Jonathan Geoffrey William Agnew 1941-2026

 Jonathan Geoffrey William Agnew, who died 24 January, 2026, aged 84, was a scion of the Agnew baronets (cr 1895), and a grandson of the 1st Baron Jessel.

He was born 30 July, 1941, the elder son of Sir Geoffrey William Gerald Agnew (1908-1986), the art dealer and chairman of Thomas Agnew & Sons, by his wife the former Hon Doreen Maud Jessel (1909-1990), third daughter of the 1st Baron Jessel (1866-1950), and his wife the former Maud Goldsmid (1874-1965).

He married firstly, 21 Oct, 1966 (div 1985), the Hon Agneta Joanna Middleton Campbell (1944-2002), daughter of the life peer the Baron Campbell of Eskan (1912-1994), by his wife Barbara Noel Roffey; and married secondly, 1990, Marie-Claire Dreesmann, daughter of Bernard Dreesmann. He leaves a son, Caspar, and two daughters, Lara and Katherine, from his first union, and a son, George, and a daughter Clarissa, from his second marriage.

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James Harrison Holt 1936-2026

 James Harrison Holt died 20 January, 2026, aged 89.

He was born in 1936, son of Lieutenant-Colonel Vernon Harrison Holt, MC, DL, JP (1888-1966), by his wife the former Elizabeth Kathleen Reckitt (1904-1991), daughter of Sir Philip Bealby Reckitt, 3rd and last Baronet, OBE (1873-1944); and married 1stly,     25 July, 1964 (div. 1984), Dinah Annabel Legard (born 25 June, 1941), scion of the Legard baronets, daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Percy Digby Legard (1906-1980), and his wife the former Gertrude Kate Thomson (1907-1969); and married 2ndly, Mary Thomas. He leaves issue from both marriages.

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Wilfred Winston Richard Wynn-Williams (born 2026)

Letitia Mary Wynn-Williams (née Keys, born 1990), wife of  Henry George [Harry] Wynn-Williams [born 1984], gave birth to a son, Wilfred Winston Richard, 12 January, 2026.

Harry Wynn-Williams is a son of Hugo Wynn-Williams born 1955], of Dogmersfield, Hampshire, by his wife the former Mary Vaughan [born 1955], and is a grandson of the late George Wynn-Williams, who married in 1943, Lady Penelope Jowitt [1923-2007], daughter of the 1st [and last] Earl Jowitt, PC [1885-1957], Lord Chancellor in the administration of Clement Attlee, 1945-51.

Letitia is the younger daughter of Mr Richard Keys, of Streat, East Sussex, by his wife the former Helen K. Jackson.

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Mary Vanessa Hoare (died 2026)

 Mary Vanessa Hoare, who died 16 January, 2026, aged 86, was the first and former wife of Sir David Hoare, 9th Baronet.

The former (Mary) Vanessa Cardew, daughter of Peter Gordon Cardew, she married 20 April, 1965 (div 1978), David John Hoare (born 8 Oct, 1935), the second son of Sir Peter William Hoare, 7th Baronet (1898-1973), and his wife the former Laura Ray Esplen (1905-1992), daughter of Sir John Esplen, 1st Baronet (1863-1930). 

Her former husband succeeded his elder brother, Sir Peter Hoare, 8th Bt, in the baronetcy, 26 June, 2004.

Vanessa Hoare leaves a son, Simon Merrick Hoare (born 9 Oct, 1967).

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de la Poer Beresford/Gilday engagement

 The engagement was announced 31 January, 2026,  between Ludovic William de la Poer Beresford (born 4 November, 1998), scion of the Marquesses of Waterford, second son of Valentine Tristram de la Poer Beresford (born 10 October, 1965), of Dorset, and his wife the former Evelyn Hoskin, & Emily Cordelia C. Gilday (born 1999), elder daughter of Ian Robert Joseph Gilday, of London, and his wife the former Siobhan Kristina Clare Simpson-Nairn (born 1964).

Ludovic is a grandson of Lord Patrick de la Poer Beresford (1934-2020), and a great-grandson of the 7th Marquess of Waterford (1901-1934).

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Buxton/Edgedale engagement

 The engagement was announced 31 January, 2026, between Edward Arthur Fowell Buxton (born 25 January, 1996), scion of the Buxton Baronets, eldest son of Nicholas Fowell Buxton (born 17 March, 1966), of Easneye, Hertfordshire, and his wife the former Henrietta Louise Jewson (born 1966), & Alice Lucy R. Edgedale (born 1995), daughter of the late James William Edgedale (born 14 January, 1963), and his wife the former Sarah Louise Jenkinson, of Fernham, Oxfordshire.

Alice Edgedale is a descendant of the 5th Marquess of Northampton:-

the 5th Marquess of Northampton (1851-1913) > Lady Margaret Compton (1886-1970) > Hon Jean Loch (1908-1994) > Mary Ella Newman (b1931) > James Edgedale (1963- ) > Alice Edgedale

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Adrian Reginald Longley, OBE 1925-2025

 Adrian Reginald Longley, OBE, died 16 November, 2025, aged 100.

He was born in 1925, son of Evelyn Longley, of Reigate, co Surrey, by his wife the former Mary Anastasia Thompson; and married 14 December, 1957, Sylvia Margaret Hayter (1926-2011),  second daughter of George Keith Homfray Hayter (1888-1968), and his wife the former Dora Caroline Hanmer (1894-1972), scion of the Hanmer baronets.

He leaves issue, three daughters, Anne, Joanna and Melissa.

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The Baron Wallace of Tankerness (1954-2026)

The Baron Wallace of Tankerness, PC, KC, FRSE, died 29 January, 2026. He was 71.

 James Robert Wallace, Baron Wallace of Tankerness ( born 25 August 1954) was a Scottish politician who served as a Liberal Democrat life peer in the House of Lords from 2007 until his death in 2026. He had previously served as the Deputy First Minister of Scotland from 1999 to 2005, and during that time was twice acting First Minister, in 2000, in the aftermath of Donald Dewar's death and in 2001, following Henry McLeish's resignation. Wallace was Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats from 1992 to 2005 and Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords from 2013 to 2016. He served as a Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament (MP) for Orkney and Shetland from 1983 to 2001 and a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Orkney from 1999 to 2007. Wallace was also Advocate General for Scotland from 2010 to 2015. He was the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland from 1 May 2021 to 23 May 2022.

On 13 September 2007, it was announced that he was to be appointed to the House of Lords. He was subsequently created a life peer on 17 October 2007 taking the title Baron Wallace of Tankerness, of Tankerness in Orkney.

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Jean Constance Toynbee 1920-2026

 Jean Constance Toynbee (nee Asquith), who died 14 January, 2026, aged 105, was a GP in Oxford and rural North Yorkshire, the wife of the artist Lawrence Toynbee, a granddaughter of the prime minister HH Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford & Asquith – and a last exemplar of upper-class upbringing in the interwar era...

She was born 6 November, 1920, second of the four daughters of Brigadier General the Hon Arthur Melland Asquith (1883-1939), and his wife the former Hon Betty Constance Manners (1889-1962), daughter of the 3rd Baron Manners (1852-1927).

She married 20 April, 1945, Lawrence Toynbee (1922-2002), the artist, son of Prof Arnold Joseph Toynbee, CH, FBA (1889-1975), the historian, and his wife the former Rosalind Murray (1890-1967), a granddaughter of the 9th Earl of Carlisle (1843-1911), by whom she had issue, six daughters, Rosalind, Celia, Clare, Rachel, Sarah and Frances.

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Anthony George Leschallas 1933-2026

Anthony George Leschallas, who died 20 January, 2026, aged 92, was a descendant of the Earls of Romney.

He was born in 1933, the elder son of George Ronald Pigé Leschallas (1909-1991), and his wife the former Vere Frances Bulock-Marsham (1913-2006); and married in 1954, Marie-Louise Yvonne Renner (who died 5 March, 2018), daughter of Martin Julia Renner and his wife Sophie Charlotte Kleinwort (1888-1974), scion of the eponymous merchant banking dynasty, and had issue, two sons, Anthony (1955-2019),  and William (born 1963), and two daughters, Marie-Louise (born 1957), and Joanna (born 1960).

Anthony's younger brother, James (born 1943), married Rosemary Elizabeth Elphinstone (b 1947), a cousin of King via their Strathmore descent.

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The 4th Marquess of Zetland, DL 1937-2026

 The 4th Marquess of Zetland, a North Yorkshire landowner, died 24 January, 2026, aged 88.

The Marquess was seated at Aske, near Richmond, North Yorkshire. A peer of the Turf, he was a founding director of the British Horseracing Board 1993-97, and member of the Jockey Club (Steward 1992-94); and appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of North Yorkshire in 1997. 

The Dundas family estates were acquired in the 18th century by Sir Lawrence Dundas, scion of a long-established Scots family, who became the chief merchant-adventurer of his day. Having made a fortune supplying bread and forage to allied troops in Germany during the Seven Years’ War, he bought swathes of land in Sligo, Roscommon, Fife, Stirlingshire, Clackmannanshire, Orkney, Shetland, Hertfordshire and Yorkshire, where Aske Hall, near Richmond, remains the family seat. He was also a great patron of the arts, and commissioned such treasures as the Dundas Suite of ornate furniture, designed by Robert Adam and made by Thomas Chippendale, two sofas and two chairs of which were sold at Christie’s in 1997 for more than £3 million. Dubbed “the Nabob of the North”, Dundas became among the country’s largest landowners, but despite his best endeavours he never obtained a peerage – he was a mere baronet by the time he died in 1781. His son, though, was made Baron Dundas in 1794, his grandson rose to Earl of Zetland (an ancient variant of Shetland), and the 3rd earl became a marquess in 1892.

Lawrence Mark Dundas was born 28 December, 1937, the eldest of the three sons of the 3rd Marquess of Zetland (1908-1989), and his wife the former (Katherine Mary) Penelope Pike (1914-2003), scion of that landed gentry family, the second daughter of Col Ebenezer John Lecky Pike CBE MC (1884-1965), of Little Glebe, Fontwell, co. Sussex, by his wife Olive Constance Snell (1888-1962), only daughter of Edward Snell, of Monk Okehampton, co. Devon.

He was educated at Harrow then Oxford University, and served in the Grenadier Guards (2nd Lieutenant).

Lawrence Dundas was styled Earl of Ronaldshay from 1961 (when his father succeeded to the family honours), until succeeding as 4th Marquess, 5 October, 1989.

