships, Wimbledon.

He is a personal friend of Charles, Prince of Wales.^[6]