Ian Hamish Leslie-Melville 1944-2026

 Ian Hamish Leslie-Melville died 11 September, 2026. He was 82. He was a scion of the Earls of Leven & Melville.

He was born 22 August, 1944, son of Maj Michael Ian Leslie-Melville, DL (1918-1997), and his wife the former Cynthia Hambro (1921-86), scion of that landed gentry family.

He married 30 March, 1968, the Lady Elizabeth Compton (born 7 December, 1944), daughter of the 6th Marquess of Northampton, DL, JP (1885-1978), and his 2nd wife the former Virginia Lucie Heaton (1919-1997), scion of that landed family. His wife died 13 August, 2023.

He leaves issue, two sons, James (born 4 September, 1969), and Henry (born 30 January, 1975).

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Jemima Goldsmith marries Cameron O'Reilly

 Jemima Goldsmith married Cameron O'Reilly, a multi-millionaire Irish-Australian financier, 12 September, 2026.

Jemima Marcelle Goldsmith was born 30 January, 1974, daughter of the late Sir James Goldsmith (1933-1997), and his wife Lady Annabel Vane-Tempest-Stewart (1934-2025), daughter of the 8th Marquess of Londonderry (1902-1955.

Jemima married firstly, in London, 20 June, 1995 (following a ceremony in Paris, 16 May), Imran Khan (born 25 November, 1952), a Pakistani former cricketer, philanthropist, and politician who served as the 19th prime minister of Pakistan from August 2018 until April 2022, by whom she has two sons, Sulaiman (born 17 Nov, 1996), and Kasim (born 10 April, 1999). 

The Khans were divorced in 2004.

(Anthony) Cameron O'Reilly (born 28 April, 1964), is a Dublin-born businessman with Irish and Australian citizenship, the son of an Irish father, media magnate Tony O'Reilly and an Australian mother, Susan Cameron. Having managed one of Australia's largest press groups, he is currently managing director of Landis+Gyr, formerly the Bayard Group, which includes the world's largest electricity metering supplier, and has revenues of over US$1.2 billion.

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Christina Mary Joy Gascoigne (nee Ditchburn) 1939-2026

Christina Gascoigne.

Christina Mary Joy Gascoigne, who died 14 Aug, 2026, aged 87, was the widow of Bamber Gascoigne, the TV presenter and author.

She was  born in Baghdad,1 February, 1939, the daughter of Alfred Henry Ditchburn, RN (1890-1962) of Barton-on-Sea, Hants, by his wife the former (Mabel) Gladys Symes. 

She married in 1965, [Arthur] Bamber Gascoigne, CBE, FRSL, who died 8 February, 2022, who was an English television presenter and author. He was a scion of the Gascoigne landed gentry family. He was the original quizmaster on University Challenge, which initially ran from 1962 to 1987.

Bamber Gascoigne was born in London on 24 January 1935. He was the elder son of Lieutenant-Colonel Derek Ernest Frederick Orby Gascoigne [1905-72] (himself the son of Brigadier-General Sir Ernest Frederick Orby Gascoigne and Laura Cicely, daughter of General Edward Henry Clive, of that family of Styche Hall, Shropshire, from which also came the famous soldier and administrator of India Robert Clive by his marriage in 1934 to Mary ("Midi") Louisa Hermione O'Neill [born 19 Aug, 1905], a daughter of Captain the Hon. Arthur O'Neill and Lady Annabel Hungerford Crewe-Milnes.

Bamber's great-grandfathers included Robert Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of Crewe, and Edward O'Neill, 2nd Baron O'Neill. He was a nephew of Sir Julian Gascoigne, who was in charge of the Household Division during the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, and of Terence O'Neill, Prime Minister of Northern Ireland 1963–1969. He was a direct descendant of the 18th-century Lord Mayor of London Sir Crisp Gascoyne and the Tory politicians Bamber Gascoyne (the elder) and Isaac Gascoyne. Isaac's son General Ernest Frederick Gascoyne, of Raby Hall, Liverpool (1796–1867),[2] was his great-great-great-grandfather.

