The Baroness Glenarthur 1945-2026

The Baroness Glenarthur, wife of the 4th Baron, has died aged 80. Susan Barry was born 5 May, 1945, a scion of the Barry baronets, daughter of Commander Hubert Wyndham Barry, and his wife Violet Agatha Ruggles-Brise, scion of that family of baronets, and married 12 Nov, 1969, the then Hon Simon Mark Arthur, who succeeded as 4th Baron Glenarthur, in 1976. Lady Glenarthur is survived by her husband and a son, Edward, and daughter, Emily. -~-

Penelope Anne Greenwood (nee Burrell) 1932-2026

Penelope Anne Greenwood, who died 25 May, 2026, aged 94, was a scion of the Burrell baronets.

She was born 21 March, 1932, the elder daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Walter Raymond Burrell, 8th Baronet (1903-1985), and his wife the former Hon Anne Judith Denman (1907-1987), daughter of the 3rd Baron Denman (1874-1954); and married 25 July, 1953, John Richard Greenwood (1926-2014), head of that landed gentry family, son of John Eric Greenwood (1891-1975), and his wife the former Doris Mary Radford (1897-1973), by whom she had issue, two sons, John and James, and two daughters, Anne and Fiona.

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Humphrey/Antony engagement

 The engagement was announced 13 June, 2026, between Rory D.M. Humphrey, eldest son of Edward Charles Marcus Humphrey (born 1965), of Dinnet, Aboyne, and his former wife the former Serena Jean Wolfe-Murray (born 25 June, 1964, now Mrs Serena McIvor, of Edinburgh), & Samantha D. Antony, daughter of Mr and Mrs Ronald Antony, of Canby, Minnesota.

Rory Humphrey is descended from the Murray of Blackbarony baronets.

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Anthony David Gibson-Watt 1975-2026

 Anthony David Gibson-Watt, who died 2 June, 2026, was a grandson of the life peer the Baron Gibson-Watt, and descended from the Hambro banking dynasty.

He was born in 1975, the eldest son of the Hon Robin Gibson-Watt (born 1949), and his wife the former Marcia Susan Cary (born 12 Sept, 1949), daughter of Sir Roger Cary, 2nd Baronet (1926-2011); and was twice married, firstly, in 2005, Alice Amaryllis Montagu Douglas Scott (1978-2013), a scion of the Dukes of Buccleuch & Queensberry (Duke, Peerage of Scot, cr 1684), the only child of Thomas Walter Montagu Douglas Scott (born 1 July, 1943), by his former wife the Hon Marion Miranda Phillimore (b 9 May, 1946), a daughter of the 4th Baron Phillimore (1911-94) (Peerage of the UK, cr 1918). He married 2ndly, Charlotte Lucy Tyson (born 1972), a daughter of Graham B.M. Tyson [born 1948], by his wife the former Sarah T. Bailey [b.1945].

Anthony Gibson-Watt leaves a daughter from his first marriage, Chiara Charlotte (born 11 Oct, 2012), and a daughter from his second marriage, Kitty Eliza (born 2 May, 2019).

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Verena Elizabeth Anne Hanbury, MBE, DL 1933-2026

 Verena Elizabeth Anne Hanbury (nee Kimmins), MBE, DL, died 30 May, 2026, aged 93. 

She was born in March, 1933, a daughter of Capt Anthony Martin Kimmins, OBE, RN (1901-64), of the family of Kimmins of Marks Barn, by his wife the former Elizabeth Hodges; and married 8 May, 1962, Benjamin John Hanbury, a scion of the landed family, of Hanbury of Hitcham & Melgate; who was born 19 Jan 1934, and educated at Eton and Oxford, son of Christopher Lionel Hanbury, MBE, DL, by his wife the former Lettice Charrington, scion of that landed family. Her husband died 27 September, 2012.

Verena was a president of the Chailey Heritage Foundation, the granddaughter of the Founder, Dame Grace Kimmins, and was involved with the charity as a child when she visited her grandmother on site.  She became a Governor in 1962 and was Chair of Governors from 1968 to 2004 when she became a Trustee. Verena remained a Trustee until she retired in 2018.  Chailey Heritage was always very close to Verena’s heart, and she kept up with everything going on there, even when she moved from the family home in Piltdown to Gloucestershire.  

She leaves four sons, Marcus, Simon, James and Timothy, and a daughter, Lucinda.

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Garthwaite/Bunting engagement

 The engagement was announced 13 June, 2026, between Philip William Roger Garthwaite (born 1997), scion of the Garthwaite baronets, son of Andrew William David Garthwaite (born 1 April, 1962), of Fairstead, Essex, and his wife the former Georgina Barrington Hadlee, and Imogen Tessa Bunting (born 1998), daughter of Timothy B. Bunting, of Rotherwick, Hampshire, and his wife the former Sarah S. Hunt.

Philip Garthwaite is a grandson of Sir William Garthwaite 2nd Baronet (1906-1993).

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Squadron Leader Michael Vansittart Bowater 1928-2026

 Michael Vansittart Bowater, who died 8 May, 2026, aged 97. was a scion of the Bowater family of baronets.

He was born 7 October, 1928, a son of Norman Vansittart Bowater (1862-1934), and his second wife the former Jessie Faithfull Frampton (1900-1989); married 20 August, 1955,  Joan Edith Hughes (1929-2017), daughter of Joseph Hughes, of Osterley, Middlesex, by whom he had issue, three sons, David, Michael and Nigel, and a daughter, Sara.

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Alison Faith Crommelin (née Eyre) 1942-2026

Alison Faith Crommelin (née Eyre), who died 2 June, 2026, aged 84, was a scion of the Eyre landed gentry family. 

She was born 8 May, 1942, the second daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel John Stewart Eyre (1909-1992), and his wife the former Patricia Marguerite Wilson(1912-1994); and married 24 April, 1965, Geoffrey Arden Crommelin (1932-1982), son of Wing Commander Henry Arden Crommelin (1899-1976), and his wife the former Emily Mona Mary Festing-Smith (1906-1986), a granddaughter of the 26th Baron Kingsale (1855-1931); by whom she had issue, a son James (born 1965, deceased), and a daughter, Sophie (1969-2000).

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Seward/Groves engagement

The engagement was announced 12 June, 2026, between Alexander Nicholas Mark Seward (born 3 November, 1991), the only son of Paul Kenneth Seward (born 1956), of Walton-on-Thames, and his wife the former Susan Caroline Taylor (born 1959), & Georgina Mary Charteris Groves (born 1993), youngest daughter of Richard William Lewis Groves (born 1957), of Fontmell Parva, Dorset, and his wife the former Helen Mary Keppel Charteris (born 10 January, 1956), scion of the Earls of Wemyss & March.

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Michael Patrick William Young 1944-2026

 Michael Patrick William Young, died 23 May, 2026, aged 81.

He was born 18 August, 1944, son of Wing Commander Michael James Beaumont Young, DFC (1916-1979), and his wife the former Nina Mary Aline Seely (1911-1981), scion of the Seely baronets; and married 1stly, 1970, Sonia M Smith; married 2ndly, 1988, Diane Hall.

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Brigadier Desmond Richard Henry Longfield 1931-2026

Brigadier Desmond Richard Henry Longfield, who died 6 June, 2026, was a scion of that landed gentry family (Irish). He was 95.

He was born 24 February, 1931, the son of Colonel Richard James Longfield (1901-1987), and his wife the former Charlotte Mary Portal (1903-2002), scion of the Portal baronets; and married 8 August, 1959, Jennifer Spencer-Thomas (1940-2025), daughter of Clement William Robert Spencer-Thomas (1905-1989), and his wife the former Betty Potter (1914-2010), by whom he had issue, a son, James (born 2 March, 1964), and three daughters, Melanie (born 29 May, 1961), Harriet (b 9 Aug, 1965), and Charlotte (b 1970).

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Nicola Cookson (née Cathcart Walker Heneage) 1939-2026

Nicola Cookson, who died 30 May, 2026, aged 87, was a scion of the Heneage landed gentry family, shs was born in 1939, daughter of Michael William Walker Heneage (1907-1946), and his wife the former Dulcibel Effie Davies; and married in 1962, Philip Francis Cookson, RN 1931-2014, by whom she had 2 sons.

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Robert Peter Philip Charteris (born 2026)

  Rose Susanna Charteris (born 1992), scion of the Barons Ampthill, and wife of Michael John Samuel Charteris (born 27 July, 1990), scion of the Earls of Wemyss & March, gave birth to a son, Robert Peter Philip, 30 May, 2026, a brother for Frederick Martin Johnnie, who was born 10 November, 2023.

Rose is a daughter of the Hon John Hugo Trenchard Russell [born 13 October, 1950] , of Dorset, and Mrs Susanna Russell [nee Merriam], of London; and Michael is a son of Mr Martin Ian Charteris [born 31 May, 1960], of Harare, Zimbabwe, by his wife the former Dr Helen Heath.

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Georgina Madeleine Mary Grattan-Bellew (nee Milner) 1939-2026

 Georgina Madeleine Mary Grattan-Bellew, who died 25 May, 2026, aged 86, was a scion of the Milner baronets.

She was born 3 September, 1939, daughter of Sir George Edward Mordaunt Milner, 9th Baronet (1911-1995), and his 1st wife the former Barbara Audrey Belsham (who died 17 January, 1951); and she married 20 June, 1961, Arthur Henry Bertram (Bertie) Grattan-Bellew (1937-2011), scion of the Grattan-Bellew baronets, and a great-grandson of the 7th Earl of Granard, son of Sir Arthur John Grattan-Bellew, Knt, CMG (1903-1985), and his wife the former Winifred Mary Mahony, by whom she had issue, a son, Charles (born 11 Nov, 1964), and a daughter, Sophie (born 14 December, 1962).

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Barrioseta/Philipps engagement

 The engagement was announced 10 June, 2026, between Valentino Barrioseta, son of Mr Valentin Barrioseta and Mrs Elsa Fassbender, of Alicante, Spain, and Emma Philipps, scion of the Barons Milford, daughter of Charles Edward Laurence Philipps (born 20 January, 1959), of Dalham, Suffolk, and his former wife the former Fiona Land, now Mrs Fiona Langley, of Birdbrook, Essex.

1st Baron Milford (1874-1961) > Hon James Philipps (1905-84) > Peter Philipps (1933-2018) > Charles Philipps (b 1959) > Emma Philipps

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The funeral of Lady Pamela Hicks

 The funeral of Lady Pamela Hicks, a cousin of the King, is to take place on Saturday 13 June, 2026, at Brightwell Baldwin Church, Oxfordshire, close to her home.

From The Times.

The funeral takes place on the King's official birthday when he will preside over his Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour) at London's Horse Guards Parade.

It is not known whether the King will attend his cousin's funeral. His Buckingham Palace balcony appearance is usually at about 1pm, and Lady Pamela's funeral is to be held at 3pm.

Last week the King attended his nephew's wedding in Gloucestershire, and several hours later was at Epsom for the running of the Derby, and so logistically the happy and mournful occasions could be combined. We shall see.

Lady Pamela Hicks, who died 5 June, 2026, aged 97, was the younger daughter of Admiral of the Fleet the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, DSO, PC, FRS (1900-1979).

She was a great-great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria, thus related to all the crowned heads of Europe, and served Queen Elizabeth II as a Lady-in-Waiting, and was with the then Princess Elizabeth in Kenya in 1952 when Her Majesty ascended the throne.

In late 1953 and early 1954, she accompanied the Queen as lady-in-waiting on the royal tour to Jamaica, Panama, Fiji, Tonga, New Zealand, Australia, Ceylon, Aden, Libya, Malta and Gibraltar. 

Lady Pamela was the Corps Commandant of the Girls' Nautical Training Corps from around 1952 to around 1959.

