George Herbert, 8th Earl of Carnarvon
George Reginald Oliver Molyneux Herbert, 8th Earl of Carnarvon (born 10 November 1956), styled Lord Porchester from 1987 to 2001, is a British peer and arable farmer.
The Earl of Carnarvon | |
|---|---|
| Earl of Carnarvon | |
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| Tenure | 11 September 2001–present |
| Predecessor | Henry Herbert, 7th Earl of Carnarvon |
| Other titles | Lord Porchester (1987–2001) |
| Born | George Reginald Oliver Molyneux Herbert 10 November 1956 London, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Residence | Highclere Castle |
| Spouse(s) | Jayne Wilby (m. 1989; div. 1998) Fiona Aitken (m. 1999) |
| Issue
Lady Saoirse Herbert George Herbert, Lord Porchester The Hon. Edward Herbert | |
| Heir | George Herbert, Lord Porchester |
| Parents | Henry Herbert, 7th Earl of Carnarvon Jean Margaret Wallop |
His family seat, Highclere Castle, has achieved notability as the primary filming location for the television series Downton Abbey. Carnarvon and his family live in part of the house, while the rest is used as a venue for hire and is also open to the public much of the summer and some dates during other months.[1]
Early life
Herbert was born in Lambeth, London, the son of Henry Herbert, 7th Earl of Carnarvon and an American mother, Jeanie Margaret Wallop (1935–2019), His mother was born in Big Horn, Wyoming, the granddaughter to Oliver Wallop, 8th Earl of Portsmouth, who had not expected to inherit the title and moved to the American West to become a rancher. His maternal uncle Malcolm Wallop, a rancher in Wyoming, served three terms in the United States Senate.[2] His mother was close friends with Queen Elizabeth II, his godmother.[3] Herbert was a Page of Honour to the Queen. He was educated at Eton and St John's College, Oxford.[4]
He succeeded to the title of Earl of Carnarvon when his father died on 11 September 2001. After the death in 2003 of the 17th Earl of Pembroke, a distant cousin, he also became heir to the Earldoms of Pembroke and Montgomery, held by patrilineal cousin, William Herbert, 18th Earl of Pembroke, and is currently third in line.
Family
Lord Carnarvon married Jayne M. Wilby on 16 December 1989, daughter of racehorse owner Kenneth A. Wilby and Princess Prospero Colonna di Stigliano. They had two children before divorcing in 1998:[4]
- Lady Saoirse Herbert (born 2 June 1991)
- George Kenneth Oliver Molyneux Herbert, Lord Porchester (born 13 October 1992), the heir to the titles
Then, on 18 February 1999, he married fashion designer Fiona J. M. Aitken, daughter of Ronnie Aitken and Frances Farmer; they had one son:[4]
- Hon. Edward Herbert (born 10 October 1999)
The current Countess of Carnarvon is a historian who has written two biographies about her predecessors, the first of her husband's great-grandmother, Almina, Countess of Carnarvon and the second about his grandparents.[5][6]
Arms
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References
- https://highclerecastleshop.co.uk/categories/admission-tickets, Admission Tickets
- Pickett, Mary – "Downton Abbey" Close to Wyoming Rancher's Heart", Billings Gazette, January 11, 2013.
- "Jeanie, Countess of Carnarvon obituary". The Times. 25 April 2019. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
- Mosley, Charles, ed. (2003). Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knighthood (107 ed.). Burke's Peerage & Gentry. p. 697. ISBN 0-9711966-2-1.
- McNish, Stu (1 April 2016). "Video: Lady Almina – the real Countess of Downton Abbey". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
- "Lady Catherine, the Earl, and the Real Downton Abbey". goodreads.com. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
External links
- Seymour, Miranda (15 September 2011). "Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey by Fiona Carnarvon – review". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
| Peerage of Great Britain | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Henry Herbert |
Earl of Carnarvon 2001– |
Succeeded by current |
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