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Ella Mountbatten marries Fergus Wright

 The marriage took place 12 September, 2026, at St Luke's Church, Milland, West Sussex, between Fergus Wright and Ella Mountbatten, a scion of the Marquesses of Milford Haven, a niece of the 4th Marquess. 

Ella Louise Georgina Mountbatten (born 20 March, 1996), is the eldest of the three daughters of Lord Ivar Alexander Michael Mountbatten (born 9 March, 1963), and his first spouse, the former Penelope Anne Vere Thompson (born 17 March, 1966).

Fergus Benjamin Nicholas Wright was born 20 February, 1996, son of Nicholas Richard Wale Wright (born 1961), of Badlingham Manor, Chippenham, and his wife the former Lucinda Clare Benson (born 6 Aug,1965), scion of that landed gentry family of Stanway House. Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon was one of Lucinda's godmothers.

Fergus is a nephew of the Baroness Howard De Walden (nee Lucinda Suzanne Wright), wife of Peter Czernin, 11th Baron Howard De Walden.

Fergus has a sister, Jessica Laura H. Wright (born 16 September, 1997).

Fergus's grandfather, Robert Stephen (Robin) Benson (born 11 August, 1934), married 23 July, 1964, Jane Elliott Allday (born 19 Dec, 1937), scion of that landed gentry family, Extra Lady-in-Waiting to Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, and sometime Librarian, Courtauld Institute of Art, daughter of Colonel Frank Elliott Allday (1911-70), CBE, TD, DL of the Old Manor House, Halford Warwickshire, by his wife the former Agnete Kuhn (born 5 March, 1909), youngest daughter of Overretssagforer Christian Frederick Kuhn, of Sobakke, Hunleback, Denmark.

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Earl of Devon marries Jemima Hannon

 The marriage took place in the summer of 2026, between Charles Peregrine Courtenay, 19th Earl of Devon (born 14 August, 1975), of Powderham Castle, Devon, the only son of th late 18th Earl of Devon, DL (1942-2015), and his wife the former Diana Frances Watherston, & Mrs Jemima Alice Charlotte Hannon (nee Ensor, born August, 1982), of Elmwood House, Redenham, Andover, Hampshire, daughter of Peter Richard Ensor (born 1948), and his wife the former Hon Sarah Campbell (born 1950), daughter of the late life peer, Alan Robertson Campbell, the Baron Campbell of Alloway, ERD, QC (1917-2013), and his first wife Diana Watson-Smyth.

It was the Earl of Devon's second marriage. In April, 2004, he married Allison Joy Langer (the actress A.J. Langer), daughter of Gary Langer, of Los Angeles, California, United States, by whom he has a son and heir, Jack Haydon Langer Courtenay, styled Lord Courtenay (born 16 August, 2009), and a daughter Lady Joscelyn Skye Courtenay (born 31 January, 2007).

The new Countess is an equestrian, and is the former wife of Richard Hannon, the racehorse trainer, whom she married 4 September, 2010, son of Richard Michael Hannon (born 1945), the racehorse trainer, of Everleigh, Wiltshire, by his wife the former Josephine McCarthy, by whom she has two children, Eliza Scarlet Hannon (born 2012), and Jack Richard H. Hannon (born 2014).  

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Hon Jane Anne Caroline Wright (née Littleton) 1929-2026

 The Hon Jane Anne Caroline Wright (née Littleton), who died 7 September, 2026, aged 96, was a scion of the Barons Hatherton.

She was born 10 September, 1929, second daughter of the 5th Baron Hatherton (1900-1969), and his wife the former Ida Gwendolen Legge (died 1969).

She married 24 January, 1967, the Rev Charles Piachaud Wright (1905-1990). No issue of the marriage.

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South/Dunne engagement

The engagement was announced 12 September, 2026, between Henry David William South (born 1 September, 1993), younger son of David Robert South, of Oughterside, Cumbria, and his late wife the former Anne Dungey, and Evelyn Anne (Evie) Dunne (born 1 June, 1990), the elder daughter of Philip Martin Dunne (b 14 Aug, 1958), Conservative MP for Ludlow 2005-2024, and a godson of Princess Alexandra, the Hon Lady Ogilvy, and his wife the former Domenica Margaret Anne Fraser (born 31 July, 1960), scion of the Lords Lovat.

