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Monday, December 18, 2023

Hon Harry St Clair Fane 1953-2023

 The Hon Harry Fane, who died 15 December, 2023, aged 70, was a younger son of the 15th Earl of Westmorland, GCVO, DL (1924-1993), and the Countess of Westmorland (nee Jane Barbara Findlay) (1928-2009), scion of the Findlay baronets.

Harry Fane was renowned as the man who may have known more about Cartier than Cartier. He was obsessed with the historic jeweller for over 40 years. From 1978 he dealt exclusively in vintage Cartier collectables and watches, especially those from the jeweller's golden era from 1919 to 1939, from an office in Mayfair. From hunting down treasures in Indian palaces to finding them new homes with oil-rich Venezuelan barons, his life was driven by his search and passion for vintage Cartier. 

He began working at Sotheby’s in London and then Los Angeles and New York, which he soon left to work privately selling contemporary American art: Warhol, Wesselmann, Stella, &c. And then, with a friend, they went into business together, selling general objets d’art. 

Harry St Clair Fane was born 19 March, 1953, second son of the 15th Earl of Westmorland, who was Master of the Horse and a Lord in Waiting to Queen Elizabeth II.

He married 6 January, 1984, Teresa Forsyth-Forrest (born 25 February, 1955), daughter of Michael Philip Forsyth-Forrest (who died in 2007), and his wife the former Robina Jill Grosvenor (1930-2014), scion of the Dukes of Westminster, by whom he had issue, a son, Sam, and a daughter, Sophie Jane (born 1987).

Harry Fane was the younger brother and heir presumptive of the 16th Earl of Westmorland (born 1 Aug, 1951), and the heir to the Westmorland peerages is now Harry's only son, Sam Michael David Fane (born 2 August, 1989).

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