Henry Somerset, 12th Duke of Beaufort

Henry John FitzRoy Somerset, 12th Duke of Beaufort (born 22 May 1952), also known as Harry Beaufort or Bunter Beaufort, previously as Bunter Worcester,[1] is an English peer and landowner, with estates in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire based on Badminton House.

His Grace

The Duke of Beaufort
Personal details
Born
Henry John FitzRoy Somerset

(1952-05-22) 22 May 1952
Spouse(s)
Children
  • Robert Somerset, Marquess of Worcester
  • Lady Isabella Somerset
  • Lord Alexander Somerset
Parents

Biography

Beaufort is the son of The 11th Duke of Beaufort and his wife, Lady Caroline Jane Thynne (1928–1995), a daughter of The 6th Marquess of Bath. He and his family are descended in the male line from the House of Plantagenet, through a legitimated line.

Beaufort was educated at Hawtreys, Eton College, and the Royal Agricultural College.

His first wife was the environmentalist and former actress Tracy Louise Ward (a sister of Rachel Ward and a granddaughter of The 3rd Earl of Dudley). They were married on 13 June 1987 at Cornwell, in Oxfordshire, but later separated, and were divorced in 2018. The marriage produced three children:,[2]

  • (Henry) Robert FitzRoy Somerset, Marquess of Worcester, formerly known as the Earl of Glamorgan (b. 20 January 1989), engaged to Lucy Eleanor Yorke-Long (b. 23 June 1986)
  • Lady Isabella Elsa Somerset (b. 3 August 1992)
  • Lord Alexander Lorne Somerset (b. 19 November 1993)


Beaufort has famously kept the day to day life of his children out of the society eye, most notably that of his eldest son and heir to the Dukedom.

On 30 April, 2018, Beaufort married secondly Georgia Powell (born 18 February 1969), a granddaughter of the novelist Anthony Powell.[3]

Beaufort is also a singer and songwriter with the rock group The Listening Device. The band was a support act at the Highclere Rocks concert in 2006 that also featured Bryan Ferry, Eric Clapton, and Roger Waters, amongst others.[4]

Arms
Coat of arms of Henry Somerset, 12th Duke of Beaufort
Notes
The coat of arms of the Duke of Beaufort
Coronet
The coronet of a Duke
Crest
A Portcullis Or nailed Azure and chained of the first
Escutcheon
Quarterly, 1st and 4th, Azure three Fleurs-de-lys Or (France), 2nd and 3rd, Gules three Lions passant guardant in pale Or (England), all within a Bordure compony Argent and Azure
Supporters
Dexter: a Panther Argent flames issuing from his mouth and ears proper plain collared and chained Or and semée of Torteaux, Hurts and Pommes alternately
Sinister: a Wyvern with wings endorsed Vert holding in its mouth a Sinister Hand couped at the wrist Gules
Motto
Mutare vel timere sperno (Latin for "I scorn to change or to fear")

Notes
  1. Tatler http://www.tatler.com/the-tatler-list/w/bunter-worcester Archived 28 August 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  2. Google Groups — Peerage News
  3. Duke of Beaufort marries Georgia Powell dated Tuesday, May 01, 2018 at Peerage News online, accessed 5 August 2018
  4. Countryside Alliance: Ferry joins Clapton and Waters for rock benefit Archived 21 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine, politics.co.uk, 13 April 2006. Accessed 25 April 2008.
Peerage of England
Preceded by
David Somerset		 Duke of Beaufort
2017–present		 Incumbent
Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom
Preceded by
The Duke of Grafton		 Gentlemen
The Duke of Beaufort 		Succeeded by
The Duke of St Albans

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