Evie Dunne is a granddaughter of the late Sir Thomas Raymond Dunne, KG, KCVO (1933-2025), a scion of a landed gentry family, and his wife Henrietta Rose Crawley (born 1937), scion of that landed gentry family.

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Urdaneta/Elliot engagement

 The engagement was announced 12 September, 2026, between Daniel, son of Mr and Mrs Omar Urdaneta, of Philadelphia, USA, and the Lady Clare Patricia Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound (born 1991), the only daughter of the 7th Earl of Minto (born 1 December, 1953), of Minto, Roxburghshire, and the Countess of Minto (nee Diana Barbara Trafford).

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Charles Henry Pettit Colville (born 2026)

 Olivia Colville (nee Pettit), wife of Alexander Keith Colville [born 1993], gave birth to a son, Charles Henry Pettit, 12 August, 2026, a brother for Amelia Lily Butterfield, who was born 22 November, 2024.

Alexander Colville is a son of Mr Jeffrey Rex Colville [born 1956], of Englefield Green, Surrey, and Mrs Colville [nee Price].

Olivia is a daughter of Timothy John Pettit [born 1959], of Godalming, Surrey, and his wife the former Susan J Butterfield.

The infant's aristocratic ancestry:-

George North, 3rd Earl of Guilford > Susan, Baroness North > William North, 11th Baron North > Hon Susan Georgina North > Col. John Sidney North FitzGerald > Georgiana Mary FitzGerald > Timothy John Pettit > Olivia Pettit > Charles Colville

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Donald Edward Miles McFarlan/ Grandson for the Duke of Norfolk

 The Lady Isabel Serena Mary McFarlan (née Fitzalan Howard, born 7 Feb, 1994), wife of Donald McAndrew Hamilton McFarlan (born 30 September, 1993), gave birth to a son, Donald Edward Miles, 5 September, 2026.

Donald McFarlan is the only son of the late Donald Richmond McQueen McFarlan (1952-2012 and his wife Mrs Kate Patricia McFarlan (born 1957, nee Hamilton), of Charlton, Sussex.

Lady Isabel McFarlan is the second and youngest daughter of the 18th Duke of Norfolk, GCVO, DL (born 2 December, 1956), of Arundel Castle, Sussex, and of his 1st wife Georgina Susan, Duchess of Norfolk (born 30 January, 1962, nee Gore).

The Duke of Norfolk is the Earl Marshal and Premier Duke in the Peerage of England.

Donald McFarlan is descended maternally from the Irish landed family of Hamilton, of Leix, and the extinct Earls of Leitrim

The 2nd Earl of Leitrim (1768-1854) > Rev Hon Francis Nathaniel Clements (1812-70) > Louisa Clements (1843-1939) > George Francis Clements Hamilton (1879-1900) > Ronald Marsden Clements Hamilton (1899-1953) >  Peter Napier Hamilton (b 1923) > Kate Patricia Hamilton (b 1957) > Donald McFarlan (born 1993) 

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Beau Reuben Alexander MacGregor (born 2026)

  Cornelia MacGregor (née Chastel de Boinville), wife of Frederick I.A. MacGregor, gave birth to a son, Beau Reuben Alexander, 6 Sqeptember, 2026, a brother for Orlando Frederick Charles, who was born 11 September, 2018, and Athena Shaunagh Antonia, who was born 2 November, 2020.

Frederick is a son of Mr and Mrs Colin MacGregor, of Fulham, London.

Cornelia MacGregor  is a scion of that landed family of Walkern Hall, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, daughter of Mr and Mrs Simon Chastel de Boinville, of Baughurst, Hampshire.

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Princess Alexandra of Hanover engaged to Ben Sylvester Strautmann

Princess Alexandra of Hanover has announced her engagement to her long-term boyfriend Ben Sylvester Strautmann.

Ben and Alexandra.

Princess Alexandra Charlotte Ulrike Maryam Virginia of Hanover was born 20 July, 1999, daughter of Princess Caroline Louise Marguerite of Monaco (born 23 Jan, 1957), and of Ernst August Albert Paul Otto Rupprecht Oskar Berthold Friedrich-Ferdinand Christian-Ludwig , Prince of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Prince of Great Britain & Ireland (born 26 Feb, 1954).