He was 4th Marquess of Zetland (United Kingdom, let. pat. 22 Aug 1892), 6th Earl of Zetland (United Kingdom, let. pat. 2 Jul 1838), 4th Earl of Ronaldshay (United Kingdom, let. pat. 22 Aug 1892), 7th Baron Dundas, of Aske in the County of York, Great Britain, let. pat. 13 Aug 1794), and 8th Baronet, styled "of Kerse" (Great Britain, let. pat. 16 Nov 1762).

The 1st Marquess was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in Queen Victoria's reign and a prominent freemason, the 2nd Marquess was sometime Secretary of State for India, and the 3rd Marquess was chairman of the racecourses at Catterick and Redcar, and was Provincial Grand Master, North and East Ridings of Yorkshire, of the Society of Freemasons 1956-89.

His siblings include Lord David Dundas (born 2 June, 1945), the pop singer and actor, best known for his chart success in the pop genre during the 1970s, including his biggest hit "Jeans On", as well as his later career in film and television scores, and Lord Bruce Dundas (born 6 Jan, 1951), and Lady Serena Kettlewell (1940-2012).

He married 4 April, 1964, Susan Rose Chamberlin (born circa Apr, 1940), 2nd daughter of Guy Ronald Chamberlin (1911-1991), of Shefford House, Great Shefford, Newbury, co. Berkshire, by his wife the former Geraldine Mary Payne-Cook (1913-1963). The marriage took place a few months after Susan and her mother had been swept off the rocks by a wave and her mother drowned at Polzeath, Cornwall.

The Zetlands had issue, two sons, Robin, styled Earl of Ronaldshay (born 5 March, 1965), and Lord James Dundas (born 2 May, 1967), and two daughters, Lady Henrietta (born 9 Feb, 1970), and Lady Victoria (born 2 Jan, 1973).

His elder son succeeds as 5th Marquess of Zetland. He is married with four daughters, and his heir presumptive is his younger brother, Lord James Dundas.

Those mighty tomes Burke's Peerage and Debrett's incorrectly state that the father of the Marchioness of Zetland was Guy Richard Chamberlin, when in fact his father was Guy RONALD, as recorded at the General Register Office.

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Hon Fiona Campbell 1932-2026

 The Hon Fiona Campbell, who died 6 January, 2026, aged 93, was a scion of the Barons Stratheden.

She was born in 1932, the third daughter of Brigadier the 4th Baron Stratheden, CBE (1899-1981), and his first wife the former Jean Helen St Clair Anstruther-Gray, CBE (1901-1956), Sscion of the Anstruther baronets, of Balcaskie. She was unmarried.

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Josephine Cicely Alice Willoughby 1931-2026

 Josephine Cicely Alice Willoughby died 14 January, 2026. She was 94.

She was a scion of the Barons Middleton and descended from the 8th Duke of Somerset, born 21 June, 1931, the elder daughter of Commander Ronald George Edward Willoughby, RN (1884-1971), and his wife the former Constance Louisa Sherbrooke (1894-1977), scion of that landed gentry family. She was unmarried.

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Son for Viscount and Viscountess Chelsea

 Davina Rose Cadogan, styled Viscountess Chelsea (née Motion, born 11 July, 1996), wife of George Edward Charles Diether Cadogan, styled Viscount Chelsea [born 24 September, 1995], scion of the Earls Cadogan, gave birth to a son, the Hon Henry George Edward Cadogan, 13 January, 2026.

Viscount Chelsea is the son and heir of the 9th Earl Cadogan [born 10 May, 1966], of London, and Katharina Johanna Ingeborg, Countess Cadogan [nee Hülsemann].

Viscountess Chelsea is the social editor of Tatler, the only daughter of Mr Andrew Barrie Motion [born circa 1961], of Sandwich, Kent, and his wife the former Celestine Maria del Pilar Atkins.

Chelsea is heir to the vast Cadogan estates in London. 

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The 2nd Baron Clitheroe, DL 1929-2026

 The 2nd Baron Clitheroe died 19 January, 2026. He was 96.

Lord Clitheroe, of Downham Hall, Clitheroe, Lancashire, was a businessman who served as Deputy Chief Executive of the Rio Tinto Group, and as Chairman of RTZ Chemicals, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto. He also served as Chairman of the Yorkshire Bank from 1990 to 1999. He was appointed to be a Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire in 1986. He became a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Skinners in 1955. He also served as Vice-Lord-Lieutenant of Lancashire from 1995 to 1999.

Ralph John Assheton was born 3 November, 1929, the elder son of the then Ralph Assheton, MP, PC (born 24 February, 1901), by his wife the Hon Sylvia Benita Frances Hotham (1903-1991), daughter of the 6th Baron Hotham (1863-1923).

His father was MP for Rushcliffe from 1934 to 1945, for the City of London from 1945 to 1950, and for Blackburn West from 1950 to 1955. In the wartime government under Winston Churchill, he was Minister of Supply in 1942, and Financial Secretary to the Treasury from 1942 to 1944. He was sworn of the Privy Council in the 1944 New Year Honours, and served as Chairman of the Conservative Party from 1944 to 1946. He was raised to the peerage as Baron Clitheroe, in 1955. He was also the 2nd Baronet.

He succeeded his father, 18 September, 1984, as 2nd Baron Clitheroe and as 3rd Baronet.

He married 2 May, 1961, Juliet Hanbury (1936-2025), daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Christopher Lionel Hanbury, MBE, JP, TD (1905-1997), and his wife the former Lettice Mary Charrington (1906-1980), by whom he had issue, two sons Ralph and John and a daughter, Elizabeth. The elder son, the Hon Ralph Christopher Assheton (born 19 March, 1962), succeeds to the peerage and baronetcy.

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George Nathaniel Mathias (born 2026)

 Henrietta Ghislaine Mathias (nee de Pelet), wife of Charles M.J. Mathias, gave birth to a son, George Nathaniel, in New York, 5 January, 2026, a brother for Eleanor.

Charles is the elder son of Mr & Mrs Carlo Mathias, of Aalst, Belgium.

Henrietta [born 1982], is a daughter of Comte Michael de Pelet, of Purse Caundle, Dorset, by his wife the former Charlotte Anne Kennard [born 4 Nov, 1956].

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The Baron Blackwater

The life peerage recently bestowed upon Simon James Heffer, has been gazetted in the name, style and title of Baron Blackwater, of Great and Little Leighs on the County of Essex, and will be introduced into the House of peers on 29 January, 2026.

Lord Blackwater (born 18 July 1960) is an English historian, journalist, author, and political commentator.  He has published several biographies and a series of books on the social history of Great Britain from the mid-nineteenth century until the end of the First World War. He was appointed professorial research fellow at the University of Buckingham in 2017. He took on the enormous task of editing and publishing the journals of Sir Henry 'Chips' Channon.

Blackwater has worked as a columnist for the Daily Mail and since 2015 has had a weekly column in The Sunday Telegraph. As a political commentator, Heffer takes a socially conservative position.

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Sir (William) Roland Cedric Jackson, 9th Baronet 1954-2026

Sir (William) Roland Cedric Jackson, 9th Baronet, died suddenly, 10 January, 2026, while hill climbing in Cumbria, the day after his 72nd birthday. 

He was born 9 January, 1954, son of Sir William Thomas Jackson, 8th Baronet (1927-2004), and his wife the former Gillian Malise Stobart (1929-2009), scion of that landed gentry family; and succeeded to the baronetcy [cr UK, 1969], upon his father's death, 2004; and married in 1977, Dr Nicola Mary Davis, daughter of Professor Peter Reginald Davis, of Polvean, St Mawes, Cornwall, by whom he had three sons, Adam (b 1982), James Anthony Foljambe Jackson (b 11 March, 1984) and Oliver Thomas Peter Jackson (b 1990). The eldest son, Adam William Roland (born at Newmarket, 19 May, 1982), succeeds as 10th Baronet.

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Major the Hon Edward Renfric Arundell 1933-2026

 Maj the Hon Edward Renfric (Ted) Arundell, late the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, who died 13 January, 2026, aged 92, was a scion of the Barons Talbot of Malahide.

He was born 2 November, 1933, second son of Reginald John Arthur Arundell (1900-1953), and his wife the former Winifred Nellie Castle (1895-1954). 

His elder brother Reginald (1931-2016), in 1987 succeeded as 10th Baron Talbot of Malahide, and four years later, in 1991, Edward was raised to the rank of the younger son of a Baron.

He married 27 September, 1961, Margaret Ann Honoria Macnab (born 22 May, 1940), daughter of Brigadier John Francis Macnab of Barravorich, CBE, DSO (1906-1980), and his wife (Dorothy) Margaret Treadwell (1903-88), by whom he had issue, three daughters, Lucinda, Camilla and Nicola.

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Viscount Kingsborough engaged to Amy Gregg

The engagement was announced 27 January, 2026, between Charles Avery Edward King-Tenison, syled Viscount Kingsborough (born 18 November, 2000), the only son and heir of the 12th Earl of Kingston (born 20 March, 1969), by his first 1st wife, Ruth Margaret, Countess of Kingston (nee Buckner, born 1967); and Amy Elizabeth J. Gregg (born circa 1993), daughter of Paul Richard Gregg (born Feb 1966), of Cricklade, Wiltshire, and his wife the former Jill Susan Hunt (born 1961).

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Edward John Francis Morant 1941-2026

Edward John Francis Morant, who died 22 January, 2026, aged 84, was head of that landed gentry family and a great-grandson of the 9th Earl of Harrington.

He was born in 1941, son of John Morant (1907-1997), and his 1st wife the former Margaret Elizabeth Brunner (1907-1964), and was a grandson of Edward John Eden Morant (1868-1910), of Brockhurst Park, Hampshire, and his wife Lady Kathleen Florence Mary Stanhope (1884-1971), daughter of the 9th Earl of Harrington (1859-1928).

He married in 1965, Algie Linda Davies (born 1943), daughter of Angus Stanley Davies (1911-1976), of Chelsea, by his wife the former Viola Phoebe Stimson (1913-2012), by whom he had issue, a son, John Harry Eden Morant (1967-2003), and a daughter, Laura (born 1970).

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Leith/Maudslay engagement

The engagement was announced 27 January, 2926, between Oliver Christophe Leith (born 1991), son of Marcus Leith, of Mattishall, Norfolk, and his wife nee ___ Oliver; and Fenella Alice Maudslay (born 23 March, 1992), scion of that landed gentry family, youngest daughter of John Rennie Maudslay (born 1953), of Forneth, Perthshire, and his wife the former Alexandra Lothian (born 1958).

Fenella is a granddaughter of Maj Sir James Rennie Maudslay, GCVO, KCB, MBE (1915-88), Keeper of the Privy Purse to the Royal Household and an Equerry to HM Queen Elizabeth II.