Lady Pamela was a bridesmaid to the then Princess Elizabeth, her third cousin, on her marriage to the Duke of Edinburgh, 20 November, 1947.

Pamela Carmen Louise Mountbatten was born in Barcelona, 19 April, 1929, second daughter of the then Lord Louis Mountbatten, who was second son of Admiral of the Fleet the 1st Marquess of Milford Haven, GCB, GCVO, PC (1854-1921), and his wife Princess Victoria Alberta Elisabeth Mathilde Marie of Hesse (1863-1950).

Her mother was the heiress the Hon Edwina Ashley, GBE, DCVO, CI (1901-1960), younger daughter of the 1st and last Baron Mount Temple (1867-1939), and his wife Amalia Mary Maud Cassel (1881-1911), the only child of the multi-millionaire, Sir Ernest Cassel, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, PC (1852-1921).

Pamela was christened 12 July, 1929, at the Chapel Royal, St. James's Palace. Her godparents were:  Alfonso XIII, King of Spain; Prince George, Duke of Kent; Nadejda Mountbatten, Marchioness of Milford Haven; Marjorie, Countess of Brecknock (Edwina Mountbatten's first cousin); and the Duchess of Peñaranda (María del Carmen Saavedra y Collado, Marqués de Villaviciosa). She was given the middle name Carmen in honour of the Duchess of Peñaranda.

 Through her father, Lady Pamela was a first cousin of The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (1921-2021), and a grandniece of the last Tsarina of Russia, Alexandra Feodorovna (1872-1918),  and, at the time of her death was Queen Victoria's oldest living descendant.

She was "Miss Mountbatten" from birth and until her father was created a Viscount in 1946, when she became the Hon Pamela Mountbatten, and from 28 October, 1947, she was styled Lady Pamela Mountbatten, following her father's creation as the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma.

Lady Pamela served as a Lady-in-Waiting (Temp.) to HM Queen Elizabeth II.

She married at Romsey Abbey, 13 January, 1960, David Nightingale Hicks (1929-1998), son of Herbert Hicks (1863-1940), of The Hamlet, Coggeshall, Essex, by his wife Irene Elsie Platten (1886-1966), by whom she had issue, a son, Ashley Louis David (born 18 July, 1963), and two daughters, Edwina Victoria Louise (born 24 December, 1961), and India Amanda Caroline (born 5 September, 1967).

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Georgiana Elizabeth Mary Frazer (born 2026)

Anna Mary Frazer (nee Coreth born 1993), wife of William Frazer, gave birth to a daughter, Georgiana Elizabeth Mary, 3 June, 2026, a sister for Alice Iona Sophia, who was born 9 April, 2024.

Anna Frazer is a daughter of Major Mark Rudolph Coreth (born 1958), of Tisbury, Wiltshire, late The Blues & Royals, the sculptor, and his wife the former Seonaid Mary Goodbody (born 1961), scion of that Irish landed gentry family.

William D. Frazer is a son of the Rev Dr Richard and Mrs Frazer, of Edinburgh.

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Order of the Thistle for Sir Jim McDonald and Sir James MacMillan

His Majesty the King has made two appointments to the the Order of the Thistle. 

Professor Sir James Rufus (Jim) McDonald (born 1957) and Sir James MacMillan (born 16 July, 1959), were both appointed by the King to Scotland highest order of chivalry for their notable contributions to engineering and music, respectively.

The Thistle is in the gift of the King, who is sovereign of the order and appoints whom he deems fit entirely through his own accord, without advice from third parties such as the government.

Additionally, Baroness Grainger, DBE (born 12 November, 1975), was appointed the Usher of the Green Rod, marking her as an officer of the order.

The order is comprised of 16 knights and ladies, as well as members of the royal family - Her Majesty The Queen (2023), The Princess Royal (2000), the Duke of Rothesay (2012), and The Duke of Edinburgh (2024).

McDonald is known for his work in engineering and university leadership.

He was appointed as the Rolls-Royce chairman in electrical power systems at the University of Strathclyde in 1993, later becoming head of the electronic and electrical engineering department in 2003, and then principal and vice-chancellor in March 2009, where he remained until he retired in 2025.

He served as president of the Royal Academy of Engineering from 2019 to 2024, the first Scot to hold the position.

He was knighted in 2012 for services to education, engineering and the economy, and was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) in 2024.

MacMillan, a highly renowned Ayrshire-born composer, is known not only for his music, but for achievements including the establishment of the Cumnock Tryst festival.

He was awarded a knighthood during the Queen’s Birthday honours of 2015, with his anthem Who Shall Separate Us? commissioned for her funeral in 2022.

Earlier this year, Charles approved the award of the King’s Medal for Music for Sir James MacMillan.

Baroness Grainger, a Glaswegian, is known for her achievements in both sport and law.

She won Olympic rowing gold in the double sculls at London 2012 with team-mate Anna Watkins.

Regarded as Britain’s most successful female rower, she is the only woman across any sport to win medals in four consecutive Olympic Games.

After years of studying law and medical ethics, she completed a PhD in the sentencing of homicide at King’s College London.

List of Knights of the Thistle:-

(1) The 11th Earl of Elgin and Kincardine

(2) Baron Mackay of Clashfern

(3) Baron Wilson of Tillyorn

(4) Baron Steel of Aikwood

(5) Baron Robertson of Port Ellen

(6) Baron Cullen of Whitekirk

(7) Baron Hope of Craighead

(8) Baron Patel

(9) Baron Smith of Kelvin

(10) The 10th Duke of Buccleuch & Queensberry

(11) Sir Ian Wood

(12) Lady Elish Angiolini

(13) Baroness Black of Strome

(14) Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws

(15) Sir James McDonald

(16) Sir James MacMillan

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Williams/Ritblat engagement

 The engagement was announced 8 June, 2026, between Oscar B. Williams, eldest son of Mr & Mrs David Williams, of Henley, Oxfordshire, and Daisy Paja Silver Ritblat (born 1998), the eldest daughter of James William Jeremy Ritblat (born 18 February, 1967), the Old Etonian businessman, of Guiting Power, Gloucestershire, and his wife the former Joanna Henrietta Jackson (born 11 February, 1966), scion of the Jackson baronets.

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Peter Phillips marries Harriet Sperling

The King and Queen were present at All Saints' Church, Kemble, Gloucestershire, on Saturday 6 June, 2026, for the marriage of Peter Phillips,  His Majesty's nephew, and Harriet Sperling.

The bride, who was given in marriage by her brother Mr Nicholas Sanders, was attended by her daughter, Georgina Sperling, and Peter's daughters, Savannah and Isla Phillips.

Peter Mark Andrew Phillips (born 15 November, 1977), is the only son of Capt Mark Anthony Peter Phillips (born 22 September, 1948), late the Queen’s Dragoon Guards, scion of that landed gentry family, and his first wife HRH The Princess Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise, Princess Royal, KG, &c (born 15 Aug, 1950).

Harriet Eleanor Sperling (born 1980), is a daughter of the late Rupert Hugh Sanders (1944-2023) and his wife the former Mary Elizabeth Hoskins (born 1950).

Other members of the Royal Family attending include the Prince and Princess of Wales, Peter's mother, the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, Peter's father Capt Mark Phillips, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Earl of Wessex, Princess Beatrice, and Count Edo Mapelli Mozzi, Princess Eugenie, and Tom Brooksbank, Princess Margaret's daughter, Lady Sarah Chatto, Daniel Chatto, Samuel Chatto, the Earl of Snowdon, and Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones.

Peter Phillips, nephew of the King, and Queen Elizabeth II's eldest grandchild, was first seen on the arm of a new girlfriend in 2024.  Harriet, described in the Sun newspaper as "a paediatric and specialist nurse and freelance writer in her 40s" was seen with Phillips at the Badminton Horse Trials where she was introduced to Queen Camilla.

Harriet wrote in March 2024 of the struggles, and joys, of her life as a single parent bringing up her young daughter, Georgina Isabella (born in 2012). She highlighted how while 'parenting solo can be tough' it 'can also be the most beautiful, precious relationship.' Harriet said: 'In the earlier years of my journey as a single mother to my daughter, resources were scarce, and the future was uncertain. 'Yet, in the absence of material security, I discovered the strength and life that comes from true selfless love. A love that is able to be solely devoted to your child.'

Harriet's first marriage was to Antonio St John Sperling (born with the surname Di Martino in Nov 1981), who was a son of Domenico Di Martino & of Sonia Anne Agnes Sperling (1952-2017), scion of that landed gentry family, of Lattenbury Hill, St Ives, Huntingdonshire, and descended from Admiral Sir Henry Loraine Baker, 2nd Baronet, CB.

Harriet's life as a struggling single parent belies her aristocratic and distinguished ancestry. The NHS nurse was born Harriet Eleanor Sanders, her birth registered at Swindon, in the first quarter of 1980, daughter of solicitor Rupert Hugh Sanders (1944-2023), and his wife the former Mary Elizabeth Hoskins (born 1950), daughter of Richard Samuel Hoskins (1912-78), of Park Corner, Cirencester, and his wife (nee Wakefield).

Harriet's mother featured in Tatler in 1971 on their 'Girls in Pearls' page following the announcement of her engagement to Rupert Sanders, whose ancestry is rich in the landed 'beerage' and stockbroking.

Harriet's grandfather Maj Geoffrey Thomas St John Sanders (1911-86), a High Sheriff of Gloucestershire, married Eleanor De Zoete (1910-78), of the Mill House, Radwell, scion of the De Zoete stockbroking dynasty, daughter of the Old Etonian stockbroker and famed England cricketer Herman Walter De Zoete (1877-1957).

Herman De Zoete was a right-handed batsman who bowled both slow left-arm orthodox and left-arm medium pace, and played for Cambridge University in the 1890s. He was part of the De Zoete & Bevan stockbroking family who were bought out by Barclays Bank in 1986. De Zoete married in Essex in 1903, Dorothy Courage (1877-1972), scion of the Courage landed gentry family, whose fortune was based on brewing from the 18th century. 

Dorothy Courage was the tenth child of Edward Courage (1832-1904), of Shenfield Place, Brentwood, Essex, and Hanover Square, London, an old Harrovian, head of the Courage landed gentry family, by his wife the former Helen Rosa Marshall (1837-96), a scion of that landed gentry family of Hardres Court, Canterbury.

Harriet has siblings: Nicholas (born 1975), Louisa (born 1976), and Rebecca (born 1986).

Bungay/Atkins engagement

 The engagement was announced 6 June, 2026, between Felix Nicholas Bungay (born 12 August, 1990), elder son of the late Dr Stephen Francis Bungay (1954-2026), historian and author, and his former wife the Hon Atalanta Armstrong Beaumont (born 1961), & Jemima S. Atkins, daughter of Mr & Mrs John Atkins, of Pulborough, West Sussex.

Felix Bungay is a grandson of the late Baron Beaumont of Whitley 1928-2008, who was a scion of the Barons (later Viscounts) Allendale.

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Weld/Scott engagement

 The engagement was announced 6 June, 2026, between Joseph James Royston Weld (born 1992), scion of that landed gentry family, eldest son of James Joseph Weld (born 29 April, 1960), of Lulworth, and his wife the former Sara Elizabeth Royston, & Rebecca M. Scott, daughter of the late Dr Andrew Scott, and of Mrs Kay Scott, of Salisbury, Wiltshire.

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William Harrison Holt (born 2026)

 Holly Emma Holt (born 1994, nee Bourne-Arton), wife of Thomas Harrison Holt (born 1986), gave birth to a son, William Harrison Holt, 1 June, 2026.

Thomas Holt is a son of James Harrison Holt (1936-Jan 2026), and his late 2nd wife, the former Mary Allison Thomas (1947-2020), of Ravenswick, North Yorkshire. 