Princess Alexandra has half-siblings from her parents' previous marriages. From her father's previous marriage, she has two half-brothers, Hereditary Prince Ernst August and Prince Christian of Hanover. From her mother's previous marriage, she has two half-brothers, Andrea and Pierre Casiraghi, and one half-sister, Charlotte Casiraghi. Her maternal uncle, Albert II, is the sovereign of Monaco. She is a granddaughter of American actress Grace Kelly and of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco. On her father's side, she is a descendant of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, Wilhelm II, German Emperor, and King Christian IX of Denmark. She is also a first cousin once removed of Queen Sofía of Spain and King Constantine II of Greece, and a second cousin of King Felipe VI of Spain.

Ben was born 31 December, 1998.

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Princess Astrid, Mrs Ferner 1932-2026

Princess Astrid, Mrs Ferner

 Princess Astrid Maud Ingeborg, Mrs Ferner, who died 11 September, 2026, aged 94, was a sister of Harald V, King of Norway, who died 28 August.

The princess, in a wheelchair, attended King Harald's funeral two days ago.

At the time of her death she was the oldest living descendant of Queen Victoria. That distinction now passes to her cousin, Anne Mary Sibylla Liddell-Grainger (born 28 July, 1932), a granddaughter of Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone.

Princess Astrid was a great-granddaughter of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. The number of King Edward's great-grandchildren now numbers four - HRH The Duke of Kent, HRH Princess Alexandra, the Hon Lady Ogilvy, HRH Prince Michael of Kent, and HRH The Duke of Gloucester.

She was born 12 February, 1932, daughter of Olav V, King of Norway (1903-1991), and his wife the former Princess Martha of Sweden (1901-1954).

She married 12 January, 1961, Johan Martin Ferner (1927-2015), a Norwegian sailor and Olympic medallist, who died 24 January, 2015.

Princess Astrid leaves issue:-

Cathrine Ferner (born 22 July 1962,) , married 9 December 1989 in Oslo, Arild Johansen (b. 18 June 1961, Oslo), and has two children.

Benedikte Ferner (born  27 September 1963) married firstly 30 April 1994 in Oslo (divorced 1998) Rolf Woods (b. 17 June 1963, Oslo), without issue, and married secondly on 2 December 2000 in Oslo and separated in 2002, Mons Einar Stange (b. 26 May 1962, Oslo), without issue.

Alexander Ferner (born 15 March 1965), married 27 July 1996 in Holmenkollen Kapell, Oslo, Margrét Gudmundsdóttir (b. 27 March 1966, Reykjavík, Iceland), and has two children.

Elisabeth Ferner (b. 30 March 1969) married 3 October 1992 in Oslo, Tom Folke Beckmann (b. 14 January 1963, Oslo), and has one son.

Carl-Christian Ferner (b. 22 October 1972) married 4 October 2014 in Oslo, Anna-Stina Slattum Karlsen (b. 23 February 1984), and has two children.

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Frances Hélène Stonor Saunders 1966-2026

Frances Hélène Stonor Saunders, died 31 August, 2026. She was 60.

She was born 14 April, 1966, the daughter of Donald Robin Slomnicki Saunders (1931-1996), and his wife the Hon Julia Maria Christina Mildred Stonor (born 19 April, 1939), and was a granddaughter of the 6th Baron Camoys (1913-1976). She was unmarried.

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Phoebe Grace Lucia Luard (born 2026)

Miranda Elizabeth Luard (née Higham), wife of David Julius B. Luard (born 1980), scion of that landed gentry family, gave birth to a second daughter, Phoebe Grace Lucia, 27 August, 2026, a sister for Clara, who was born 17 November, 2018.

David Luard is the third son of James Richard Luard (born 1946) and his wife the former Julia Jane Wells (born 1951), scion of that landed gentry family.

Miranda is a daughter of John Arthur Higham, QC (born 1952), and his 1st wife the former Francesca Mary Antionetta Ronan (1949-1988).