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Cator/Horswell engagement

Christian Cator.

 The engagement was announced 27 January, 2026, between Christian David Cator (born Oct 1996), scion of that landed gentry family, son of Albemarle John Cator (born 23 August, 1953), of Woodbastwick Hall, Norfolk, and Mrs Victoria Katharine Cator (nee Pank, born July, 1954), of London & Honor Daisy Horswell (born 16 April, 1997), daughter of Edward Francis Horswell (born 9 May, 1956), the polo player, of Chelsea, London, and his wife the former Nona Maria Gallwey (born 6 June, 1969), daughter of (William) Dayrell Gallwey (born 6 Feb, 1931), of Tramore, Co Waterford, to be found in Burke's Irish Family Records.

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Clare Georgina, Countess of Iveagh 1974-2025

Clare Iveagh.

 Clare Georgina, Countess of Iveagh, who died 23 December, 2025, aged 51, was the former wife of the Guinness heir, the 4th Earl of Iveagh.

She was born Clare Georgina Hazell, at Reading, Berkshire, 5 February, 1974, the eldest of the three daughters of Derek Ralph Hazell (1946-2022), and his wife the former Andrea Frances Whelan (born 1946); and married 27 October, 2001 (divorced 2021), Arthur Edward Rory Guinness, 4th Earl of Iveagh (born 10 Aug 1969), son of the late 3rd Earl of Iveagh (1937-1992), and his wife the former Miranda Daphne Jane Smiley (1940-2010), scion of the Smiley baronets, by whom she had issue, two sons, Arthur Guinness, styled Viscount Elveden (born 6 January, 2003), and the Hon Rupert Guinness (born July, 2005).

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The Baron Flight 1948-2026

 Lord Flight, life peer, died 24 January, 2026. He was 77.

Howard Emerson Flight was born 16 June, 1948. He was a Conservative politician & member of the House of Lords. Flight was the Conservative MP for Arundel and South Downs from 1997 to 2005. He held several Shadow posts: Shadow Economic Secretary to the Treasury from 1999 to 2001, Shadow Paymaster General from 2001 to 2002, and Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury from 2002 to 2004.

He was raised to the peerage for life in 2011, and took the title Baron Flight, of Worcester in the County of Worcestershire.

He married in 1973, Christabel Diana Beatrice Norbury (born 1946), daughter of Christopher Paget Norbury (1908-1975), and his wife the former Lisa Juliane Emilie Gnacinski (1910-1985), 

Lady Flight is a descendant of the Wake baronets.

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MacDermot/Begg engagement

The engagement was announced 26 January, 2025, between Thomas Arthur MacDermot (born 1998), son of Dominic Charles MacDermot (born 27 September, 1955), of São Paulo, Brazil, scion of that landed gentry family, and his wife the former Renata Rehder, daughter of Reuben A. Rehder, of São Paulo, Brazil, and Clementine Agar Begg (born 1 February, 1998), second daughter of Robin Mark Begg (born October, 1959), of Charlton Musgrove, Somerset and his wife the former Teleri Jane Bligh (born Dec 1962).

The head of the MacDermot family is known as the _Prince of Coolavin_ and was a title first applied by popular usage to Charles MacDermot (1707–1758), then head of the MacDermot family of Moylurg. Coolavin is a barony in south County Sligo in Ireland. Up to the late 16th century the head of the family were still Kings of Moylurg, but had lost their lands due to confiscation. The adoption of the term indicated that the family considered themselves "princes", and also considered as such by their neighbours. The title continued to be used by the head of the family into the 21st century.

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Packe-Drury-Lowe/De St Pierre Bunbury engagement

 The engagement was announced 26 January, 2026, between Major George Thomas Naylor Packe-Drury-Lowe (born 10 September, 1994), scion of that landed gentry family, son of Edward Packe-Drury-Lowe (born 1965), of Prestwold Hall, Leicestershire, and his former wife, Samantha Burgess (nee Naylor), of East Wittering, and Madeleine de St Pierre Bunbury (born 1995), daughter of Major Michael C. de St Pierre Bunbury, of Mustique, and his wife the former Charlotte (Lotty) M. Cardozo.

George married firstly, at Dijon, France, 7 January, 2017, Judith Martory, by whom he has a daughter, Ursula.

Charlotte's aunt, Elizabeth Cardozo, is a former wife of the Marquess of Northampton's heir, Earl Compton. Her grandmother is Eleanor Caroline Cardozo (nee Brotherton-Ratcliffe, born 1942), scion of that landed gentry family.

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Powell/Spencer engagement

The engagement was announced 24 January, 2025, between Myles Edward S. Powell (born 1997), the eldest son of Dominic Paul St J. Powell (born 1966), of Clapham, London and his wife the former Katherine M.A. Tidbury (born 1963), & India Jane Spencer (born 4 December, 1998), daughter of Richard Jeremy Spencer (born 31 January, 1958), of Longworth Oxfordshire, and his wife the former Catherine Alexandra Herbert (born 12 October, 1963), daughter of Richard Weston Herbert (1922-2009), and his first wife Olivia Joan Wedderburn (born 2 June, 1934), scion of the Wedderburn baronets of Blackness.

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Martin Robert Grant Peterkin 1942-2026

 Martin Robert Grant Peterkin died 20 January, 2026, aged 83.

He was born in 1942, a son of Hugh Grant Peterkin (1911-1980), and his wife the former Rosemary Margaret Uprichard (b. 1915, died 4 Apr, 2009); and was a grandson of Colonel Montagu James Grant Peterkin, OBE (1871-1954), of Grange Hall, Forres, Morayshire, by his wife Elizabeth Margaret Buller-Fullerton-Elphinstone (1874-1945), scion of the Lords Elphinstone.

He married in 1973, Barbara L. (Bee) Jensen, by whom he had three sons, Christopher (born 1977), Charles (born 1979), & Michael (born 1983).

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Jill Sara Maxwell-Hyslop (née Armstrong) 1937-2026

 Jill Sara Maxwell-Hyslop (née Armstrong), died 12 January, 2026, aged 88.

She was born Jill Sara Armstrong, 29 June, 1937, scion of the Armstrong baronets, daughter of John Andrew Armstrong (1892-1974), and his wife the former Pauline Williams; and married 21 March, 1958, Capt Alexander Bayly Maxwell-Hyslop (born 1929), scion of the Hyslop landed gentry family, elder son of Capt Alexander Henry Maxwell-Hyslop (1895-1978), and his wife the former Cecilia Joan Bayly (1902-54), scion of that landed family. Her husband died 17 February, 2016, aged 86.

She leaves issue, two daughters, Lucinda (born 2 March, 1959), and Zara (born 3 Sept, 1962_.

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Sir Peter Michael Ohlson, 4th Baronet 1939-2026

 Sir Peter Ohlson, 4th & last Baronet died 17 January, 2026, aged 86.

Peter Michael Ohlson was born 18 May, 1939, the second son of Sir Eric Olof Ohlson, 2nd Baronet (1911-1983), and his wife the former Marjorie Joan Roosmale-Cocq (c1912-2008); and was a grandson of Sir Erik Ohlson, 1st Baronet (1873-1934), the shipping magnate.

He succeeded to the baronetcy (cr 1920), on the death of his elder brother, Sir Brian, the 3rd Baronet, on 19 March, 2017.

He married 18 October, 1968, Sarah Brodie (born 1946), daughter of Major-General Thomas Brodie, CB CBE DSO (1903-1993) and his wife the former Jane Margaret Chapman-Walker (1909-1992), and had two daughters, Gemma (born 8 Oct, 1971), and Emily (born 1974)..

The baronetcy now becomes extinct

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Delphine Penelope Angus (born 2025)

Sarah Jane Angus [née Frere-Cook, born 1986], wife of Alexander Angus, gave birth to a daughter, Delphine Penelope, 3 November, 2025, a sister for Isla Olivia Rosemary, born 16 July, 2018, for Artie Aubrey, 1 April, 2021, and Tiggy Jane Joanna, born 25 November, 2022.

Sarah Angus is a descendant of the Cracroft-Amcotts landed gentry family, daughter of Simon Aubrey Cracroft Fere-Cook [born 1955], and his wife the former Jennifer Jane Greenwood, and a granddaughter of Lieutenant-Col Gervis Hugh Frere Frere-Cook [1928-74], and his wife Rosemary Grace Cracroft-Amcotts [1928-2014].

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Riall/Innes Ker engagement

Lady Bella.

The engagement was announced 23 January, 2026, between Phineas Patrick (Finn) Riall (born 28 October, 1993), late the Irish Guards, scion of that Irish landed gentry family of Old Conna Hill, eldest son of Capt. Thomas Richard Phineas Riall (born 1960), of Kington Magna, Dorset, and his wife the former Mary Elizabeth Benyon (born 1965), scion of that landed gentry family, and the Lady Isabella Mary (Bella) Innes-Ker (born 7 September, 1994), the equestrian, daughter of the late 10th Duke of Roxburghe (1954-2019), and of the Dowager Duchess of Roxburghe (nee Virginia Mary Wynn-Williams), of Eastbury, Berkshire.

Finn's sister, Roseanne Eleanor Riall, announced her engagement in 2020, to Jack Bartholomew, whose mother, the former Carolyn Pride, was a friend and flatmate of the then Lady Diana Spencer at the time of her engagement to the Prince of Wales in 1981.

Finn's mother was High Sheriff of Berkshire in 2020.

Finn Riall is a grandson maternally of the late Sir William Benyon, MP (1930-2014), of Englefield House, Berkshire, and is a nephew of the Lord Benyon, GCVO, PC (born 1960), Lord Chamberlain to the Royal Household, and is a great-great-great-grandson of the Prime Minister the 3rd Marquess of Salisbury.

Finn is a grandson paternally of Major Patrick Dudley Erskine Riall (1921-2000), of Kilmacanogue, Leinster, and his wife the former Jane Priscilla Wells (1932-2004), descended from the Barons (later Earls) of Harrowby.

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Anthony John Fletcher 1941-2026

Prof. Anthony John Fletcher died 3 January, 2026, aged 84.

He was born 24 April, 1941, son of Clarence John Molyneux Fletcher (1910-1986), and his wife the former Isabel Clare Chevenix Trench (1915-2010), scion of the Barons Ashtown; and married firstly, 29 July, 1967, Tresna Dawn Russell; married 2ndly, 6 September, 2006, Brenda Lockhart-Smith

He leaves issue from his first marriage, two sons, Crispin (born 6 March, 1969), and Dickon (born 13 Oct, 1972).