Thomas Holt is a grandson of Lt-Col Vernon Harrison Holt, MC (1888-1966), and his wife Kathleen Reckitt (1904-1991), daughter of Sir Philip Reckitt, 3rd & last Baronet (1873-1944).

Holly is a scion of that landed family, of Tanfield, North Yorkshire, daughter of Richard William Bourne-Arton (born 1966), of Tanfield, and his wife the former Daphne Elizabeth Benson (born 1964).

Thomas Holt's firs marriage, 28 Dec, 2016, was to Lucinda Caroline Egerton (b 30 Aug, 1982), scion of that landed gentry family.

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Lydia Alice De Laszlo 1980-2026

 Lydia Alice de Laszlo died 23 May, 2026, aged 46.

She was born in 1980, daughter of Martin de Laszlo (1940-2017), and his wife Mary Gwendolen Freeman (born 1 February, 1945), daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel John Edward Broke Freeman (1910-1986), and his wife the Lady Winefride Alice Fitzalan Howard (1914-2006), daughter of the 15th Duke of Norfolk (1847-1917).

Lydia was also of Guinness ancestry:-

Henry Guinness (1829-93) > Lucy Guinness (1870-1950) > John de Laszlo > Martin de Laszlo >Lydia de Laszlo

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Keeling/Wake engagement

The engagement was announced 6 June, 2026, between Edward Anthony Keeling (born 24 September, 1996), son of Thomas F. Keeling, of Taunton, Somerset, and his wife the former Siobhan Pilar Collins (born 1967), & Mary Wake (born 1997), scion of the Wake baronets, daughter of Edward Wake (born 21 June, 1965), of The Holt, Hampshire, and his wife the former Katherine Yvonne Leavett-Shenley (born 13 September, 1965), descended from the Cecil Marquesses of Exeter.

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Wilfred Hugo Luke Morrison (born 2026)

  Chekkie Morrison [nee Kauntze], wife of Oliver Charles Francis Morrison [born 19 Aug, 1989], gave birth to a son, Wilfred Hugo Luke, 16 May, 2026, a brother for India Amber Chekkie, who was born 20 May, 2020, and for Cosmo Alexander Harry, born 20 February, 2023.

Chekkie Morrison is a daughter of Mr & Mrs Christopher Kauntze.

Oliver is a son of Alexander Morrison, by his former wife the Hon Louisa Mary Constance Napier [born 5 February, 1961], daughter of the 14th Lord Napier, of Merchistoun, KCVO [1930-2012], by his wife the former Delia Mary Pearson, daughter of Major Archibald David Barclay Pearson, by his wife the former Hilda Constance Helen Blackburn [1902-86], a granddaughter maternally of the 13th Earl of Strathmore & Kinghorne.

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Henry George Eden (born 2026)

  The Hon Helen Eden (née Shepheard-Walwyn, born 1990), wife of the Hon John Michael Oliver Eden (born 30 June, 1988), scion of the Barons Henley, gave birth to a son, Henry George, 1 June, 2026, a brother for Francis John Robert, who was born 14 September, 2023.

The Hon John Eden is the eldest son and heir of the 8th Baron Henley (born 22 Nov, 1953), and his wife the former Caroline Patricia Sharp (born 1958).

Helen Eden is a daughter of Simon Shepheard-Walwyn (born 1958), with a landed gentry ancestry, and his wife the former Christine Walker.

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Lady Pamela Carmen Louise Hicks (nee Mountbatten) 1929-2026

 The Lady Pamela Hicks, who died 5 June, 2026, aged 97, was the younger daughter of Admiral of the Fleet the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, DSO, PC, FRS (1900-1979).

She was a great-great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria, thus related to all the crowned heads of Europe, and served Queen Elizabeth II as a Lady-in-Waiting, and was with the then Princess Elizabeth in Kenya in 1952 when Her Majesty ascended the throne.

In late 1953 and early 1954, she accompanied the Queen as lady-in-waiting on the royal tour to Jamaica, Panama, Fiji, Tonga, New Zealand, Australia, Ceylon, Aden, Libya, Malta and Gibraltar. 

Lady Pamela was the Corps Commandant of the Girls' Nautical Training Corps from around 1952 to around 1959.

Lady Pamela was a bridesmaid to the then Princess Elizabeth, her third cousin, on her marriage to the Duke of Edinburgh, 20 November, 1947.

Pamela Carmen Louise Mountbatten was born in Barcelona, 19 April, 1929, second daughter of the then Lord Louis Mountbatten, who was second son of Admiral of the Fleet the 1st Marquess of Milford Haven, GCB, GCVO, PC (1854-1921), and his wife Princess Victoria Alberta Elisabeth Mathilde Marie of Hesse (1863-1950).

Her mother was the heiress the Hon Edwina Ashley, GBE, DCVO, CI (1901-1960), younger daughter of the 1st and last Baron Mount Temple (1867-1939), and his wife Amalia Mary Maud Cassel (1881-1911), the only child of the multi-millionaire, Sir Ernest Cassel, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, PC (1852-1921).

Pamela was christened 12 July, 1929, at the Chapel Royal, St. James's Palace. Her godparents were:  Alfonso XIII, King of Spain; Prince George, Duke of Kent; Nadejda Mountbatten, Marchioness of Milford Haven; Marjorie, Countess of Brecknock (Edwina Mountbatten's first cousin); and the Duchess of Peñaranda (María del Carmen Saavedra y Collado, Marqués de Villaviciosa). She was given the middle name Carmen in honour of the Duchess of Peñaranda.

 Through her father, Lady Pamela was a first cousin of The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (1921-2021), and a grandniece of the last Tsarina of Russia, Alexandra Feodorovna (1872-1918),  and, at the time of her death was Queen Victoria's oldest living descendant.

She was "Miss Mountbatten" from birth and until her father was created a Viscount in 1946, when she became the Hon Pamela Mountbatten, and from 28 October, 1947, she was styled Lady Pamela Mountbatten, following her father's creation as the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma.

Lady Pamela served as a Lady-in-Waiting (Temp.) to HM Queen Elizabeth II.

She married at Romsey Abbey, 13 January, 1960, David Nightingale Hicks (1929-1998), son of Herbert Hicks (1863-1940), of The Hamlet, Coggeshall, Essex, by his wife Irene Elsie Platten (1886-1966), by whom she had issue, a son, Ashley Louis David (born 18 July, 1963), and two daughters, Edwina Victoria Louise (born 24 December, 1961), and India Amanda Caroline (born 5 September, 1967).

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Sir William Jaffray, Bt, marries Miss Gowri Siva

The mariage took place, 20 May, 2026, at Chelsea Westminster Hospital, between Sir William Otho Jaffray, 5th Baronet (born 1 November, 1951), son of Colonel Sir William Jaffray, 4th Baronet (1895-1953), and his second wife the former Anne Paget (1919-2021), scion of that landed gentry family, and Miss Gowri Siva.

It is Sir William's third marriage. He married 1stly, 9 May, 1981 (div 1997), Cynthia Ross Corrington, daughter of John Corrington III, of Montreal; married 2ndly, 2009 (div. 2018), Constance Haynes daughter of John Latshaw,  & Mrs Barbara Schreck.

Sir William has issue from his first marriage, three sons, Nicholas, Jack and William, and a daughter, Alexandra.

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Griffiths/Gray engagement

 The engagement was announced 4 June, 2026, between Benjamin R. Griffiths, the youngest son of David Griffiths,  of Newent, Gloucestershire, and his wife Catherine, & Jemima Ursula Sinclair Gray (born 22 November, 1997), daughter of Paul Leighton Gray (born 11 January, 1958), of Faringdon, Oxfordshire, and his wife Sarah Elizabeth Sinclair Kendal (born 1960).

Jemima Gray is descended from the Earls of Cottenham:-

The 1st Earl of Cottenham > the Hon George Pepys > Rev Charles Pepys > Ursula Pepys > Paul Gray > Jemima Gray

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Sir Alexander William Younger, KCMG 1963-2026

 Sir Alexander William Younger KCMG, died 2 June, 2026, aged 62.

He was a scion of the Younger brewing family from whom descend the Viscounts Younger of Leckie, and Camilla, Countess of Halifax, wife of the 3rd Earl.

Younger was an intelligence officer who served as the Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), from 2014 to 2020. In April 2019, the government extended Younger's contract to maintain stability through the Brexit negotiations, which made him the longest-serving MI6 chief in 50 years.

He was appointed CMG in 2011, and advanced to KCMG in 2019.

He was born 4 July, 1963, son of Nicholas Roland Younger (1934-2010), and his wife the former Mary Patricia Fleming Edge (born 20 Aug, 1940), daughter of Major-General Raymond Cyril Alexander Edge, CB (1912-2000); and married in 1993, Sarah Hopkins, daughter of Sir Michael John Hopkins, CBE, RA (1935-2023), and his wife the former Patricia Anne (Patty) Wainwright, CBE (born 1942), by whom he had issue, two sons, Sam (born 16 Sept, 1996), and Tom (born 7 Apr, 1998), and a daughter, Amy (born 10 Dec, 1994). He was predeceased by his elder son, Sam, who died as the result of an accident in Scotland, 30 March, 2019.

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Sir Angus Duncan Æneas Stirling 1933-2026

Sir Angus Duncan Æneas Stirling, sometime director-general of the National Trust, died 1 June, 2026, aged 92, and scion of that landed gentry family, of Fairburn.

He was born 10 December, 1933, son of Capt Duncan Alexander Stirling (1899-1990), and his wife Lady Marjorie Hilda Murray (1904-2000), daughter of the 8th Earl of Dunmore, VC (1871-1962).

He married 20 June, 1959, Armyne Morar Helen Schofield (born 29 June, 1934), eldest daughter of William George Broadbent Schofield (1899-1987), and his wife the Hon Armyne Margaret Astley (1909-1979), daughter of the 21st Baron Hastings (1882-1956), and his wife the Lady Marguerite Helen Nevill (1887-1975), daughter of the 3rd Marquess of Abergavenny (1854-1938).

Stirling was a governor and deputy chairman of the Royal Ballet. At various times he was a council member, governor or trustee of the Byam Shaw School of Art, the Courtauld Institute, the London Symphony Orchestra, Live Music Now, the Theatres Trust, the Royal School of Church Music, Gresham School and Stowe House Preservation Trust. He was also president of the Friends of Holland Park and a former Prime Warden of the Fishmongers Company. He was knighted in 1994.

He leaves a Widow and a son, Duncan (born 1963), and two daughters, Emma (born 1960), and Candida (born 1966).

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The Baron Haselhurst, PC 1937-2026

 The Baron Haselhurst, PC, Conservative life peer and former MP, died 1 June, 2026. He was 88.

Alan Gordon Haselhurst was the Conservative MP for Saffron Walden 1977-2017, having previously represented Middleton and Prestwich from 1970 to February 1974. Lord Haselhurst was Chairman of Ways and Means from 14 May 1997 to 8 June 2010, and later Chairman of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association between 2011 and 2014.

He was elected to the House of Commons at the 1970 general election for the Lancashire seat of Middleton and Prestwich, and in parliament, he briefly served from 1973 as Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Home Secretary Robert Carr, before losing his seat in February 1974. Haselhurst lost the seat to Labour by only 517 votes; he then served as the Chairman of the Manchester Youth and Community Service from 1974 until 1977 upon re-entering the Commons; the Conservative MP for the Essex seat of Saffron Walden, Sir Peter Kirk, died on 17 April 1977. Selected to contest the resulting by-election on 7 July, Haselhurst retained the seat for the Conservatives with an increased majority of 12,437, and was returned to Parliament as its MP at every subsequent election until his retirement in 2017.