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Timothy Charles Pulleine 1942-2026

Timothy Charles Pulleine, who died 31 August, 2026, aged 84, was a scion of that landed gentry family (later Curzon-Howe, of Crakehall and Clifton Castle).

He was born in 1942 son of Capt. Hubert Henry Worsley Pulleine (1890-1953), and his wife the former Dorothy Maughan (1909-1992). He married Ina Garner (born 1941), daughter of Frank Garner (died 1968), and his wife the former Frances May Whitnall (1909-1977). No issue of the marriage.

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Davina Mary Morley (nee Sheffield) 1951-2026

 Davina Mary Morley, who died 2 September, 2026, aged 75, was a girlfriend of the then Prince of Wales, and, fifty years ago, was strongly tipped to be the future Queen Consort.

Davina was one of the many who formed the posse of "English roses" who were affectionately dubbed "Charlies Angels" by the Press in the 1970s, when finding a bride for Charles was an obsession.

She was born 1 March, 1951, scion of the Sheffield baronets, the younger daughter of Capt George Berkeley Sheffield (1910-1968), Grenadier Guards, and his wife the Hon Agnes Wilson McGowan (who was murdered in a robbery at her home, 11 March, 1976), daughter of the 1st Baron McGowan (1874-1961).

 Davina Sheffield, was a 5ft 10in blonde with a beautiful smile. Charles was smitten with Davina, so much so that he invited her to Balmoral Castle for the weekend. A friend told The Daily Mail at the time: 'She and Charles were wonderful together.' Davina even earned the approval of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.

Davina was certainly a great match for the then Prince Charles. The granddaughter of celebrated industrialist Lord McGowan, and a cousin of Samantha Sheffield - who later married the future Prime Minister David (now Lord) Cameron - she moved in the right circles and was a keen horsewoman. She was also undeniably the prettiest of ‘Charlie’s Angels’, who included Lady Jane Wellesley, Georgiana Russell, Lady Sarah Spencer, Sabrina Guinness and Anna Wallace.

However, when Davina was introduced to the future King for the first time she was already seeing someone else – Old Harrovian and powerboat racer James Beard. Detailing the Prince of Wales's romance with Davina in her 2005 book The Firm, royal expert Penny Junor said Davina initially turned down the Prince’s invite to have dinner with him because of Beard. But ‘[Charles] was so persistent that she eventually succumbed and the boyfriend soon fell by the wayside,’ she wrote.

Historians found that Davina's Sheffield's fifth great-grandfather, John Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham and Normanby, built, in 1703, what was then Buckingham House, later the Palace, and seat of the British monarchy.

Penny Junor wrote, “In 1976, the prince fell for another girl, Davina Sheffield, who could have been the soulmate he was searching for.”

Davina Sheffield was exactly the sort of glamorous, blue-blooded girlfriend Prince Charles was after. Initially resisting his advances due to her interest in power boat racer James Beard, she finally relented due to his persistence. Their romance only ended after the press discovered (via Beard) that Sheffield wasn’t a virgin – an archaic stipulation for any future royal bride at the time.

Davina and Charles’s romance came to an unhappy end, and the Prince was devastated.

She married the same year as Charles - on  21 December, 1981, as the second wife of Jonathan Derek (Jake) Morley (1941-2022), son of Brigadier-General Michael Frederick Morley, MBE (1911-1990), and his wife Primrose Elizabeth Gordon (1912-1997), scion of that landed family of Boveridge Park, and a brother of Miranda, Duchess of Beaufort (born 1947), second wife of the 11th Duke of Beaufort (1928-2017).

Two of her sons were named William and Henry, both younger than the sons of her former love.

Davina leaves issue three sons, Thomas George Jonathan (born 1983), and poignantly - William Frederick Duncan (born 1984), and Henry Quintus (born 1987).

Her beloved husband - Jake  died 18 April, 2022, aged 80.

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The 13th Earl of Westmeath 1928-2026

The Earl's armorial bearings.

 The 13th Earl of Westmeath died 29 June, 2026. He was 97.