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Baroness Martin of Brockley

The life peerage recently bestowed upon Katherine Lucy Martin has been gazetted in the name, style and title of Baroness Martin of Brockley, of Ladywell in the London Borough of Lewisham, 20 January, 2026.

Baroness Martin is to take her seat in the Lords on 27 January, 2026.

The Baroness was chief of staff to Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves. She was previously director of public affairs for Citizens Advice. 

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Baron Walker of Broxton, OBE

 The King has been pleased by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm dated 20 January 2026 to confer the dignity of a Barony of the United Kingdom for life upon:-

Lord Walker of Broxton.

Richard Malcolm Walker OBE, as Baron Walker of Broxton, of Broxton in the County of Cheshire. 

Lord Walker of Broxton (born 5 August 1980) is a businessman who is the executive chairman of the privately held British Iceland supermarket chain of predominately frozen food retailers. He is the son of the company's founder Malcolm Walker and qualified as a Chartered Surveyor, prior to joining Iceland.

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Baron Isaac

Lord Isaac.

The life peerage recently awarded to David Isaac, CBE, has been gazetted in the name, style and title of Baron Isaac, of Abergavenny in the County of Monmouthshire, 19 January, 2026.

 Lord Isaac is a solicitor and Provost of Worcester College, Oxford, where he took office in July 2021. He has chaired the Court of Governors of University of the Arts London since 2018, and the Henry Moore Foundation from 2024. He is also a trustee of Cumberland Lodge.

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Baron Barber of Chittlehampton

The life peerage recently conferred upon Sir Michael Bayldon Barber, has been gazetted in the name, style and title of Baron Barber of Chittlehampton, of Chittlehampton in the County of Devon, and he is to be introduced in to the House of Lords, 26 January, 2026.

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Baroness Bi

Baroness Bi.

From the London Gazette: The King has been pleased by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm dated 19 January 2026 to confer the dignity of a Barony of the United Kingdom for life upon:-

Farmida Bi, CBE, in the name, style and title of Baroness Bi, of Bermondsey in the London Borough of Southwark.

The shortest peerage title in the history of the Peerage. Many peerage names have three and four letters, but two! It's a first for Baroness Bi.

The title is pronounced to sound like 'Bee' and not 'By'.

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Princess Désirée of Sweden, Baroness Silfverschiöld 1938-2026

 Princess Désirée of Sweden, Baroness Silfverschiöld, sister of King Carl Gustav, died 21 January, 2026. She was 87.

Princess Desiree Elizabeth Sibylla was born in Stockholm, 2 June, 1938, third daughter of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Vasterbotten (1906-1947) and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1908-1972) who were both descended from sons of Queen Victoria (1819-1901) and Prince Albert (1819-1861).

Princess Desiree's paternal grandparents were King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden (1882-1973) and Princess Margaret Victoria Charlotte Augusta Norah of Connaught and Strathearn (1882-1920).  Princess Margaret's father,  Field Marshal HRH The Prince Arthur, 1st Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (1850-1942), was Queen Victoria's third son.

Princess Desiree's maternal grandfather was Prince Charles Edward, 2nd Duke of Albany.  His father, Prince Leopold George Duncan Albert, 1st Duke of Albany (1853-1884), was the youngest son of Queen Victoria.

She was a third cousin once removed of HM King Charles III.

Princess Désirée survived her third cousin, Princess Irene of Greece & Denmark, by six days.

Princess Désirée married 5 June, 1964, Niels-August Otto Carl Nicolas Silfverschiöld, Baron Silfverschiöld (1934-2017), son of Baron Carl-Otto Silfverschiöld (1899–1955) and Elsa Madeleine Bennich (1906–1994). His paternal grandfather, Baron Otto Silfverschiöld (1871–1951), was a member of the Riksdag and his paternal grandmother, Ingeborg von Horn (1873–1953), was the sister of novelist Brita von Horn and aunt of Generalmajor Carl von Horn.

Princess Désirée leaves issue, Baron Carl Otto Edmund Silfverschiöld (born 22 March 1965), Baroness Christina-Louise Ewa Madelaine Silfverschiöld (born 29 September 1966), and Baroness Hélène Ingeborg Sibylla Silfverschiöld (born 20 September 1968)

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Baroness Nargund

The King has been pleased by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm dated 21 January 2026 to confer the dignity of a Barony of the United Kingdom for life upon Geeta Nargund, by the name, style and title of Baroness Nargund, of Wimbledon in the London Borough of Merton and Tooting in the London Borough of Wandsworth. The baroness is to take her seat in the upper house, 27 January, 2026.

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Hon Mrs Colin Dalrymple (died 2026)

 The Hon Mrs Colin Dalrymple, OBE, died 8 January, 2026. She was 91.

She was the former Fiona Jane Edwards, daughter of Admiral Sir Ralph Alan Bevan Edwards, KCB, CBE (1901-63), sometime Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet, by his wife the former Joan Le Fowne Hurt; and married 12 March, 1956, as his second wife, Major the Hon Colin James Dalrymple (1920-2017), fourth son of the 12th Earl of Stair, KT, DSO, DL (1879-1961), and his wife the former Violet Evelyn Harford (died 22 Feb, 1968), by whom she had issue, a son, Andrew (born 10 Oct, 1959), and two daughters, Serena (b 20 Oct, 1957), and Rose (b 6 May, 1962).

Her husband died 12 January, 2017, aged 96.

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Baroness Davies of Devonport

The life peerage recently awarded to Sharron Elizabeth Davies, MBE, has been gazetted in the name, style and title of Baroness Davies of Devonport, of Bradford-on-Avon in the County of Wiltshire. She took her seat in the House of Lords, 20 January, 2026.

Baroness Davies (born 1 November 1962) is a former swimmer who represented Great Britain in the Olympics and European championships and competed for England in the Commonwealth Games. She won a silver medal in the 400 m individual medley in the 1980 Olympics. In all Davies has attended 12 consecutive Olympics, including working for BBC Sport.

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The Baron Babudu

The life peerage recently conferred upon Peter Bonyiah Babudu, has been gazetted in the name, style and title of Baron Babudu, of Peckham in the London Borough of Southwark. 

Lord Babudu is taking his seat in the House of Lords, 29 January, 2026.

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Janet, Lady Devitt 1925-2026

 Janet, Lady Devitt (née Ellis), died 2 January, 2026, aged 100.

She was born Janet Lilian Ellis, 10 October, 1925, a daughter of Colonel Hugh Sidney Ellis, CBE, MC (1889-1965), and his wife the former Enid Nicholl (1895-1970); and married 12 December, 1953, as his third wife, Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Thomas Gordon Devitt, 2nd Baronet (1902-1995), son of Arthur Devitt (1867-1921), and grandson of Sir Thomas Lane Devitt, 1st Baronet (1839-1923).

Lady Devitt leaves a daughter, Angela Susan (born 18 Oct, 1954), and a son Sir James Hugh Thomas Devitt, 3rd Baronet (born 18 Sept, 1956).

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Jervis Joscelyn Percy 1928-2026

 Jervis Joscelyn Percy, died in Cork, 7 January, 2026, aged 97.

Jervis Percy.

He was born at Alexandria, Egypt, 21 July, 1928, a son of Colonel Joscelyn Edward Seymour Percy, DSO, MC (1897-1943), of the Durham Light Infantry, and of his wife Kathleen Ross (later Lady Bradford wife of Sir Thomas Bradford, Kt); and married 11 May, 1957 (div. 1979), Julia Diana Renwick (born 16 Aug, 1935), daughter of Squadron Leader Sir Eustace Deuchar Renwick, 3rd Baronet (1902-1973), and his wife the former Diana Mary Cruddas (who died 11 Sept, 2005, aged 92); by whom he had issue, three daughters, Corinna (born 1964), Jane (born 1966), and Charlotte (born 1967).

 While stationed abroad, Jervis took up modern pentathlon and excelled particularly in the horse riding and running portions of the competition. He was selected to represent Great Britain in this event at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, where he placed 37th individually and 10th with the team, alongside Leon Lumsdaine and John Hewitt. After serving during the Korean War, he left the army in 1955 and worked in various industrial positions until his 1988 retirement, after which he moved to Ireland.

I can find no connection here to the Percy Dukes of Northumberland even though names of some of this  have similarities and associations with those in the ducal family. Jervis's grandfather was Joscelyn Beverley Percy (1856-1924), and the Earldom of Beverley is one of the Duke of Northumberland's subsidiary titles.

Edward Hore G. Percy (b 1761) > Edward Lorenzo Percy, the Irish artist (1797-1863) > Joscelyn Beverley Percy (1856-1924) > Joscelyn Edward Seymour Percy (1897-1943) > Jervis Joscelyn Percy (c1929-2026)

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Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and the loss of his dukedom

In November 2025 the King formally stripped his younger brother of his royal styles and titles.

The announcement stated that "The King has been pleased by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm dated 3 November, 2025, to declare that Andrew Mountbatten Windsor shall no longer be entitled to enjoy the style, title or attribute of 'Royal Highness' and the titular dignity of 'Prince'.

A straightforward sweep of the monarch's pen reduced Andrew to a commoner, but was the King's disgraced brother similarly divested of his Dukedom, Earldom and Barony?  The removal of a peerage requires an Act of Parliament, and cannot be achieved by royal authority alone.

We were told that Andrew Mountbatten Windsor had been formally removed from the official roll of the peerage in the House of Lords, marking the definitive stripping of his royal titles. Buckingham Palace confirmed that Andrew's dukedom was struck from the roll.

The Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, is responsible for maintaining the peerage roll and he received the order from the King to formalise the removal of the Duke from the Roll of the Peerage. This however, did not mean that Andrew's peerage has been stripped away and consigned to history.

Many peers, including other dukes, are not on the Roll, but all the same are legally peers of the realm.

The Roll of the Peerage is an officially compiled and maintained list, intended to contain the names of all living peers. Peers are enrolled in it in the following circumstances:

Hereditary Peers who have proved succession in accordance with the terms of the 2004 Royal Warrant.

Hereditary Peers who up to 1999 received a Writ of Summons.

Hereditary Peers who from 1999 have proved their succession in order to be eligible either for election to a vacant seat amongst the remaining 92 hereditary peers in a House of Lords 'by-election', or to vote in such a by-election.

The Roll comprises all those Peers who have proved succession to an English, Scottish, Irish, Great Britain or United Kingdom Peerage. In some cases the Peer's name appears against his junior title; it may then be cross-referenced elsewhere in the Roll if the Peer is customarily styled in a different or senior title. This arises for example where succession has been proved in a junior title for the purposes of sitting in the House of Lords.