Following the Conservatives' return to power at the 1979 general election, Haselhurst was appointed PPS to the Secretary of State for Education and Science Mark Carlisle serving for two years from 1979. He served on the European Legislation Select Committee for fifteen years from 1982, and was a member of the Transport Select Committee from 1992 to 1997. He was given the privilege of asking the first question in Margaret Thatcher's final Prime Minister's Questions on 27 November 1990.

Alan Haselhurst was knighted in 1995 and sworn of the Privy Council in 1999.

Nominated for elevation to the peerage on 18 May 2018, he was created by Letters Patent on 22 June, Baron Haselhurst, of Saffron Walden in the County of Essex, before being introduced to the Upper House to sit on the Conservative benches. Lord Haselhurst retired from active politics in the House of Lords on 20 December 2024.

Lord Haselhurst married 16 April, 1977,  Angela Margaret Bailey, who survives him with 2 sons and a daughter.

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Henry Brounger engaged to Elise Dadourian

 The engagement was announced 3 June, 2026, between Henry Brounger (born 1998), scion of the Dukes of Marlborough, son of David William John Brounger (born 1966), of Bloxham, Oxfordshire, and Marina Spencer Churchill (born 11 September, 1967),  & Elise Michelle Dadourian, daughter of Dr Daniel Dadourian and Dr Anne de Papp, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Henry Brounger is a grandson of Winston Spencer Churchill, MP (1940-2010), a great-grandson of Maj the Hon Randolph Spencer Churchill (1911-1968), and a great-great-grandson of the Rt Hon Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, DL, FRS, RA (1874-1965), and Baroness Spencer-Churchill, GBE (1885-1977).

Elise is a granddaughter of the late Dr Zsolt de Papp, and his wife the former Elise W. Wachenfeld (1933-2024), daughter of Justice William Arnold Wachenfeld (1889-1969), of the Supreme Court of New Jersey. 

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Earl of Ancram marries Giulietta Bateman

The marriage took place 29 May, 2026, between John Walter Donald Peter (Johnnie) Kerr, styled Earl of Ancram (born 8 August, 1988), eldest son and heir of the 14th Marquess of Lothian (born 7 November, 1957), of Melbourne Hall, Derbyshire, and the Marchioness of Lothian ( nee Marie-Clare Black, 2nd daughter of (Michael) Donald Gordon Black MC, of Cupar, co. Fife), & Giulietta Francesca Cordelia Gale Bateman (born 23 June, 1995), a producer and production manager, the eldest daughter of Philip Christiaan Bateman (born 5 January, 1945), of Cape Town, South Africa, and his wife the former Caroline Gale.

Lord Ancram, whose father succeeded to the family honours 1 Oct 2024, on the demise of his elder brother, is heir to a string of peerages:- Marquess of Lothian (Scotland, let. pat. 23 Jun 1701), Earl of Lothian (Scotland, let. pat. 31 Oct 1631), Earl of Ancram (Scotland, let. pat. 24 Jun 1633), Viscount of Briene (Scotland, let. pat. 23 Jun 1701), Lord Jedburgh (Scotland, let. pat. 2 Feb 1621/22), Lord Newbottle (Scotland, let. pat. 31 Oct 1631), Lord Kerr of Nisbet, Longnewtoun and Dolphinstoun, (Scotland, let. pat. 24 Jun 1633), Lord Ker of Newbottle, Oxnam, Jedburgh, Dolphinstoun and Nisbet (Scotland, let. pat. 23 Jun 1701), Baron Ker, of Kershaugh in the County of Roxburgh (United Kingdom, let. pat. 17 Jul 1821), 

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Deirdre, Countess of Rosebery 1931-2026

Deirdre, Countess of Rosebery, who died 24 May, 2026, aged 94, was the widow of the 7th Earl of Rosebery (1929-2024).

She was the former (Alison Mary) Deirdre Reid, born in London in 1931, daughter of Ronald William Reid (1910-1994), and his wife the former Elinor Mary Stuart; and married 22 January, 1955, the then Neil Archibald Primrose, styled Lord Primrose, who was born 11 February, 1929, son of the 6th Earl of Rosebery (1882-1974) and his second wife the former Hon Eva Isabel Marian Strutt, DBE (1892-1987), former wife of the Hon Algernon Strutt, 3rd Baron Belper, and scion of the Barons Aberdare. 

Her husband succeeded his father, 31 May, 1964, as 7th Earl of Rosebery (Scotland, let. pat. 10 Apr 1703), 3rd Earl of Midlothian (United Kingdom, let. pat. 3 Jul 1911), 7th Viscount of Rosebery (Scotland, let. pat. 1 Apr 1700), 7th Viscount of Inverkeithing (Scotland, let. pat. 10 Apr 1703), 3rd Viscount Mentmore, of Mentmore in the County of Buckingham (United Kingdom, let. pat. 3 Jul 1911), 7th Lord Primrose and Dalmeny (Scotland, let. pat. 1 Apr 1700), 7th Lord Dalmeny and Primrose (Scotland, let. pat. 10 Apr 1703), 4th Baron Rosebery (United Kingdom, let. pat. 26 Jan 1828), 3rd Baron Epsom, of Epsom in the County of Surrey, (United Kingdom, let. pat. 3 Jul 1911),9th Baronet, styled "of Carrington" (Nova Scotia, let. pat. 1 Aug 1651), Chief of the Name and Arms of Primrose.

Her husband died 30 June, 2024, aged 95.

The Countess of Rosebery leaves issue, a son Harry, and four daughters, Lady Lucy (born 1955), Lady Jane (born 1960), Lady Emma (born 1962), and Lady Caroline (born 1964). The only son, Harry Ronald Neil Primrose, styled Lord Dalmeny (from 1974), succeeded to the peerages and baronetcy and chief of the name and arms of Primroseon his father's demise. He was born 20 November, 1967.

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Jasper William Ally Boyle (born 2026)

  Ayesha Boyle (nee Ally), wife of Richard Piers Boyle [born 1988], scion of the Earls of Cork and Orrery, gave birth to a son, Jasper William Ally, 13 May, 2026, a brother for Nina Mary Ally, who was born 18 April, 2024.

Ayesha is a daughter of Mr & Mrs Dwight Ally. Richard Boyle is a son of the Hon Robert William Boyle [born 1948], by his wife the former Fiona Mary St Aubyn [born 1952], scion of the Barons St Levan, and a grandson paternally of the 14th Earl of Cork & Orrery [1916-2003], and a great grandson maternally of the 3rd Baron St Levan [1895-1978], of St Michael's Mount, Penzance.

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Sir Keith Gordon Munro of Lindertis, 7th Baronet 1959-2026

 Sir Keith Gordon Munro of Lindertis, 7th Baronet, died 6 May, 2026. He was  67. He lived in Warren and Waitsfield, Vermont.

He was born 3 May, 1959, at Norwalk, Connecticut, United States, son of Sir Alasdair Thomas Ian Munro of Lindertis, 6th Baronet (1927-2014), and his wife the former Marguerite Lillian Loy, and he succeeded to the baronetcy (created UK, 1825, of Lindertis, Angus), on his father's death, 13 March, 2014.

He married in 1989, Jade Louise Elwell, daughter of Adrian Elwell, by whom he had a son, Zachary Adrian (born 1992), who succeeds to the baronetcy, and a daughter, Mackenzie Carmen (born 1996).

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Iris Silvia Studholme (born 2026)

Laura C.V. Studholme (nee Parkes), wife of Jacob William Richard Studholme [born 11 June, 1993], scion of the Studholme baronets, gave birth to a daughter, Iris Silvia, 6 May, 2026.

Jacob is the younger son of Sir Henry William [Harry] Studholme, 3rd Baronet [born 31 January, 1958], of Perridge House, Longdown, co Devon, and his wife the former Sarah Lucy Rosita Deans-Chrystall.

Laura is the elder daughter of Mr & Mrs Tim Parkes, of Berghersh Place, Witnesham, co Suffolk.

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Russell/Redpath engagement

 The engagement was announced 30 May, 2026, between Alexander R. Russell, eldest son of David Russell, of West Sussex, and his wife Jackie, and Lily Jemima Redpath (born 14 November, 1996), daughter of (Timothy) Giles Redpath (born April, 1965), of Hampshire, and his wife the former Shân Gelda Jane Maitland-Titterton (born 10 November, 1967), scion of that landed gentry family, descended from the Earls of Rothes, and Viscounts Stonehaven, &c.

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Macauley/Price engagement

The engagement was  announced 30 May, 2026, between Alexander Ronnie Macauley (born 1995), descended from the Viscounts Camrose, younger son of the late William Francis Macauley (1953-2019), and his wife the former Nicola Jane Thompson (born 1956), of Stonegrave, North Yorkshire, and Maisie Cecelia Price (born 1995), elder daughter of Noah David Barrington Price (born 1970), of Cranleigh, Surrey, and his former wife Sarah Elizabeth Churton (born 1970), now wife of Capt Robin David Barclay (born 25 July, 1969), of Higham, Suffolk, scion of that landed gentry family.

Alexander Macauley's elder brother, Nico Julian (born 1993), is to marry 20 June, 2026, Lady Marina Windsor, daughter of the Earl of St Andrews and a granddaughter of HRH The Duke of Kent.

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Elliot Marcus Marsh Elwes (born 2026)

 Sophie Elwes (nee Marsh), wife of Hugo Marcus Elwes [born 1991], scion of that landed gentry family, gave birth to a son, Elliot Marcus Marsh, 20 May, 2026, a brother for Theodore Jude Marsh, who was born 28 October, 2023.

Hugo is a son of the late Martin Stephen Robert Elwes [1948-2014], by his wife the former Sarah Marianne Worsley [born 25 June, 1958], scion of the Worsley baronets.

Sophie is a daughter of Robert Marsh and Mrs Sarah MacLachlan, of Toronto, Canada.

Baby Elliot is a great-great nephew of the late HRH The Duchess of Kent, GCVO.

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Cecily Leonor Stewart Macpherson (born 2026)

 Alexandra Emily W. Macpherson (née Burke-Smith, born 1992), wife of Thomas John Stewart Macpherson (born 1988), gave birth to a daighter, Cecily Leonor Stewart, 13 May, 2026, a sister for Francesca Katharine Stewart (born 18 August, 2023.)

Alexandra is a daughter of Andrew Jon Burke-Smith (born Oct 1963), and his wife the former Katrin Kandel.

Thomas Macpherson is a son of Angus Cameron Stewart MacPherson of Biallid (born 1958), head of that landed gentry family, and his wife the former Valerie Anne Macrae (born 1960), daughter of John Duncan Harvey Macrae of Ballimore (1925-1988), head of that landed family, and his wife Marigold Elizabeth Tritton (born 1928), scion of the baronets of that name.

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Adelston/Harrington engagement

The engagement was announced 29 May, 2026, between Henry Jack Adelston (born 1992), son of David H. Adelston (born 1957), of Eastbourne, East Sussex, and his wife the former Petra Schute, & Lavinia Juliet Harrington (born 1994), daughter of David William Ronald Harrington (born 1960), of Weeley, Essex, and his wife the former Isabella Anne Palmer (born 1962), daughter of Sir Geoffrey Christopher John Palmer, 12th Baronet (born 1936).

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Hon Harriet Lydia Rose Llewelyn-Davies, OBE 1955-2026

The Hon Harriet Lydia Rose Llewelyn-Davies, OBE, who died 23 May, 2026, aged 71, was the daughter of two holders of life peerages.

She was born 7 January, 1955, daughter of life peer the Baron Llewelyn-Davies (1912-1981), and his wife the Baroness Lleweyln-Davies of Hastoe (1915-1997); and married 13 July, 2002, as his second wife Christopher John Holmes, CBE (1942-2014), and had issue, a son, and a daughter.