Lord Westmeath was an Anglo-Irish peer and a former soldier and schoolmaster. He was born at Flowerhill House, Tynagh, County Galway, and educated at Marlborough College, Wiltshire, and at Royal Military College, Sandhurst. From there he was commissioned into the Royal Artillery and retired in 1961 with the rank of Captain. He was subsequently employed as a schoolmaster at St Andrew's School, Pangbourne, from 1961 to 1988.

A peer for almost 55 years, he was the 18th Baron Delvin [Peerage of Ireland., created 1451]; and the 13th Earl of Westmeath [Peerage of Ireland, created 1621].

William Anthony Nugent was born 21 November, 1928, son of Major the 12th Earl of Westmeath (1880-1971), and his wife the former Doris Imlach (who died 9 April, 1968); and was known by the courtesy title Lord Devlin from 12 December, 1933, until inheriting the family honours, 20 November, 1971.

He married 31 July, 1963, Susanna Margaret Leonard (1941-2020), daughter of James Charles Beresford Whyte Leonard (1905-2004), and his wife the former Barbara Helen Incledon-Webber (1906-1989), by whom he had issue, two sons, Sean Charles Weston Nugent, Lord Devlin (born 16 February, 1965), and the Hon Patrick Mark Leonard Nugent (born 6 April, 1966). The elder son succeeds as 14th Earl of Westmeath and Baron Devlin.

The Countess of Westmeath predeceased him, 5 July, 2020.

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Sonia Elizabeth Sinclair 1925-2026

Sonia Elizabeth Sinclair (née Graham), who died 17 August, 2026, aged 100, was sometime wife of the 3rd Baron Melchett.

She was born 6 September, 1925, scion of an Irish landed family, a daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Roland Harris Graham (1898-1968), and his wife the former Kathleen Dunbar (1896-1983); and married 1stly, 26 April, 1947, the then Hon Julian Edward Alfred Mond (born 9 January, 1925), son of the 2nd Baron Melchett (1898-1949), and his wife the former Amy Gwen Wilson (1899-1982). Julian Mond succeeded his father, 22 January, 1949, as the 3rd Baron Melchett, and died 15 June, 1973.

Sonia, Baroness Melchett married 2ndly, in 1984, as his third wife, Dr Andrew Annandale Sinclair (1935-2019), son of Stanley Charles Sinclair (died 1975), and his wife the former Kathleen Henrietta Nash-Webber (died 1993). Dr Sinclair died 30 May, 2019.

Sonia leaves issue, two daughters, the Hon Kerena and the Hon Pandora Mond, and was predeceased by her only son, Peter, 4th and last Baron Melchett (1948-2018).

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Farquharson/Emslie-Smith engagement

 The engagement was announced 9 September, 2026, between Archie Alexander H. Farquharson (born 1996), youngers on of Donald Hugh Miller Farquharson of Finzean (born Dec 1963), of Aberdeenshire, head of that Scots landed gentry family, by his wife the former Catriona Rose, & Sarah Katherine Emslie-Smith (born 1997), only daughter of Dr Alistair Mark Emslie-Smith, of Broughty Ferry, Dundee, and his wife the former Katherine Mary Hector.

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Goddard/Harris engagement

 The engagement was announced 9 September, 2026, between Benjamin T. Goddard, younger son of Mr and Mrs Geoffrey Goddard, of Sewalds Hall, Essex, and the Hon Letitia Barbara D. Harris (born 2000), daughter of James Hugh Carleton Harris, styled Viscount FitzHarris (born 29 April, 1970), of Syndling Court, Dorset, and Viscountess FitzHarris (nee Jemima Nancy G. Fulford-Dobson (born 1968).

Letitia is a granddaughter of the 7th Earl of Malmesbury (born 19 June, 1946).

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Albert Henry Newton Hodgson (born 2026)

Sarah Newton, wife of the Hon Toby Henry Storr Hodgson (born 1988), gave birth to a son, Albert Henry Newton, 25 August, 2026.

Toby is a son of life peer the Baron Hodgson of Astley Abbotts, CBE (born 25 April, 1942), and his wife the life peer Baroness Hodgson of Abinger, CBE (born 7 Nov, 1954).

Sarah is a daughter of Mr and Mrs Michael Newton of Melbourne, Australia.

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