Each entry on the Roll is headed with the style of the dignity (the nomen dignitatis), e.g. 'Abercorn'; with the body of the entry showing:

whether the dignity is hereditary or for life.

the class or rank of dignity, i.e. duke/duchess, marquess/marchioness, earl/countess, viscount/viscountess or baron/baroness, (lord/lady in the case of some Scottish titles).

the Peerage within which dignity was created, i.e. the Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain or the United Kingdom.

the full style of the current holder of the dignity, including forenames, and indicating where applicable any senior title by which he or she is customarily known.

the surname of the present holder of the dignity.

Some Peers not currently on the roll include:-

Acton B; Airlie E; Allenby V; Allendale V; Amherst of Hackney B; Argyll D; Ashbrook V; Ashtown B; Atholl D; Auckland B; Baden-Powell B; Bagot B; Baldwin of Bewdley E; Bangor V; Basing B; Bath M; Beatty E; Berners B; Bessborough E; Blyth B; Bolingbroke and St John V; Bradbury B; Brassey of Apethorpe; Brownlow B; Buchan E; Buckmaster V; Burden B; Burton B; Bute M; Caldecote V; Carnock B; Carrick E; Castle Stewart E; Castlemaine B; Cavan E; Charlemont V; Chelmsford V; Chesham B; Churchill B; Churston B; Clanmorris B; Coleraine B; Congleton B; Conyngham M; Cornwallis B; Coventry E; Craven E; Croft B; Cullen of Ashbourne B; Dalhousie E; Darwen B; Davidson V; Decies B; Delamere B; Denham B; Denman B, De Ros B; De Villiers B; Dickinson B; Dilhorne V; Donerall V; Downe V; Ducie E; Dufferin & Clandeboye B; Dunrossil V; Dunsany B; Egremont B; Elphinstone L; Elton B; Ely M; Esher V; Essex E; Fermoy B; ffrench B; Fitzwalter B; Forbes L; Forester B; Glendevon B; Gort V; Gowrie E; Granville E; Graves B; Grey E; Hambledon V; Harding of Petherton B; Harewood E; Harris B; Harvey of Tasburgh B; Hatherton B; Headfort M; Home E; Howard of Penrith B; Howick of Glendale B; Huntingfield B; Ilchester E; Inchiquin B; Inverforth B;Kenswood B; Kenyon B; Keyes B; Kilmaine B; Kingsale B; Kingston E; Langford B; Layton B; Leigh B; Lifford V; Lincoln E; Lisle B; Londonderry M; Long V; Longford E; Lonsdale E; Louth B; Lucas of Chilworth B; Luke B; Lyvedon B; MacAndrew B; Macdonald B; Malmesbury E; Malvern V; Manchester D; Manton B; Marchamley B; McGowan B; Massy B; May B; Mayo E; Merivale B; Methven B; Mexborough E; Milne B; Milverton B; Molesworth V; Monck V; Moncreiff B; Montagu of Beaulieu B; Monteagle of Brandon B; Moray E; Mottistone B; Mount Edgcumbe E; Muskerry B; Newburgh E; Norbury E; Orkney E; Palmer B; Piercy B; Plymouth E[ Raglan E; Ranfurly E; Rathconnell B; Ravensworth B; Rea B; Reith B; Rendlesham B; Rennell B; Ritchie of Dundee B; Riverdale B; Rochester B; Rodney B; Rootes B; Rosse E; Rothes E; Runciman of Doxford V; Sackville B; St Vincent V; Samuel V; Sanderson of Ayot B; Sandford B; Scarsdale V; Selby V; Selkirk E; Shannon E; Sherfield B; Sidmouth V; Sinclair of Cleve B; Sinclair L; Sinha B; Southwell V; Stamp B; Strabolgi B; Strathcona and Mount Royal B; Stuart of Findhorn V; Sudeley B; Sutherland E; Swinton E; Talbot of Malahide B; Tankerville E; Tedder B; Tenby V; Tennyson B; Teviot B; Teynham B; Thomson of Fleet B; Trimlestown B; Tryon B; Tweedsmuir B; Valentia V; Wakehurst B; Wardington B; Waterford M; Westbury B; Westwood B; Wharncliffe E; Winchester M; Winterton E; Wolverton B; Wraxall B.

All the above are peers regardless of their failure to appear on the Roll. They include Dukes, cousins of the King and Prince of Wales (Harewood, Fermoy, Elphinstone), and the Earl of Dalhousie, who attended the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla. 

So it's quite clear that Andrew's removal from the Roll was done to deceive and bamboozle the public into thinking that the King's brother is no longer Baron Killyleagh, Earl of Inverness or Duke of York, when in fact he is and will be until his death, or until an Act of Parliament is brought before Parliament. 

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A great-grandchild on the way for Princess Alexandra

Tim & Flora.

Flora Vesterberg (nee Ogilvy), wife of Timothy Vesterberg, and a descendant of the Royal House of Windsor, is expecting a baby.

Flora announced the good news on her Instagram page this afternoon.

Flora, a great-great granddaughter of King George V and Queen Mary married Tim Vesterberg at the Chapel Royal St James's Palace, on 26 September, 2020.

Timothy Vesterberg [born 1 Aug, 1993], is a son of Mr & Mrs Patrik Vesterberg, of Stockholm, Sweden.

Flora Alexandra Vesterberg [born 15 December, 1994], is a scion of the Earls of Airlie, only daughter of James Robert Bruce Ogilvy [born 29 February, 1964], of Fawley, by his wife the former Julia Caroline Rawlinson [born 28 Oct, 1964].

Flora is a granddaughter of the late Rt Hon Sir Angus Ogilvy, KCVO, PC [1928-2004], by his wife HRH Princess Alexandra Helen Elizabeth Olga Christabel of Kent [born 25 Dec, 1936], daughter of HRH The late Prince George Edward Alexander Edmund, 1st Duke of Kent [1902-1942], by his wife HRH Princess Marina of Greece & Denmark [1906-68].

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Baron Pitt-Watson

The life peerage recently bestowed upon David James Pitt-Watson has been gazetted in the name, style and title of Baron Pitt-Watson, of Kirkland of Glencairn in the County of Dumfriesshire. H took his seat in the House of Lords, 19 January, 2026.

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Wendy Malet 1926-2026

 Wendy Malet, who died 9 January, 2026, aged 99, was a scion of the Malet baronets.

She was born 21 March, 1926, daughter of Edward Barnabas Wyndham Malet (1894-1961), and his wife the former Esther Grace MacDonald Lyon (who died 6 Sept, 1969), and was unmarried.

She was a great-great-granddaughter of Sir Charles Warre Malet, 1st Baronet, FRS (1752-1815).

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Susannah Mary Hulbert (née Oliphant) 1943-2026

 Susannah Mary Hulbert (née Oliphant) died at Norwich, 9 January, 2026, aged 82.

She was born 16 March, 1943, the eldest daughter of Lieutenant-Commander Ralph Henry Hood Laurence Oliphant, 11th of Condie (1915-1995), head of that landed family, and his wife the former Barbara Mary Drake (1918-1979); and married in 1968, Evelyn Gervase Carson Hulbert, OBE (1942-2018), son of Lieutenant-Colonel John Harvey Hulbert (1912-1980), and his wife the former Elisabeth Lovett (1912-1985), by whom she had two sons, George Gervase (born 1970), and William Laurence (born 1972).

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Arthur Mark Nicole (born 2025)

Dr Charlotte Nicole (nee Craven), wife of Edward Tom George Nicole [born 1990], gave birth to a son, Arthur Mark, 30 December, 2025.

Charlotte is the elder daughter of Mr and Mrs Giles Craven, of Dulwich, London.

Edward Nicole is the eldest son of the late Mr [Timothy] Mark Nicole [1954-2015] and his wife the former Lisa Cleone Vivian Ropner [born 2 July, 1964], now of Rodmarton, Gloucestershire, scion of the Ropner baronets.

Sir Emil Ropner, 1st Baronet [1838-1924] > William Ropner [1864-1947] > John Ropner [1903-96] > Jeremy Ropner [1932-2009] > Lisa Ropner [b 1964] > Edward Nicole [b 1990] > Arthur Nicole (b 2025)

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Hazell/Haig engagement

The engagement was announced 17 January, 2026, between Henry Hugh Hazell (born May 1994), son of Mark David William Hazell (born 1959), of Monmouthshire, and his wife the former Lucinda Ann (Lucy) John (born 1967), & Iona Frances Haig (born 2 January, 1995), scion of that landed gentry family of Ramornie, younger daughter of Alexander Veitch Haig (born 19 November, 1960), of Stirlingshire, and his wife the former Susan Anne Harriet Campbell.

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David John Charles Farquhar 1935-2025

 David John Charles Farquhar, who died 24 December, 2025, aged 90, was a scion of the Farquhar landed gentry family. 

He was born at Weymouth, Dorset, 27 February, 1935, but for the last 60 years of his life he lived in the United States.

He was a son of Commander Charles Robert Stanier Farquhar, RN, OBE (1907-1968), and his wife the former Eleanor Mary Clara Macdonald McHattie (1907-1988). He leaves a widow Martha, and two daughters, Alex and Gillie, and a twin sister, Gillian Mary Tullis.

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The Baron Babuda

The life peerage recently bestowed upon Peter Boniyah Babudu, has been gazetted in the name, style and title of Baron Babuda, of Peckham in the London Borough of Southwark.

Lord Babudu is executive director of Impact on Urban Health. He is a member of Lincoln College Oxford's Anti-Racism Commission. He was chair of the Blagrave Trust. He was councillor for Rye Lane ward on Southwark London Borough Council. In the 2024 United Kingdom general election, he applied to be a candidate in Camberwell and Peckham to succeed Harriet Harman.

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Bromley-Martin/Cox engagement

 The engagement was announced 17 January, 2026, between Charles David Bromley-Martin (born 28 May, 1988), scion of that landed gentry family, son of Michael Granville Bromley-Martin (born 1955), of West Wittering, and his wife the former Anna Frances Birley (born 1 March, 1961), & Georgina Rose Cox (born 1988), daughter of Robin Cox, of Chelwood Gate, and Mrs Sarah Millett, of Uckfield, Sussex.

Charles Bromley-Martin is descended from the Barons Braybrooke and Barons Rayleigh.

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Martin/Baring engagement

 The engagement was announced 17 January, 2026, between Joseph Martin, son of Mr and Mrs Frank Martin, of Moynalvey, Co Meath, and Maud May Baring (born 9 May, 1998), scion of the Barons Revelstoke, daughter of Hugo John Baring (born 12 July, 1970), of Holland Park, London, and his wife the former Annabel Mullion.