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Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale 1936-2026

 The Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale died 28 May, 2026. She was 89.

Described as Scotland's 'Queen of spies', Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale was a Glasgow-born former senior MI6 officer and Labour life peer.

Slim, intelligent, coquettish but with a hint of steel, Meta Ramsay built a formidable reputation in 22 years with the Foreign Office. Indeed, there was speculation in the early 1990s that she would succeed Sir Colin McColl to become the first female “C” – just ahead of the fictitious appointment of Dame Judi Dench as “M” in the Bond films. It was rumoured that her candidacy was harmed when she was sighted at a Labour Party conference.

The furthest she would then go to confirm her involvement with MI6 was to note that others had touted her for the directorship. She was, however, dismissive of some higher-profile women in the security services, observing that they had “no real field experience”.

Meta Ramsay acquired hers as a Scandinavian specialist, which at the height of the Cold War was synonymous with “Moscow-watcher”. Intriguing gaps in her CV alternated with postings to Stockholm (1970-73) and Helsinki (1981-85).

As station chief in Finland she infiltrated agents –and probably herself – into the Soviet Union, and got defectors out. Most notable was Oleg Gordievsky, who as a KGB officer in London had turned double agent and was betrayed by the CIA traitor Aldrich Ames. In 1985, returning to Moscow, he realised he faced execution, and MI6 had to extract him in a hurry.

Meta Ramsay sent an MI6 officer, with his wife and baby, to rescue Gordievsky. When they arrived at the border, the wife distracted Soviet frontier guards by changing the baby’s nappy on the boot, with Gordievsky inside.

Meta Ramsay was born in Glasgow on July 12 1936. Her father, Alexander Ramsay, was a Protestant shipyard pattern-maker; her mother Sheila’s Jewish family had escaped from Russian pogroms in the Ukraine. She remembered the household as “very Labour”.

From Hutchesons’ Girls’ Grammar School, she went to Glasgow University, reading Russian alongside Smith’s future wife Elizabeth; staying on for a Master’s in Education, she chaired its Students’ Representative Council. Donald Dewar, who would be Scotland’s inaugural First Minister under Blair, was the council’s secretary, and Smith and the future Lord Chancellor “Derry” Irvine (who would capture Dewar’s wife) were also part of the set.

After a year as president of the Scottish Union of Students, she joined the secretariat of the National Unions of Students, based in Leiden in the Netherlands, moving on in 1963 to manage the Fund for International Student Co-operation. She also graduated from the Institute of International Studies in Geneva.

Meta Ramsay never married. “There just wasn’t the right man at the right time,” she said. “Or if the time was right, the men weren’t.”

After a year as president of the Scottish Union of Students, she joined the secretariat of the National Unions of Students, based in Leiden in the Netherlands, moving on in 1963 to manage the Fund for International Student Co-operation. She also graduated from the Institute of International Studies in Geneva.

She joined the Diplomatic Service in 1969, and the next year was posted to Stockholm. Her service in the field officially ended when she was promoted to counsellor, with a senior MI6 headquarters role, in 1987.

Retiring at the mandatory age of 55 after the Gulf War as the most senior woman in the service, she worked briefly for Control Risks as a consultant specialising in kidnap. Then, after Smith’s election as Labour leader, she took a key role in his team. For two years she worked to build a trust between Labour and the intelligence and diplomatic communities that had been lacking, and was a valued member of Smith’s inner circle as they prepared for government.

When Smith died suddenly in May 1994, she helped his family through a trauma intensified by the level of media attention, then became special adviser to Robin Cook, Shadow Trade and Industry Secretary.

In 1996 she was given a life peerage on Blair’s recommendation, and when Labour came to power she was appointed a Baroness in Waiting (whip in the Lords). Throughout Labour’s first term she spoke for the Government on several areas of policy, including foreign affairs, and was disappointed when, before the 2001 election, Blair asked her to stand down.

Her life peerage was gazetted as Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale, of Langside in the City of Glasgow.

She worked as an aide to Labour’s “key campaigners”. For much of the 2001 campaign she criss-crossed Scotland in a people-carrier with the Secretary of State, Helen Liddell, armed with copious supplies of Red Bull for stamina and bananas for nutrition.

She had co-chaired the Scottish Constitutional Convention during 1997-99, as its recommendations for devolution were implemented almost in full by Blair and Dewar. Out of government, she became a deputy Speaker, a delegate to the Nato Assembly, and chaired the Atlantic Council of the UK, Scotland in Europe and the Labour Friends of Israel in the Lords.

Meta Ramsay supported Tony Blair’s decision to go to war in Iraq in 2003, and two decades later said she still believed he had been right to. “I’m one of the few people around who do,” she told the Herald.

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Daughter for the King's Equerry Lt-Col Jonny Thompson and his wife Olivia

 Olivia Rose Thompson (born 1991, nee Lewis), wife of Lieutenant-Colonel Jonathan 'Jonny' Thompson (born 1984), senior Equerry to the King, has given birth to a daughter Theodora, 20 May, 2026.

Lt-Col Thompson is a son of Mr & Mrs Alan Thompson, of Morpeth, Northumberland.

Olivia Thompson, a PR executive, is daughter of Mr Simon David Lewis, OBE (born 8 May, 1959), of Primrose Hill, London, and his wife the former Claire E.A. Pendry (born 1959).

Thompson, "Super" Equerry to the King, is an officer from the 5th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland was front and center for many milestones of the first year of the King's reign, from joining the King and Queen on their first state visit abroad to playing a prominent role during the coronation at Westminster Abbey in 2023, where he watched over Prince George and His Majesty's other three Pages of Honour as they carried his ceremonial robes.

Thompson is divorced from his first wife Caroline, whom he married in 2010, and by whom he has a son.

Olivia's father Simon Lewis is the former chief executive of the Association for Financial Markets in Europe. He was formerly Director of Communications for the former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown. He previously held this position for the Queen, Vodafone, and Centrica. He attended Whitefield School before studying PPE at Brasenose College, Oxford. Lewis was appointed an OBE in the 2014 New Year Honours List for public service and services to international education through the Fulbright Commission. 

Olivia's uncle is the former Daily Telegraph editor-in-chief, Sir Will Lewis (born 2 Apr 1969).

Olivia Lewis has a brother, Thomas Paul Lewis (born 1982), also a PR executive.

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Commander Michael Bernard Casement, OBE, RN 1933-2026

Commander Michael Bernard Casement, OBE, RN, who died 15 May, 2026, aged 93, was a scion of that Irish landed gentry family.

He was a kinsman of Sir Roger Casement (1864-1916), the diplomat and Irish nationalist executed for treason in the First World War.

He was born 23 January, 1933, the elder son of Capt Roddie Casement, OBE, RN (1907-87), and his wife the former Elisabeth Kathleen Greenwell (1908-2002), daughter of Sir Bernard Greenwell, 2nd Baronet (1874-1939); and married 3 November, 1956, Christina Rose Maclean (born 1933), daughter of Capt John Cassilis Maclean, CB, RN (1893-1983), and his wife the former Margaret Isobel Randolph, scion of that landed gentry family, by whom he had issue, a son, William (born 27 January, 1961), and two daughters, Rachel (born 18 September, 1957), and Flora (born 1959), Viscountess Hood, wife of the 8th Viscount.

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Daphne Vera Hamilton-Fairlie, OBE 1931-2026

 Daphne Vera Hamilton-Fairlie, OBE, died 15 May, 2026. She was 95.

Mrs Hamilton-Fairlie was the founder of a school for dyslexic children who lost her husband in an IRA bomb outrage.

She was born Daphne Vera Hillier-Holt, 5 April, 1931, daughter of Geoffrey Noel Hillier-Holt (1893-1951), of Hope Court, Crowborough, Sussex, by his wife the former Vera Leah Henrietta Samuel (1893-1987), daughter of Sir Edward Levien Samuel, 2nd Baronet (1862-1937).

She married in Jan, 1953, at Uckfield, Sussex, the Australian-born Gordon Hamilton-Fairlie, DM, FRCP (born 20 April, 1930), of Campden Hill Square, London. Her husband was a professor of medical oncology. Hamilton-Fairlie was born and raised in Australia, he moved to the United Kingdom, where he studied and worked. He was killed by a Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) bomb intended to assassinate Sir Hugh Fraser, on 23 October, 1975.

Mrs Hamilton-Fairlie, was appointed OBE in 1990. She leaves issue, a son, Geoffrey (born 1961), and three daughters, Diana (born 1956), Sarah (born 1958), and Fiona (born 1963).

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Patrick Henry Sclater 1944-2026

Patrick Henry Sclater, who died 12 May, 2026, aged 82, was a scion of that landed gentry family.

He was born 9 January, 1944, son of Henry Nicolai Sclater (1912-2003), and his wife the former Suzanna Mary Agnew (1907-1993), scion of the Agnew of Lochnaw baronets; and married 6 July, 1968, Rosalyn Heather Stephenson, daughter of Urban George Eric Stephenson, by whom he had four children, William, Alastair, Peter and Heather.

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Bridget Mary Foot (née Malcolm) 1935-2026

 Bridget Mary Foot (née Malcolm), who died in France, 17 May, 2026, aged 90, was a scion of the landed gentry family of Malcolm of Poltalloch.

She was born 12 June, 1935, daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel George Ian Malcolm, 18th of Poltalloch (1903-1976), and his first wife the former Enid Sybil Gaskell (1907-2006); and married 26 September, 1956, Dennis Frederick Foot, son of Frederick Foot, by whom she had issue, two sons, Nicholas Rupert Ian (1958-2017), and Mark Jonathan Malcolm (born 25 Apr, 1960).

Bridget is alleged to be descended from Prince Louis of Battenberg and Lillie Langtry:-

Louis Battenberg, 1st Marquess of Milford Haven = Lillie Langtry > Jeanne Marie Langtry = Sir Ian Malcolm > Lt-Col George Ian Malcolm  = Enid Gaskell > Bridget Mary Malcolm (d 2026)

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Thomson/Bradstock engagement

The engagement was announced 23 May, 2026, between Daniel J.S. Thomson, son of Sir Adam McClure Thomson, KCMG (born 1 July, 1955), of Chiswick, London, who served as Permanent Representative to NATO, 2014-2016, by his Iranian-born wife, Fariba Shirazi, and Camilla Rose Bradstock (born 29 June, 1996), scion of that landed gentry family, daughter of Rupert John Bradstock (born 8 October, 1958), of Trinity, Jersey, and his wife the former Anna Louise Riley (born 18 October, 1962), descended from the Viscounts Molesworth.

Daniel Thomson comes from a line of distinguished knights:

Sir Joseph John Thomson (1856-1940), physicist > Sir George Paget Thomson (1892-1975), Nobel Prize winning physicist > Sir John Adam Thomson, GCMG (1927-2018), diplomat >Sir Adam McClure Thomson (b 1955)

Cara Alexandra Hue Drury (born 2026)

 Jacqueline Florence Drury [née Clifton-Brown, born 1983], wife of Jonathan Hugh Drury [born 1982], gave birth to a second daughter, Cara Alexandra Hue, 11 March, 2026, a sister for Elizabeth Catherine Rose, who was born 31 December, 2017, and for Alice Florence Yolande, born 31 December, 2020.

Jonathan Drury is a son of Reginald Hugh Drury [1939-2015], of Farley Hill, Berkshire, and his wife the former Sarah E. Rowe. Jonathan married in 2015, Jacqueline Clifton-Brown, scion of the Brown baronets [cr 1863], daughter of Geoffrey Robert Clifton-Brown, MP [born 23 March, 1953], Conservative MP for the Cotswolds, and his former wife Alexandra Mary Peto-Shepherd.

