Francis Egerton, 7th Duke of Sutherland

Sutherland is the son of Cyril Reginald Egerton, the grandson of Francis Egerton, 3rd Earl of Ellesmere. His mother was Mary, daughter of Sir Ronald Campbell.[1] Sutherland was educated at Eton and Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester (Gloucestershire).

In 2000, Sutherland succeeded his first cousin once-removed as Duke of Sutherland and Earl of Ellesmere. Most of Sutherland's wealth is in the form of the art collection put together by the first Duke's uncle, Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater, which had been inherited by the Ellesmere line of the family. In 2008 he sold Titian's Diana and Actaeon to the National Gallery of Scotland and National Gallery in London for £50m.[2] He ranked 107th in the Sunday Times Rich List 2009, with an estimated wealth of £480m in art and land, including Mertoun House and Stetchworth House.[3]

Sutherland married Victoria Mary, daughter of Major-General Edward Alexander Wilmot Williams and his wife, Sybilla Margaret Archdale, on 11 May 1971.[1] They have two sons:

• James Granville Egerton, Marquess of Stafford (born 12 August 1975), who is married to Barbara Schneider (from Austria/Vienna). They have four daughters:
  • Lady Isabelle Victoria Egerton (born 10 December 2007)
  • Lady Louisa Anna Egerton (born 7 January 2010)
  • Lady Violet Mary Egerton (born 11 November 2011)
  • Lady Charlotte Mabel Ellesmere Egerton (born 26 March 2015)
• Lord Henry Alexander Egerton (born 28 February 1977), who is married to Harriet Carter. They have three daughters:
  • Beatrice Georgina Egerton (born 7 June 2005)
  • Fenella Sybilla Egerton (born 18 January 2008)
  • Rose Evelyn Egerton (born 20 March 2011)

• Francis Egerton, 7th Duke of Sutherland