Maud Baring is a great-granddaughter of Lady Rose Baring, DCVO (1909-1993), a long serving Woman of the Bedchamber to HM Queen Elizabeth II, and is a kinswoman of the Prince of Wales and Duke of Sussex (both Revelstoke descendants).

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Baroness MacLeod of Camusdarach

 The life peerage recently bestowed upon Catherine Margaret MacLeod has been gazetted in the name, style and title of Baroness MacLeod of Camusdarach,  of Lochaber in the County of Inverness-shire. She is taking her seat in the House of Lords, 9 February, 2026.

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The 4th Baron Kershaw 1936-2026

 The 4th Baron Kershaw, a peer for 63 years, died 4 January, 2026. He was 89.

Edward John Kershaw was born 12 May, 1936, son of the then Edward Aubrey Kershaw (born 29 August, 1906), and his wife the former Katharine Dorothea Staines, daughter of Charles H Staines, of Clapham, London. 

His grandfather, Fred Kershaw, OBE (1881-1961), was a Labour party politician, created a peer in 1947, as Baron Kershaw, of Prestwich in the County Palatine of Lancaster, who later served as a Lord-in-waiting in the Labour government of Clement Attlee, 1945-51. 

On the demise of the first Baron, 5 Feb, 1961, the peerage descended to his eldest son, Herbert (1904-1961), the 2nd peer, who died without male issue five months later, 18 July, 1961, when he was succeeded by his younger brother, Edward Aubrey, 3td Baron, who died six months after succeeding, 22 February, 1962.

The 4th Baron married 20 July,l 1963, Rosalind Lilian Rutherford, 2nd daughter of Ian Strachan Rutherford, of Castlegate, Richmond-on-Thames, co. Surrey, by whom he had issue, a son, John, and two daughters, Victoria and Isobel.

His son, the Hon John Charles Edward Kershaw, born 23 December, 1971, succeeds to the peerage.

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Wigan/Spiegel engagement

 The engagement was announced 16 January, 2026, between Fergus Adam Wigan (born 30 April, 1990), son and heir of Sir Michael Iain Wigan, 6th Baronet (born 3 October, 1951), of Borrobol, Sutherland, and his wife the former Julia Theresa De Courcy Ling (born 1961), & Elizabeth A. Spiegel , daughter of Lawrence Spiegel, of Coral Gables, Florida, and Mrs Spiegel.

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Arthur Charles Mole 1926-2025

 Arthur Charles Mole died 8 January, 2026, aged 99.

He was born at Chertsey, Surrey, in April, 1926, son of Sir Charles Johns Mole, KCB, MVO (1886-1962), the architect who served in the Ministry of Works, eventually becoming its Director-General, by his wife the former Annie Eliza Martin (1883-1962); and married 7 September, 1957, the Hon Susan Mary Hinton (1932-2014), daughter of the life peer the Baron Hinton of Bankside, OM, KBE, FRS (1901-1983), the nuclear engineer, and supervisor of the construction of Calder Hall, the first large-scale nuclear power station in the West.

Arthur Mole leaves two sons, Christopher (born 4 Nov, 1960), and Richard (born 6 Feb, 1966).

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Fairbank/Denny engagement

 The engagement was announced 16 January, 2026, between Adrian C. Fairbank and Mrs Lorna Caroline Denny. The marriage is to take place at Little Missenden, 18 Jan, 2026.

Mrs Denny (nee Statham) is the former wife of Walter Victor Marcel Denny, scion of the Denny baronets.

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Fisher/Burleigh engagement

 The engagement was announced 16 January, 2026, between Benjamin Alexander Francis Fisher (born 28 June, 1995), descended from the Mosley, Talbot, Fitzroy families, only son of Nicholas Francis Fisher (born 12 August, 1964), of Wardour, Wiltshire, and his wife the former Jill Rosemary Allinson, & Georgia Elizabeth Grace Burleigh (born 2002), youngest daughter of Robert G. Burleigh (born 1957), of Sixpenny Handley, Wiltshire, and his wife the former Michelle Anne Rideout (born 1968).

Benjamin's Marlborough descent:-

George Spencer-Churchill, 6th Duke of Marlborough >Lady Clementine Augusta Spencer-Churchill > Evelyn Frances Henrietta Green > Paul Goudime Levkovitsch > Alexandra Goudime-Levkovitsch > Nicholas Francis Fisher > Benjamin Alexander Francis Fisher 

Benjamin's Mosley descent:-

Sir Oswald Mosley, 4th Bt > Constance Mosley > Sheila Violet McNeill > Alexandra Goudime-Levkovitsch > Nicholas Francis Fisher > Benjamin Fisher

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St John/Salgueiro Trillo engagement

 The engagement was announced 16 January, 2026, between William Ramsay Alexander St John (born April, 1995), son of Mr & Mrs John St John, of Hildenborough, Kent,  and Dalila Salgueiro Trillo, daughter of Mr and Mrs Jose Salgueiro Sobrino, of Oviedo, Asturias. 

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Baroness Gill

The life peerage recently bestowed upon Neena Gill, CBE, has been gazetted in the name, style and title of Baroness Gill, of Jewellery Quarter in the City of Birmingham and of Southall in the London Borough of Ealing. She is to be introduced into the House of Lords, 20 January, 2026.

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Baroness Hyde of Bemerton

 The life peerage recently awarded to Sara Kathryn Sabiers Hyde, has been gazetted in the name, style and title of Baroness Hyde of Bemerton. She was introduced to the House of Lords on 15 January, 2026.

HRH Princess Irene of Greece & Denmark 1942-2026

 HRH Princess Irene of Greece & Denmark died in Madrid, 15 January, 2026, aged 83.

Princess Irene was the youngest child of Paul I, King of the Hellenes (1901-1964), a sister of Constantine II, King of the Hellenes (1940-2023), and sister of HM Queen Sofia of Spain (born 2 Nov, 1938), and was aunt of Spain's King Felipe, and a second cousin of King Charles III and of the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra, the Hon Lady Ogilvy. 

She was born in exile in South Africa, 11 May, 1942, daughter of the future King Paul and his wife Princess Frederica of Hanover (1917-1981). She was unmarried.

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Capt. David Anderson Vetch 1929-2026

 David Anderson Vetch, late the Queen's Royal Irish Hussars, died 11 January, 2026.

He was born in London, circa Apr 1929, son of Colonel George Anderson Vetch (1899-1955), of Queensway, Lincoln, and his wife the former Doris Melita Bedford (1902-1981), & married firstly, in 1953 (div. 1965), Moira Anne St Barbe Emmott (born 1931), daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Richard St Barbe Emmott (1896-1949), and his wife the former Hon Irene Mary Egidia Clifton-Hastings-Campbell (1898-1961), daughter of the 2rd Baron Donington (1859-1927); and married 2ndly, Eileen Kavanagh. He left issue from both marriages, a son and a daughter from his first marriage, and two sons from his second marriage.

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James Alexander Toby Caulfeild 1937-2026

 James Alexander Toby Caulfeild, who died 7 January, 2026, aged 88, was a scion of the Viscounts Charlemont.

He was born 30 March, 1937, son of Wade Toby Caulfeild (1902-1991), and his wife the former Philippa Mary Brocklebank (1911-1996); and married in 1976, Diana Penelope Pound (born 1948), daughter of Colonel Martin Pound, RM, and his wife the former Averil J. Harrison, by whom he has issue, four daughters, Harriet, Victoria, Charlotte and Sophie.

-=-

Theodore Charles Valentine Quick (born 2026)

  The Lady Natasha Rose Catherine Linda Quick (nee Howard, born 1987), wife of Charles William H. Quick [born 1985], gave birth to a son, Theodore Charles Valentine, 5 January, 2026, a brother for Vincent Sam (Vinnie), who was born 15 May, 2023.

Lady Natasha is the younger daughter of the 21st Earl of Suffolk and Berkshire [1935-2022], of Charlton Park, Wiltshire, and his third wife, the former Linda Jacqueline Paravicini [born 1950], previously the wife of the 4th Viscount Bridport, and descended from the Swinnerton Dyer baronets.

Charles Quick is a son of the late Michael Quick, and his wife nee Browning, of Banwell Farm, South Mundham, West Sussex.

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Baroness Linforth

The life peerage recently bestowed upon Carol Laurette Linforth, OBE, has been gazetted in the name, style and title of Baroness Linforth, of Redland in the City of Bristol. She is to be introduced into the House of Lords, 2 February, 2026.

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Baron Forbes of Newcastle

The life peerage recently bestowed upon Nicholas Iain Forbes, CBE, has been gazetted in the name, style and title of Baron Forbes of Newcastle, of Heaton in the City of Newcastle upon Tyne.

Baroness Shah of Wembley

 The life peerage recently awarded to Shama Shilesh Tatler, has been gazetted in the name, style and title of Baroness Shah, of Wembley in the London Borough of Brent.

Baron Roe of West Wickham

 The life peerage recently bestowed upon Andrew Dudley Roe has been gazetted in the name, style and title of Baron Roe of West Wickham.

Baroness Paul of Shepherd's Bush

 The life barony recently awarded to Tracey Amanda Paul has been gazetted in the name, style, and title of Baroness Paul of Shepherd's Bush.

Colonel Rhoderick Stuart Cochrane-Dyet 1933-2025

 Colonel Rhoderick Stuart Cochrane-Dyet, late the 9th/12th Queen's Royal Lancers, died 25 December, 2025.

He was born in 1933, a son of Colonel John Cochrane-Dyet (1894-1954), and his wife the former Mary Eleanor Berry (1898-1985), and married 1stly, 23 August, 1957 (div. 1969) Elizabeth Jennifer Jane Seymour (born 20 Oct, 1934), daughter of Almeric Hugh Seymour, CBE (1894-1950), and his wife the former Margaret Kathleen Browne (1898-1984), scion of the Marquesses of Sligo; and married 2ndly, 28 Aug, 1969, Allela Harwood Annan (born 7 January, 1940), daughter of Maj. John Annan (1912-2001), and his wife the former Pamela Harwood James (who died 9 July, 1972).

From his first marriage he leaves two sons, Charles Nicholas (born 4 Oct, 1958), and Christopher James (born 19 Apr, 1963), and a daughter, Amanda Jane (born 17 March, 1961).

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Angela Mary Horsfall (nee Firth) 1943-2026

 Angela Mary Horsfall (nee Firth), died in Edinburgh, 3 January, 2026. She was 82.