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Orlando Arthur James O'Conor (born 2026)

 Lucinda Sophie Rose O'Conor (née James, born 1989), wife of Matthew David O'Conor (born 1989), gave birth to a son, Orlando Arthur James, 5 May, 2026.

Lucinda is a daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Cullen Daron James, and his wife the former Fiona Martha Alison Rhys (born 28 June, 1962), scion of the Barons Dynevor.

Matthew David O'Conor is a twin son of Richard Shawn O'Conor (born 30 September, 1951), and his wife the former Julia Mary Myfanwy Williams (born 13 April, 1952), scion of the Williams baronets, daughter of Sir (Michael) Osmond Williams, 2nd and last Baronet (1914-2012).

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Flora Isabella Jean Clifton-Brown (born 2026)

  Georgiana Isabella Clifton-Brown [née Heneage, born 1988], wife of Edward Robert Clifton-Brown [born 1985], scion of the Brown baronets, gave birth to a daughter, Flora Isabella Jean, 1 May, 2026, a sister for Arthur Robert, who was born 15 June, 2020, and for Rory Benedict, born 10 April, 2022. 

Edward Clifton-Brown is a son of Sir Geoffrey Robert Clifton-Brown, MP, FRICS [born 23 March, 1953], Conservative MP for The Cotswolds, of Daglingworth, Gloucestershire, by his former wife wife the former Alexandra Mary Peto-Shepherd [born 1955], of Lechlade, Gloucestershire.

Georgiana is a daughter of Robert John Heneage [born 1956], of North Carlton, Lincolnshire, by his wife the former Mayann Louise Milne. The Heneages descend from the Earls of Morton.

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Sarah, Lady Wiggin 1937-2026

Sarah, Lady Wiggin, who died 9 May, 2026, was the second wife and widow of Major Sir John Henry Wiggin, 4th Baronet, MC (1921-1992).

She was born in 1937 daughter of Brigadier Stewart Arthur Forster (1899-1965), Coldstream Guards, and his wife the former Dorothy Helena Charles Gervers (1905-1964), and married 8 February, 1963, John Henry Wiggin (born 3 March, 1921), son of Colonel Sir Charles Richard Henry Wiggin, 3rd Baronet (1885-1972), and his wife the former Mabel Violet Mary Jaffray (1890-1961), daughter of Sir William Jaffray, 2nd Baronet (1852-1914), Her husband succeeded to the baronetcy on his father's death, 16 September, 1972, and died in 1992.

Lady Wiggin leaves two sons, Daniel (born 21 Jan, 1964), and Jeremy (born 16 July, 1966).

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Morgan/Brudenell engagement

Jordan Brudenell.

The engagement has been announced between Arik Surakriengsak (Ricky) Morgan (born 1996), son of John David Morgan, and his wife the former Nipa Surakriengsak, and Jordan Anne Brudenell (born 1 July, 1995), second daughter of Jeremy Alexander Rothwell Brudenell (born 2 April, 1960), and his wife Edwina Victoria Louise Hicks (born 24 December, 1961), elder daughter of David Nightingale Hicks (1929-1998), and his wife Lady Pamela Carmen Louise Mountbatten (born 19 April, 1929), younger daughter of Admiral of the Fleet The 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, KStJ, DSO, ADC, PC, FRS (1900-1979).

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Viscount Corry engaged to Amelia Duncan

 The engagement was announced 22 May, 2026, between John Armar Galbraith Lowry-Corry, styled Viscount Corry (born 2 November, 1985), son and heir of the 8th Earl of Belmore (born 4 September, 1951), of Castle Coole, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, by his wife the Lady Mary Jane Meade (born 12 July, 1952), and Amelia Eleanor Grace Duncan (born 1992), elder daughter of Stephen Leslie Duncan, of Marlow, Buckinghamshire, and Mrs Victoria M.R. Duncan (nee Saunders, born 1958), of Oxford.

Viscount Corry is a maternal grandson of the 6th Earl of Clanwilliam (1914-1989).

It will be Viscount Corry's second marriage. He married firstly, 30 July, 2016, Francesca Vasapolli, daughter of Guido Vasapolli, of Turin.

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Rafferty John Lavallin Puxley (born 2026)

 Clare Louise Puxley (née Allan, born 1991), wife of John Edward Lavallin (Johnnie) Puxley (born 6 February, 1990), scion of that landed gentry family, gave birth to a son, Rafferty John Lavallin, 7 May, 2026.

Clare is a daughter of Anthony R. Allan (born 1958), of Wandsworth, London, and his wife the former Gillian Patricia Anne Newman (born 1960).

Johnnie Puxley  is a son of Charles John Lavallin Puxley, of Easton, Berkshire, by his wife the former Sarah Elizabeth Gamon.

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Olive Isabel Hogg (born 2026)

 Alice Elizabeth Hogg (née Ponsonby, born 1988), scion of the Ponsonby baronets, and wife of Andrew A.J. Hogg, gave birth to a daughter, Olive Isabel, 9 April, 2026.

Alice is the only daughter of Sir Charles Ashley Ponsonby, 3rd Baronet [born 10 June, 1951], of Woodstock, Oxfordshire, and his wife the former Mary Priscilla Bromley-Davenport [born 13 September, 1951], scion of that landed gentry family.

Andrew Hogg is the younger son of the late [Adam] Ronald Hogg, CBE [1951-2019], and Mrs Jane Hogg, of Chester-le-Street, County Durham.

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Marjorie Ruth Yelverton (née Hall) (died 2026)

Marjorie Ruth Yelverton (née Hall), died 12 March, 2026, aged 97.

Marjorie Yelverton.

She was a daughter of Arthur William Hall, of Gisborne, New Zealand, and married in 1949, Michael Curran Yelverton (1928-2001), a scion of the Viscounts Avonmore, a peerage dormant since 1910.

Her husband was a son of Barry Augustus Yelverton (1895-1960), and his wife Margaret Ethel Green (who died 1970), daughter of John Thomas Green, of Christchurch, New Zealand.

She leaves two sons, Kevin Barry Yelverton (born 1949), and Mark Amour Yelverton (born 1961), and was predeceased by daughter, Sharon Anne, in 2023.

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Veronica Henderson (nee Pain) (died 2026)

 Veronica Henderson (nee Pain), died 15 May, 2026, aged 85.

She was the daughter of Ralph Pain, and married 28 June, 1961, Ian Brodie Henderson (born 25 October, 1930), son of Neil Brodie Henderson (1904-1982), and his wife the former Conn Madden (1908-1979), daughter of Admiral Sir Charles Edward Madden, 1st Baronet, GCB, OM, GCVO, KCMG (1862-1935), who served as the First Sea Lord in the 1920s.

She leaves issue, two sons, Nicholas (born 3 May, 1963), and James (born 30 Dec, 1964), and a daughter, Lavinia (born 9 May, 1962), wife of James Newman Gilbey (born 4 October, 1956), scion of the Gilbey baronets.

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Leigh/Peat engagement

 The engagement was announced 20 May, 2026, between the Hon Rupert Dudley Leigh (born 21 February, 1994), son and heir of the 6th Baron Leigh (born 20 October, 1960), of Gloucestershire, and Sophy, Baroness Leigh (nee Sophy-Ann Burrows, born 1963), of Wiltshire, & Freya Ann Katharine Peat (born 1998), daughter of Simon Karl Peat (born 1968), of Derbyshire, and Mrs Lara Peat-Dixon (nee Countess Lara Pavlovna Ignatieff, born 1967), of North Yorkshire, daughter of Count Paul Vladimirov Ignatieff (1936-2024).

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Earl Spencer marries Catrine Jarman

 The marriage took place Friday 15 May, 2026, in Arizona, United States, between Charles Edward Maurice [Spencer], 9th Earl Spencer (b 20 May 1964), only surviving son of the late 8th Earl Spencer, MVO (1924-1992), by his 1st wife, the Hon Frances Ruth Burke Roche (1936-2004), scion of the Barons Fermoy, & Mrs Catrine Jarman (nee Lie, born in Norway, 2 June, 1982), former wife of Thomas Anthony Jarman (born 21 November, 1980).

It is Earl Spencer's fourth matrimonial adventure. He married firstly, 16 September, 1989 (div.1997), Catherine Victoria Lockwood; married 2ndly, 15 December, 2001 (div. 2007), Caroline Victoria Hutton; and married 3rdly, 18 June, 2011 (div.), Karen Villeneuve.

Earl Spencer has a son, Louis, Viscount Althorp, and three daughters, Lady Kitty, Lady Eliza, and Lady Katya, with his first wife, a son, Edmund, and a daughter, Lady Lara, with his second wife, and a daughter, Lady Charlotte, with his third wife.

The new Countess Spencer is mother of two sons from her first marriage, Oscar and Sebastian.

The new countess studied archaeology at the University of Bristol where she received her doctorate degree in 2017, per her bio on her literary agency’s website. Her research focused on the late 9th century Viking Great Army in Derbyshire, England, which she learned about through studying a mass Viking grave site of over 300 people. Her findings later informed the 2019 documentary Britain’s Viking Graveyard and PBS’ The Lost Viking Army. Countess Spencer is an honorary senior research associate at the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology at the school and the director of the archaeological research unit.

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Lakin/Mactaggart marriage

 The marriage has taken place between Henry Lyon Lakin (born 1991), scion of the Lakin baronets, younger son of Mark Philip Lakin (1941-2025), of Over Worton, Oxfordshire, and his wife the former Christina Lisa Josephine Dolan (born 1950); and Kinvara Mary Mactaggart (born 1992), daughter of Sir John Auld Mactaggart, 4th Baronet (born 1951), of Ardmore, Islay, and his second wife the former Caroline Emma Williams (born 1963).

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Hepburn/Merriam engagement

The engagement was announced 19 May, 2026, between Patrick Frankland Hepburn (born 1989), eldest son of Stuart Frankland Hepburn (born 1954), of Great Canfield, Essex, and his wife the former Alison Bayne, & Georgina Clare Merriam (born 4 February, 1990), daughter of Richard Henry Faber Merriam (born 1957), of Faygate, West Sussex, and his wife the former Penelope Jane Gidley-Kitchin (born 1958), descended from the Viscounts Dillon.

Georgina Merriam is descended from the Marquesses of Ailsa and Viscounts Dillon:-

3rd Marquess of Ailsa (1847-1938) > Lady Marjory Kennedy (1898-1988) > Peter Merriam (1922-2004) > Richard Merriam (b 1957) > Georgina Merriam (b 1990)

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Christopher George Peake 1951-2026

 Christopher George Peake died 2 April, 2026, aged 74, scion of the Peake family (later Viscounts Ingleby).

He was born 20 May, 1951, third son of Edward Charles Peake (1911-1999), and his wife the former Baroness Maria Santina Franziska Gabriella von Henikstein (1911-1999); and married 1993, Ann Marie O'Rourke, by whom he had a son, Matthew (born 25 September, 2002), and a daughter, Rebecca (born 8 June, 2000).

Christopher Peake descends from the 1st Earl of Zetland:-

1st Earl of Zetland (1766-1839) > Hon John Charles Dundas (1808-66) > John Charles Dundas (1845-92) > Evelyn Mary Dundas (1873-1945) > Edward Peake (1911-99) (brother of the 1st Viscount Ingleby) > Christopher Peake (1951-2026)

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Assheton/Frusher engagement

The engagement was announced 19 May, 2026, between James Charles Assheton (born 19 March, 1999), scion of the Barons Clitheroe, second son of the Hon John Hotham Assheton (born 12 July, 1964), of Milton, Oxfordshire, and his wife the former Amanda Ellen Freeman (born 1965), & Héloïse Sarah H. Frusher (born 1999), the only daughter of David Michael Frusher (born 1959), of Aston le Walls, Northamptonshire, and his wife the former Julia Mary Russell Allen (born 1961).

James Assheton is a grandson of the 2nd Baron Clitheroe (1929-2026).

Héloïse Frusher is descended from the Lords Borthwick:-

19th Lord Borthwick (1813-85) > Hon Mary Frances Harriet Borthwick (1876-1939) > James Borthwick Dowdall (1910-1962) > Anne Pauline Borthwick Dowdall (1933-2024) > Julia Mary Russell Allen (b 1961) > Héloïse Frusher (b 1999)

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Siegfried Phoenix Hector Salt-Strickland (born 2026)

Freya Salt, wife (or partner?) of Francis Richard Hornyold-Strickland (born 18 September, 1986), barrister, scion of that landed gentry family, of Sizergh Castle, gave birth to a son, Siegfried Phoenix Hector, at home in Athens, 2 May, 2026, a brother for Cosima and Isolde.

Francis is the son of Robert Francis Michael Hornyold-Strickland (born 31 October, 1954), and his first wife Teresa Mary Fawcett, and a grandson of Thomas Henry Hornyold-Strickland, 7th Count della Catena, DSC (1921-1983).

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Robert Gwynn Cottam 1934-2026

 Robert Gwynne Cottam died 11 May, 2026. 

He was born in 1934, son of Major-General Algernon Edward Cottam, CB, CBE, MC (1894-1964), of Bodiam, Sussex, and his wife the former Margaret Eileen Haselden (1901-1990); and married 7 October, 1967, Morella Cumberland Walker (born 13 April, 1942), scion of the Walker baronets of Sand Hutton, daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Anthony Gerald Bartholomew Walker (1912-1999), and his wife the former Margaret Cumberland Templeton (1913-1987), by whom he had issue, two sons, Charles (born 1 June, 1969), and Henry (born 4 Oct, 1973), and a daughter, Rosemary (born 22 July, 1971).

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Baroness Lamont of Lerwick 1946-2026

Baroness Lamont of Kerwick, who died 6 May, 2026, aged 79, was the former wife of the Baron Lamont of Lerwick, who as Norman Lamont, MP, PC, was Chancellor of the Exchequer in the administration of John Major.

She was Alice Rosemary White, born in 1946, a daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Conrad White (1915-1993), of Hall Farm House, Thorp Arch, Wetherby, West Yorkshire, by his wife the former Marion Winter; and married 1971 (div. 1999), Norman Stewart Hughson Lamont (born 8 May, 1942), son of Daniel Lamont, OBE, of Lerwick, and his wife Helen Irene, by whom she had issue, a son, Hilaire James Lamont (born 1974), and a daughter, Sophie Caroline (born 1978).

Her former husband was Conservative MP for Kingston-upon-Thames 1972 to 1997, served as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Energy 1979-81, Minister of State for Trade and Industry, 1981-1985, Minister of State for Defence Procurement 1985-1986, Financial Secretary to the Treasury 1986-1989, Chief Secretary to the Treasury 1989-90, and Chancellor of the Exchequer 1990-1993, and was raised to the peerage for life in 1998, as Baron Lamont of Lerwick, of Lerwick in the Shetland Islands.

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Major Peter Keith-Murray 1935-2026

Major Peter Keith-Murray, who died 12 April, 2026, aged 90, was a scion of the Murray baronets of Ochtertyre, and heir presumptive to that baronetcy, held by his kinsman, Sir Patrick Murray, 12th Baronet.

He was born 12 July, 1935, son of David Keith-Murray (1900-1968), and his wife the former Nancy May Gautschi (1908-2008); & married in 1960, Judith Anne Tinsley (1935-2018), daughter of Wiliam Andrew Tinsley, of Sarnia, Ontatio, Canada, by whom he had issue, a son, David Andrew Keith-Murray (born 7 December, 1965), and a daughter, Leslie Anne (born in 1961).

He served in the Canadian military for 36 years in the RCAF as a Fighter Cop (Scope dope)and then as an Air Weapons Controller which took him and his family all over Canada, USA and while serving with NATO in Germany. He was an avid golfer, who won Super Senior club champion on multiple occasions at Glen Meadows Golf and Country Club and had two holes in one, his first was in Mexico and his last one being just a week before his 90th birthday at Ardmore Golf Course. He volunteered for decades with the Victoria Information Centre and British Columbia Aviation Museum (BCAM) in Sidney. He was a long time member of Probus and the Army, Navy, Air Force Unit 302 in Sidney.

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Timothy Rupert De Zoete 1942-2026

Timothy Rupert De Zoete died 27 April, 2026, aged 83.

He was born 8 May, 1942, son of Rupert Edward De Zoete (1913-1998), descended from Courage LG, and his wife the former Anna Patricia Gibbs (1915-2004), scion of the Barons Aldenham; & married 2 July, 1969, Moyra Jane Dawnay (born 8 April, 1946), scion of the Viscounts Downe, daughter of Vice-Admiral Sir Peter Dawnay, KCVO, CB, DSC, OStJ (1904-1989), and his wife Lady Angela Christine Rose Montagu Douglas Scott (1906-2000), 5th daughter of the 7th Duke of Buccleuch & Queensberry (1864-1935).

He leaves a daughter, Alexandra Margot (born 18 April, 1973).

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Martin Hugh Pym, MBE 1927-2026

Martin Hugh Pym, MBE, who died 16 May, 2026, aged 99, was a scion of that landed gentry family.

He was born 28 February, 1927, the third son of Major Alexander Ruthven Pym (1891-1971), and his wife the former Violet Helen Marie Warrender (1896-1983), daughter of Sir George Warrender, 7th Baronet (1869-1917); and married 3 December, 1960, Phillada Hilary Nunneley (1939-2025), scion of that landed gentry family, daughter of Robin Michael Charles Nunneley (1911-2005), and his wife the former Patricia May Roylance (1911-1999), by whom he had issue, a son, William (born 17 April, 1968), and three daughters, Lucy (born 24 Sept, 1961), wife of Maj-Gen Sir William Cubitt; Emma (born 25 June, 1963), an Serena (born 26 Feb, 1965), wife of James Jamieson, nephew of the 17th Duke of Norfolk.

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Richard Henry Persse 1937-2026

 Richard Henry Persse, who died 12 May, 2026, aged 88, was a scion of that Irish landed gentry family.

He was born 22 October, 1937, son of Brigadier (Reginald Barry) Lovaine Persse (1896-1985), and his wife the former Sheelah Patricia Batterby (1897-1979); and married 3 May, 1969, Susan Royle Kennett (born 10 March, 1942), daughter of Commander Anthony Kennett, RN (1909-1994), of Tanners, Wrington, Somerset, & his wife the former Patience Vera Plowden (1915-1998), scion of that landed gentry family, and had issue, two sons, Edward Henry Michael (born 19 March, 1971), and James Alexander Jocelyn (born 1972).

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Comtesse Richard de Pelet (nee Cazenove) 1942-2026

 Comtesse Richard de Pelet, who died 9 May, 2026, aged 84, was a scion of the Cazenove landed gentry family of Cottesbrooke.

Isabel de Lérisson Cazenove was born in 1942, daughter of Brigadier Arnold de Lérisson Cazenove, CBE, MVO, DSO, DL, ADC (1898-1969), and his wife the former Elizabeth Laura Gurney (1914-1994), scion of that landed gentry family; and married 1966, Comte Richard de Pelet, son of Comte and Comtesse Guy de Pelet, by whom she had issue, a son, Charles (born 1970), and a daughter, Sophie (born 1973).

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White/Trower engagement

 The engagement was announced 16 May, 2026, between Henry Richard White (born 1998), eldest son of Myles Bernard White (born 1963), of Wadhurst, East Sussex, and his wife the former Jo-Anne Day (born 1967), and Zara Rose Catherine Trower (born 27 April, 1998), second daughter of Christopher James Walter Trower (born 1965), of Elmdon, Essex, and his wife the former Charlotte Lavinia Frances Salt (born 13 January, 1967), fourth daughter of Sir Anthony Houlton Salt, 6th Baronet (1931-1991).

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Lewis/Whittaker engagement

The engagement was announced 16 May, 2026, between Tobias Robin C. Lewis (born 1993), a son of Beryn Charles Martin Lewis [born 1958], of Laugharne, Carmarthenshire, by his wife the former Tamzin Marjorie Soames [born 1958], scion of that landed gentry family, &  Claudia Anne Whittaker (born 1999), daughter of Mr Neil Whittaker, of Holt, North Wales, and Miss Caroline Platt, of Rossett, North Wales.

Tobias Lewis is descended from the Cayley baronets, and the Marquesses of Conyngham, &c.

3rd Marquess Conyngham > Lady Constance Conyngham > Marjorie Combe > Robert Soames > Tamzin Soames > Tobias Lewis

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Blue Orlando Benjamin Dodd-Noble (born 2026)

  Emily Kate L. Dodd-Noble [nee Rowlinson, born 1984], wife of Harry Thomas B. Dodd-Noble [born 1985], gave birth to a son, Blue Orlando Benjamin, 22 April, 2026, a brother for Bertie-Fox Burlington Leo, born 14 August, 2021, and for Cosmo Balthazar Patrick, born 6 April, 2023.

Harry Dodd-Noble, a descendant of the Merrie Monarch Charles II, is a son of (Simon) Thomas Antony (Tom) Dodd-Noble (b 17 Feb, 1955), of Oxfordshire,  by his former wife the former Carolyn A. Botting (now Mrs Carrie Stewart, of London), and is a grandson of Adrian Dodd-Noble (1922-2013) (a grandson maternally of the Baron Kirkley). by his 1st wife the former Lady Elizabeth Theresa Boyle (1920-81), sister of the 13th & 14th Earls of Cork & Orrery.

Emily Dodd-Noble is a daughter of Mr Stephen R. Rowlinson, of East Sussex, by his wife the former Kathleen A. McGowan.

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Harry Basil Broadway Hudson (born 2026)

 Rosanna Sophie Hudson [nee Littleton, born 1989], wife of Toby Vavasour Hudson (born 1988), gave birth to a second son, Harry Basil Broadway, 25 April, 2026, a brother for Benjamin Westby Vavasour, who was born 8 October, 2022.

Toby is a son of Mr Andrew Vavasour Hudson (born 30 Nov, 1952), of Bedale, Yorkshire, descended from the Dawson landed family, of Weston Hall, Otley, by his former wife the former Georgina Tiley [born 1957, now Lady Horlick, of Newbury, Berkshire, wife of Sir James Horlick, 6th Baronet].

Rosanna is a daughter of Antony Robin Welhouse Westby Littleton [previously Percevall descended from the Barons Hatherton], of Hannington, Hampshire, by his wife the former Hon Aileen Mary Fitzherbert [born 29 March, 1953], daughter of the 14th Baron Stafford [1926-1986].

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Michael Richard Sefi, LVO 1943-2026

 Michael Richard Sefi, LVO, who died 9 May, 2026, aged 82, was a philatelist, Keeper of the Royal Stamp Collection to HM Queen Elizabeth II, from 2003 until his retirement in 2018.

He was born 11 December, 1943, son of Antony Sefi and his wife the former Judith Hull; and married 29 June, 1968, Harriet Mary Davidson (born 28 November, 1942), daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Colin Keppel Davidson, CIE, OBE (1895-1943), and his wife Lady Mary Rachel Fitzalan Howard (1905-1992), daughter of the 15th Duke of Norfolk, KG, GCVO (1847-1917).

Sefi was appointed LVO in 2013.