She was born circa Oct 1943, in Leeds, a daughter of Henry Firth (1914-1990), and his wife the former Josephine Margaret Muller (1917-2001); and married 4 December, 1965, Donald James Linton Horsfall (born 3 Oct, 1942), the second son of Sir John Musgrave Horsfall, 2nd Baronet (1915-2005), and his wife the former Cassandra Nora Bernardine Wright (1919-2009), by whom she had issue, two sons, Peter (born 1970), and Richard (1973), and a daughter, Elizabeth (born 1968).

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Stephenson/McEuen engagement

 The engagement was announced 14 January, 2026, between Alexander Foster Lyon Stephenson (born 9 February, 1995), scion of the Stephenson baronets, the elder son of George Lyon Stephenson (born 23 Apr, 1962), of Barford St Martin, Wiltshire, and his wife the former Lucilla C. Clay (born 1964), scion of that landed gentry family, & Isobel Johanneke McEuen (born 25 November, 1999), daughter of James Stewart McEuen (born 1969), of Owston, Leicestershire, and his wife the former Katharine Johanna Lawson-Dick (born 1970).

Sir Henry Stephenson, 1st Bt (1865-1947) > Charles Eustace Kenyon Stephenson (1903-1971) > Charles Lyon Stephenson (b 1935) > George Lyon Stephenson (b 1962) > Alexander Stephenson (b 1995)

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Richardson/Coe engagement

 The engagement was announced 14 January, 2026, between Jack Michael N. Richardson (born 1991), son of Kim Richardson, of Corscombe, West Dorset, and his wife nee Faber, & the Hon Alice India Violet Coe (born 1998), daughter of the Baron Coe, CH, KBE (born 29 September, 1956), life peer, the sports administrator, former politician and retired track and field athlete, who as a middle-distance runner, he  won four Olympic medals, by his 1st former wife the former Nicola (Nicky) McIrvine (now Nicky, Lady Coe, of Kensington).

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Kirsty van Zeller (née Smith) (died 2026)

Kirsty van Zeller died 3 January, 2026, in Nairobi, aged 37.

A daughter of Hugh Smith, and married 25 July, 2020, Jonathan Frederick (Jonty) van Zeller (born 1988), son of Nicholas Howard van Zeller, of Vernham Dean, Andover, by his wife the former Emma Ward Jones (born 1956), scion of the Jones baronets.

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Hon Una Rowcliffe (née Slim) 1930-2026

The Hon Una Rowcliffe, who died 5 January, 2026, aged 95, was a scion of the Viscounts Slim.

She was born 1 December, 1930, daughter of Field Marshal the 1st Viscount Slim, KG, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, GBE, DSO, MC (1891-1970), and his wife the former Aileen Robertson, DStJ (1901-1994); and was twice wed, firstly, 17 Jan, 1953 (div. 1979), Major Peter Nigel Stewart Frazer, son of Colonel Donald Frazer, of Tiverton, Devon, and married 2ndly, 1980, a his second wife, Ronald Frederick Rowcliffe (1929-2010), son of Reuben Henry Rowcliffe (1899-1972), and is wife the former Clara Elizabeth Buckingham (1898-1967).

From her first marriage she leaves three daughters, Sarah Juliet (born 15 Dec, 1953), Jennifer Jane (born 23 Nov, 1956), and Emma Mary (born 23 July, 1965).

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Baron Docherty of Milngavie

 The  life peerage recently bestowed upon Joseph Paul Docherty has been gazetted in the name, style and title of Baron Docherty of Milngavie, and is to be to be introduced into the House of Lords on 19 January.

Kane/Torrington engagement

 The engagement was announced 10 January, 2026, between Jack Andrew D. Kane (born 1998), son of Jonatehan Stephen Henry Arthur Kane (born October, 1965), of Chelsea, London, and his wife the former Hon Clarinda Jane Weir (born 22 May, 1968), and Martha Rose Torrington (born 5 June, 1999), daughter of Paul G.F. Torrington (born 1959), of Holton St Mary, Suffolk, and his wife the former Frances C. Partridge (born 1963).

Jack Kane is a grandson of 3rd Baron Inverforth (1932-1982).

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Hon Lady Dalyell of The Binns, OBE 1937-2025

 The Hon Lady Dalyell of The Binns died 27 December, 2025. She was 88.

She was a deputy lieutenant for West Lothian from 2001, and was appointed OBE in 2005. She was chatelaine of The Binns, the historic family home of the Dalyell family.

She was the widow of the firebrand Labour MP Sir Thomas Dalyell, 11th Baronet FRSGS (1932– 2017), known as Tam Dalyell, who was a Scottish politician who served as MP for Linlithgow (formerly West Lothian) from 1962 to 2005. A member of the Labour Party, he was best known for formulating what came to be known as the "West Lothian question", on whether non-English MPs should be able to vote upon English-only matters after political devolution. He was also known for his staunch anti-war views, opposing the Falklands War, the Gulf War, the War in Afghanistan and the Iraq War.

She was born Kathleen Mary Agnes Wheatley, 17 November, 1937, daughter of John Thomas Wheatley (1908-1988), who was Solicitor General for Scotland from March to October 1947, when he was appointed Lord Advocate.] He was appointed a King's Counsel and a Privy Counsellor in 1947. One of his most significant achievements as a politician was the establishment of the legal aid scheme in Scotland. He was appointed to the bench, with the judicial title Lord Wheatley. In 1963, he heard the notorious divorce case of Ian Campbell, 11th Duke of Argyll. He granted the Duke a divorce and, in his written opinion, was harshly critical of the Duchess. In 1966 he was appointed chairman of the Royal Commission on Local Government in Scotland. 

Kathleen's mother was Nancy Nicholl (1906-1995).

She married 26 December, 1963, Thomas (Tam) Dalyell of the Binns (born 9 August, 1932), son of Lieutenant-Colonel Percy Gordon Loch (who died in 1953), who was recognised in the surname of Dalyell of The Binns, by Lord Lyon King of Arms, by his wife Eleanor Isabel Dalyell (1895-1972), who succeeded her father in 1935 as a 'Baronetess' in her own right, and who died 5 Feb, 1972.

Tam Dalyell succeeded his mother as the 11th Baronet Dalyell [N.S., 1685] on 5 February 1972, but he did not use the title.2 In 1973 his claim to the baronetcy was allowed by the Privy Council. He died 26 January, 2017.

She leaves a son Sir Gordon Wheatley Dalyell, 12th Baronet (born 26 September, 1965), and a daughter, Moira Eleanor (born 25 May, 1968).

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Flora Mary Crichton (nee Carr-Saunders) 1934-2025

 Flora Mary Crichton who died 30 December, 2025, aged 91, was for three decades the chatelaine of Traquair, the Jacobite stronghold and Scotland’s oldest inhabited house. With her first husband, she opened Traquair to the public, revived its 300-year-old brewery and created the largest hedged maze in Scotland.

Traquair is the family seat of her first husband, Peter Maxwell Stuart, 20th Laird of Traquair, and the family have lived there uninterruptedly since the 15th century.

She was born Flora Mary Carr-Saunders, 2 March, 1934, daughter of Sir Alexander Morris Carr-Saunders, KBE (1886-1966),  the biologist, sociologist, academic, and academic administrator. He was Director of the London School of Economics from 1937 to 1957, by his wife the former Teresa Marie Molyneux-Seel (1895-1989); and she married firstly, 1 September, 1956, Capt Peter D'Arcy Joseph Constable-Maxwell-Stuart of Traquair, 20th feudal Baron of Traquair (1922-1990), son of Francis Joseph Maxwell-Stuart of Traquair, 19th of Traquair (1886-1962), and his wife the former Dorothy Mary Hartley (who died in 1975); and married 2ndly, in 1999, (Anthony) Robin Crichton (born Bournemouth, May, 1940), son of Robert Crichton and his wife the former Edith Caroline Pate (1903-1994).

From her first marriage she leaves a daughter, Catherine Margaret Mary Maxwell-Stuart of Traquair, 21st feudal Baroness of Traquair (born 16 November, 1964).

This patrician Scottish Catholic dynasty descends from the Scottish King James III’s half-uncle, the Earl of Buchan. In 1491, the Peeblesshire land passed to his son James Stuart, who became 1st Laird of Traquair.

As the family prospered – today’s website boasts visits from 27 Scottish monarchs – the three-storey tower on the River Tweed became an elegant four-storey country mansion, staunchly associated with the Jacobite cause. It is said that the Bear Gates of Traquair have been locked since 1745, when the 11th Laird wished Bonnie Prince Charlie a safe journey, and declared that the gates would not be opened until a Stuart sat on the throne.

The Stuart inheritance, which included an earldom created in 1633, passed through the male line until 1875, when the unmarried Lady Louisa Stuart died. Traquair was then acquired by her cousin Henry Constable Maxwell, who adopted the Maxwell Stuart surname. In 1942, it was inherited by Peter’s father Francis, who on his death in 1962 passed it on to Peter.

The Traquair estate consists of about 4,000 acres, including farms, forestry and a stretch of the River Tweed. Peter and Flora re-opened the house to the public in 1963, with a shop and tearoom. It was the early years of Scotland’s private houses being opened to the public, but with Traquair’s connections to Mary Queen of Scots and Bonnie Prince Charlie, visitor numbers increased dramatically.

On her husband's death in 1990 their daughter Catherine, who was in her mid-twenties, and able to step into the breach. Together Flora and Catherine ran the business until Flora created the Traquair House Charitable Trust, which is overseen to this day by Catherine and her husband Mark Muller, KC.

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Rear Admiral John Oliver Roberts, CB 1924-2025

Rear Admiral John Oliver Roberts, CB, died 27 December, 2025, aged 101.

He was a naval officer who saw service in the Second World War. Was a Midshipman on HM Ships Renown and Tartar, 1941-43; Sub-Lieutenant, HMS Serapis 1943-44; Lieutenant, 1945; HMS Triumph 1947-49; RNAS, Lossiemouth, 1949-51; Flag Lieutenant to FOGT, 1952; Lieutenant-Commander, 1953; HMAS Vengeance & Sydney, 1953-54; Commanding Officer No. 803 Squadron, HMS Eagle 1957-58; Commander, 1958; RNVR Southern Air Div 1954-56; later on Naval Staff 1962-64; Captain 1964; CSO Flag Officer Aircraft Carriers, 1964-66; CO, HMS Galatea 1966-68; Naval Staff 1968-70; Commanding Officer HMS Ark Royal 1971-72; Rear Admiral, 1972; Flag Officer, Sea Training 1972-74; COS to C-in-C Fleet 1974-76; Flag Officer Naval Air Command, 1976-78.

He was appointed CB in 1976.