He is survived by his wife and son, Charles (born 23 Aug, 1974), and two daughters, Clare (born 9 Feb, 1970), and Laura (born 31 Mar, 1972)

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Dr Peter Cannon-Brookes 1938-2026

Dr Peter Cannon-Brookes, who died 3 May, 2026, aged 87, was a Fellow, Royal Society of Arts, & co-authored the book Baroque Churches, with his wife Caroline. 

He was born in 1938, son of Victor Montgomery Cannon-Brookes (1911-2004), and his wife the former Nancy Margaret Markham Carter (1913-1994); and married 13 April, 1966, Caroline Aylmer Christie-Miller (born 4 February, 1942), scion of that landed gentry family, daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel John Aylmer Christie-Miller, CBE, TD (1911-2007), and his wife the former Bridget Wilbraham Dixon (1918-1992), scion of the Dixon baronets, by whom he had a son, Stephen (born 12 Aug, 1966), and a daughter, Emma (born 16 February, 1968).

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Michael Anthony Hanbury-Williams 1961-2026

 Michael Anthony Hanbury-Williams, who died 8 May, 2026, aged 64. He was a scion of that landed gentry family.

He was born 28 June, 1961, the third son of John Michael Anthony Hanbury-Williams (born 7 July, 1933), and his wife the former Diane Hartley (born 28 August, 1936); and married September, 1987, Alexandra Marjorie Ringrose-Voase (born 13 August, 1962), scion of that landed gentry family, second daughter of Lt-Cdr Christopher John Ringrose-Voase, RN (1929-1990), and his his wife the former Patricia Anne Bushe (who died 2025), by whom he had issue, a son, Christopher John (born May, 1991), and a daughter, Katya Alexandra (born 5 January, 1994).

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Cooke/Wald engagement

 The engagement was announced 12 May, 2026, between Hugo Gervaise Cameron Cooke (born February, 1987), scion of that Irish landed gentry family, son of Cdr Jonathan Gervaise Fitzpatrick Cooke, RN (born 26 March, 1943), and his wife the former Henrietta Loraine Deschamps Chamier (born circa 1949), and Rebecca Wald, daughter of Dr Christian Wald and Dr Astrid Wichmann-Hesse of Munich, Bavaria.

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Eric de Bellaigue (died 2026)

 Eric de Bellaigue, died 6 May, 2026. He was 95.

He was a son of Pierre de Bellaigue, of New York, United States, and married 1stly, 5 May, 1962, the Hon Sylvia Corisande Rodney (1930- d Feb1985), second daughter of the 8th Baron Rodney (1891-1973), and his wife Lady Marjorie Lowther (1895-1968), second daughter of the 6th Earl of Lonsdale (1867-1953). He married 2nd;y, in June, 1985, Nike Kent Taylor.

From his first marriage he leaves 2 sons, Nicholas (born 15 January, 1966), and the author and journalist Christopher de Bellaigue (born 23 September, 1971).

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Gibson/Wills engagement

The engagement was announced 11 May, 2026, between Marcus Seymour Gibson (born 1989), son of Mr Martin C Gibson, of Manaton, Devon, and Mrs Joanna L Gibson (nee Boswell), of Great Swinburn, Northumberland, and Laura Felicity Hamilton Wills (born 1996), scion of the Barons Dulverton, daughter of Christopher Aubrey Hamilton Wills (born 21 February, 1953), of Litchfield Down, Hampshire, and his wife the former Lady Katharine Anne Meade (born 10 Aug, 1959), fifth daughter of the 6th Earl of Clanwilliam (1914-1989).

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Derek Edward Glenister 1939-2026

Derek Edward Glenister died 3 May, 2026, aged 87.

He was born in 1939, son of Sydney William Glenister (1912-1989) and his wife Ada Florence Benge (1911-1994); and married 31 August, 1964, Clothilde Muriel Frances (Chloe) Nightingale (born 7 September, 1939), second daughter of Sir Charles Athelstan Nightingale, 16th Baronet (1902-1977),  and his wife the former Evelyn Nadine Frances Diggens (1908-1995), by whom he had issue, two daughters, Frances (born 23 May, 1966), and Clare (born 4 March, 1968)

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Martin Wreford Woodnutt 1946-2026

 Martin Wreford Woodnutt, died 26 April, 2026, aged 79.

He was born in 1946, son of Harold Frederick Martin (Mark) Woodnutt, MP (1918-1974), Conservative MP for the Isle of Wight, and his wife Gwynneth Alice Lovely (1925-1986); and married in 1975, Susannah Harrison (1946-2019), daughter of William Herbert Harrison (1909-1975), and his wife Elcha Cecilia Hore-Ruthven (1912-1996), scion of the Lords Ruthven of Freeland (Peerage of Scotland, cr 1651), by whom he had issue, a son, Piers (born 1977), in remainder to the Lordship of Freeland, and a daughter, Emily (born 1979), also in remainder to the Scottish peerage.

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Pugh/Fairbairn engagement

 The engagement was announced 9 May, 2026, between Matthew George Pugh (born 1996), son of the late Charles A. Pugh, of Taplow, Buckinghamshire, and his wife the former Allison J. Francombe (born 1965), and Madeleine Louise Fairbairn (born 24 January, 1998), scion of the Fairbairn baronets, eldest daughter of the late James Andrew Fairbairn (1967-2020), of Lurgashall, West Sussex, and his wife the former Samantha Jane Hardwicke.

Madeleine Fairbairn is a great-granddaughter of Sir William Fairbairn, 5th Baronet (1902-1972).

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Armstrong-Wilson/Vestey engagement

 The engagement was announced 9 May, 2026, between Thomas William Armstrong-Wilson (born July, 1987), son of Robert Paul Fitzroy Armstrong-Wilson (born Aug, 1959), of Langholm, Dumfriesshire, and his wife the former Shona Gillian Gray (born 1963), & Rose Elizabeth Jean Vestey (born 5 February, 1996), second daughter of Robin John Henry Vestey (born 14 April, 1968), of Little Thurlow, Suffolk, scion of the Vestey baronets, and Mrs Victoria Eileen Herbert Vestey (nee Waddell), of Newmarket, Suffolk.

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Clementine Alice Grietje Baroness Sweerts De Landas Wyborgh (born 2026)

Baroness Emily Anne Sweerts De Landas Wyborgh (born 1989, nee Jack), wife of Baron Arthur Sweerts De Landas Wyborgh, gave birth to a second daughter, Baroness Clementine Alice Grietje, 5 May, 2026, a sister for Tiggy, who was born in 2025.

Emily is the Hon Emily Jack, daughter of the life peer the Baron Jack of Courance, KBE, DL (born 7 July, 1963), who as Alister Jack, MP, served as Secretary of State for Scotland 2019-2024, and of Baroness Jack of Courance (nee Ann Hodgson).

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Patrick Gault De Courcy-Ireland, CVO 1933-2026

Patrick Gault De Courcy-Ireland, CVO, who died 2 May, 2026, aged 92, was a scion of that landed gentry family.

He was late of HM Diplomatic Service (retired), sometime director of marketing and consultant to the Rezayat Group (formerly the Alireza Group of Companies).

He was born 19 August, 1933, son of Lawrence Kilmain De Courcy-Ireland (1897-1968), and his wife Elizabeth Pentland Gault (1901-1977); and married 1stly, 1957, Margaret Gallop; & married 2ndly, 2018, Marie-Antoinette Engelhard, and leaves issue from his first marriage, a son, Jonathan, and three daughters, Kiki, Joanna and Gail.

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Teague/Hulton-Harrop engagement

The engagement was announced 8 May, 2026, between Alexander George Teague (born 1999), only son of Richard John Teague (born June, 1966), of Haywards Heath, Sussex, and his wife Natalie Helen Sutton (born November, 1966), & Sophie Louise Hulton-Harrop (born 1999), the only daughter of David Michael de Lacy Hulton-Harrop (born 24 March, 1962), of Battlefield, Shropshire, head of that landed gentry family, and his wife Julia M. Warren.

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Wills/Roberts engagement

 The engagement was announced 8 May, 2026, between Edward Henry Arnold Wills (born 15 June, 1994), scion of the Wills baronets, son of Richard Arnold Wills (born 5 March, 1962), of Middleton, Hampshire, and his wife the former Netta Morris, & Avril Helen S. Roberts (born 1997), daughter of Charles Roberts, of Stretham, Cambridge, and Mrs Roberts (nee McBryde).

Edward Wills is a cousin of the King via his Bowes Lyon ancestry:-

The 14th Earl of Strathmore & Kinghorne

/

Lady Mary Bowes Lyon

/

Hon Jean Constance Elphinstone

/

Andrew Wills

/

Richard Wills

/

Edward Wills

Count Richard Beaumont Melchior Gurowski 1939-2026

 Count Richard Beaumont Melchior Gurowski died 1 May, 2026, aged 86.

He was born in Salisbury in 1939, a son of Capt Count Richard Dudley Melchior Gurowski (1910-1940), and his wife Angela Mary Haig-Thomas, a granddaughter of the 4th Earl of Normanton; and he married 2 September, 1964, Rosanna FitzGerald (1945-2021), daughter of Maj Sir George Peter Maurice FitzGerald, 5th Baronet (1917-2001), and his wife Angela Dora Mitchell (1917-2009), by whom he had issue, two daughters, Iona (born 22 July, 1967), and Anya (born 9 July, 1970).

Richard Gurowski was a descendant of the Merrie Monarch, King Charles II.

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Stanley/Jooris engagement

The engagement was announced 7 May, 2026, between Edward John Robin Stanley, styled Lord Stanley (born 21 April, 1998), elder son and heir of the 19th Earl of Derby, DL (born 10 Oct, 1962), of Knowsley Hall, Prescot, Merseyside, and the Countess of Derby (nee the Hon Caroline Neville, born 28 Dec, 1963, scion of the Barons Braybrooke), and Jonkvrouw Victoria Jooris (born 1999), only daughter of Dominique, Baron Jooris (born 1969), of Brussels, Belgium, and Mrs Sophie Tornel (born 1972), of Brussels, Belgium.

Lord Stanley was a Page of Honour to HM Queen Elizabeth II.

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Cozens/Molson engagement

The engagement was announced 7 May, 2026, between George Euan D. Cozens (born February 1999), son of Charles Edmund Gillery Cozens (born March, 1960), of Horley Manor, Banbury, Oxfordshire, and his former wife Mrs Emma Jane D. Cozens (nee Smith) of Honington, Warwickshire, and Louisa R. Molson (born 1996), daughter of Robert Ian Molson, of Kingham, Oxfordshire, and Mrs Verena Molson (nee Cayzer, born 8 February, 1961), of Chelsea, London, scion of the Barons Rotherwick.

Louisa Molson is a great-granddaughter of the 1st Baron Rotherwick.

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Cazalet/Hanes engagement

 The engagement was announce 6 May, 2026, between Charles Nelson (Charlie) Cazalet (born 1987), son of (Charles) Julian Cazalet (born November, 1947), of Holland Park, London, and his wife the former Jennifer C (Jenny) Little, &  Marie Hanes, daughter of Mr and Mrs Patrick Hanes, of Timisoara, Romania.

The Cazalet family were Huguenots who originated from Sumène in the Cevennes region of southern France. Charlie is a descendant of Estienne Cazalet (1659-1721) who migrated to settle among the Huguenot community of Spitalfields in London; a distant cousin also descended from Estienne was Peter Cazalet, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother’s racehorse trainer and P G Wodehouse’s son-in-law.

William Cazalet 1749-95 

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Peter Reade Cazalet 1781-1839

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Peter Grenville Cazalet 1813-1862

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Grenville William Cazalet 1860-1947

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Vice-Admiral Sir Peter Grenville Lyon Cazalet KBE CB DSO DSC 1899-1982 = Beatrice Elise Winterbotham 1908-1997

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Charles Julian Cazalet 1947- 

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Charlie Cazalet 1987-