He was born 4 April, 1924,  son of John Vaughan Roberts, of Llangurig, Montgomeryshire.

He was four times married - firstly, on 16 June, 1950 (div. 1960), the Lady Hermione Mary Morton Stuart (1925-1969), daughter of the 19th Earl of Moray (1894-1974); married 2ndly, 1963 (div. 1987), Honor Morigold Gordon Gray; married 3rdly, 1987, Sheila Violet Mary Traub (nee Barker) who died in 2012; and fourthly, 2014, Gillian ffrench Reckitt (nee Nobbs).

He leaves a daughter, Doune Joanna, from his first marriage, and a son and a daughter from his second marriage.

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Primrose Merriweather Lightbody Leigh-Pemberton (born 2026)

  Rosa Laura L. Leigh-Pemberton (née Goodman), wife of Robert Eustace Walter Leigh-Pemberton [born 1991], scion of that landed gentry family, gave birth to a daughter, Primrose Merriweather Lightbody, a sister for Marigold Loveday Lightbody, born 4 November, 2023.

Rosa is a daughter of Professor Robert Goodman, of Dulwich Village, and his wife the former Susan N. Lightbody. Robert is the second son of the Hon John David Leigh-Pemberton [born 16 March, 1955], of Frinsted, Kent, and his wife the former Kathryn Felice Lampard, and is a grandson paternally of the life peer the Baron Kingsdown, KG, JP, PC [1927-2013], who as Sir Robin Leigh-Pemberton was Governor of the Bank of England 1983-1993.

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Primrose Jane Moubray (nee Whitworth) 1932-2025

Primrose Jane Moubray died 29 December, 2025.

She was born in 1932, a daughter of Major Noel Lupton Whitworth (1902-1969), and his wife the former Imelda Wendy Whitworth (same surname); and married in 1955, (John) Michael Moubray (1930-2014), scion of that landed gentry family, son of Colonel John Moubray, DSO (1898-1951), by his wife the former Meriel Christian Maud Bower (1900-1973), scion of that landed gentry family, by whom she had a son, Charles and a daughter, Catherine.

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 Alexandra Clutterbuck (née Boughton), wife of Henry Charles Meadows Clutterbuck (born 10 June, 1992), scion of that landed gentry family, gave birth to a son, Austin Robert Meadows, in Sydney, NSW, 16 December, 2025.

Henry is the son of Hugh Meadows Clutterbuck (1959-2011), by his 1st wife Camilla Nicholson (1962-2018), descended from the Barons Sudeley.

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Gordon Cumming/O'Donnell engagement

 The engagement was announced 10 January, 2026, between William Gordon Cumming of Altyre, Younger (born 4 April, 1993), son and heir of Sir Alexander Penrose Gordon Cumming of Altyre, 7th Baronet (born 15 Apr, 1954), of the Altyre estate, Forres, Moray, and his wife the former Louise Clifton-Brown (born 17 September, 1961), and Florence Isabel O'Donnell (born 1992), daughter of Simon O'Donnell, of Tunbridge Wells, Kent and his wife the former Audrey P. Hall.

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Archibald/Theakston engagement

 The engagement was announced 9 January, 2025, between Rory William E. Archibald (born 1995), youngest son of James Leslie Archibald (born 1962), of Coton Hall, Shropshire, and his wife the former Nicola-Jane Lucy (nee Howard, born Dec 1960), former wife of Maj Colin Piers Lister Sandbach (born 1956), scion of that landed gentry family; & Tessa Miranda Theakston (born 25 November, 1997), scion of the Theakston brewing family, daughter of Edward David Theakston (born 1962), of Jervaulx, North Yorkshire, and his wife the former Vanda Mary Chisenhale-Marsh (born 1966), scion of that landed gentry family.

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Leo Georges Anderson Padovan (born 2025)

 Noa Padovan (née Rataj-Mongelous), wife of Oliver Humphrey Umberto Padovan (born 1997), descended from the 1st Baron Hunsdon, gave birth to a son, Leo Georges Anderson Padovan, 8 November, 2025.

Oliver Padovan is a son of Benedict John Anderson Padovan (born 1965), of Old Burghclere, Hampshire, and his wife the former Arabella Sophie Gibbs (born 4 January, 1967), scion of the Barons Hunsdon (now Aldenham & Hunsdon).

Oliver is a great-grandson of Sir Humphrey Vicary Gibbs, GCVO, KCMG, OBE, PC (1902-1990), penultimate Gov of the Colony of Southern Rhodesia.

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Wood/Padovan engagement

 The engagement was announced 9 January, 2026, between Aubrey Thomas Wood (born 1999), son of Philip J. Wood, of Stoney Heath, Hampshire, and his wife the former Lois Pirnie (born 1964), & Daisy Amelia Padovan (born 1999), daughter of Benedict John Anderson Padovan (born 1965), of Old Burghclere, Hampshire, and his wife the former Arabella Sophie Gibbs (born 4 January, 1967), scion of the Barons Hunsdon (now Aldenham & Hunsdon).

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The Baron Duvall

 The life peerage recently bestowed upon Leonard Lloyd Duvall has been gazetted in the name, style and tite of Baron Duvall, of Woolwich in the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

Letters Patent dated in the afternoon of 8 January, 2026.

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The Baron Doyle

The life peerage recently conferred upon Matthew Leo Doyle has been gazetted in the name, style and title of Baron Doyle, of Great Barford in the County of Bedfordshire: 

Letters Patent dated in the forenoon of 8 January, 2026.

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Mary Hodges (nee Pryor) 1944-2025

 Mary Hodges, who died 23 December, 2025, aged 81, was a scion of the Pryor landed gentry family.

She was born 29 November, 1944, younger daughter of Major Peter Pryor (1907-1980), and his wife the former Anna Margaret Pepys (1906-2000), scion of the Earls of Cottenham; and married 15 March, 1969, Roy Hodges, son of Francis Hodges, of Tangley, Shenfield, Essex, by whom she had two sons, Jeremy George Hodges (born 1972), and Jonathan Francis (Jack) Hodges (born 1976).

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Katherine Hills (née Alderson-Smith) 1939-2025

  Katherine Adrian Hills died 23 December, 2025. 

She was born in 1939, a daughter of Guy Fairbairn Alderson-Smith (1908-1968), by his wife the former Constance Adrian Mary Mary Swan (1913-1985), & married 6 March, 1964, Colonel John Evelyn Baring Hills (1939-2009), son of Lieutenant-Colonel John David Hills (1895-1975), and his wife the Lady Rosemary Ethel Baring (1908-2004), daughter of the 2nd Earl of Cromer (1877-1953); by whom she had a son, (John) George Baring Hills (born 24 March, 1966), and a daughter, Veronica Adrian Harriet (Wonkie) Hills (born 23 Aug, 1968).

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Hon Mrs Gerald Maitland-Carew 1951-2026

 Rosalind Averil Maitland-Carew (nee Speke), died 3 January, 2026. She was 74. She was a scion of the Speke landed gentry family.

She was born in 1951, a daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Neil Hanning Reed Speke, MC and Bar (1917-1996), of Aydon White House, Corbridge, Northumberland, and his wife the former Averil Allgood Straker (b .1920), scion of that landed gentry family of Stagshaw; and married in 1972, the Hon Gerald Edward Ian Maitland-Carew, CVO (born 28 December, 1941), the second son of the 6th Baron Carew (1905-1994), and his wife the former Lady Sylvia Gwendoline Eva Maitland (1913-1991), daughter of the 15th Earl of Lauderdale (1891-1953).

She leaves issue, two sons Edward and Peter and a daughter, Emma.

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John Alexander Coke 1946-2025

 John Alexander Coke, who died 12 December, 2025, aged 79, was a scion of the Earls of Leicester.

He was born 15 June, 1946, the eldest son of Lieutenant-Colonel Gerald Edward Coke, CBE, JP (1907-1990), and his wife the former Patricia Cadogan (1916-1995), scion of the Earls Cadogan.

He was a grandson of the courtier Major the Hon John Spencer Coke, KCVO (1880-1957), Equerry to Queen Mary 1938-53, Gentleman Usher in Ordinary to King George VI , and Extra Usher in Ordinary to Queen Elizabeth II.

He married in 1980 (div, 1987) Karen Johnson.

He was a second cousin twice removed of Sarah Ferguson, lately Duchess of York, and a first cousin once removed of Jack Brooksbank, husband of Princess Eugenie of York.

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Pelly/Vaughan engagement

 The engagement was announced 8 January, 2025, between Rupert Alexander Pelly (born 26 November, 1980), scion of the Pelly baronets, second son of William Henry Pelly (born 23 October, 1946), of Sherringtson, Wiltshire, and his wife the former Anne Byrne, & Tamsin Caroline (Tatty) Vaughan (born 1987), daughter of David H. Vaughan, of London, and his wife, the late Jane Catherine M. Vaughan (1957-2022).

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Sarah (Sally), Lady Codrington (died 2025)

 Sarah, Lady Codrington, who died 21 December, 2025, was the former wife of the late Sir Simon Codrington, 3rd Baronet.

She was the former Sarah Gwynn Pennell and married 1stly, 1961, Charles C.P. Kaye; and married 2ndly (or thirdly?____Gaze), 4 January, 1980 (div. 1987), as his third wife, Sir Simon Francis Bethell Codrington, 3rd Baronet (born 14 Aug, 1923), son of Sir Christopher Codrington, 2nd Baronet (1894-1979), by his wife the former Joan Mary Hague-Cook (died 1961). Sir Simon succeeded to the baronetcy, 10 Nov, 1979, and died 17 Aug, 2005.

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Barlow/Conyngham engagement

 The engagement was announced 8 January, 2026, between Jack Stephen Barlow (born 1988), son of Mr Stephen J. Barlow, of Worthing, West Sussex, and his wife the former Sharon Mackey, and Frances Lucia Conyngham (born 1991), daughter of Lord Simon Charles Eveleigh Wren Conyngham (born 20 November, 1953), of Edinburgh, & Carole Crossman Power, of Ferring, West Sussex.

Frances Conyngham is a granddaughter of the late 7th Marquess Conyngham (1924-2009).

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Baroness Dacres of Lewisham

The life peerage recently conferred upon Brenda Vanessa Dacres, OBE, has been gazetted in the name, style and title of Baroness Dacres of Lewisham, of Deptford in the London Borough of Lewisham. 

Letters Patent dated in the afternoon of 7 January 2026.

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Baron John of Southwark

The life peerage recently bestowed upon Peter Charles John, OBE, has been gazetted in the name, style and title of Baron John of Southwark, of Pattiswick in the County of Essex. 

The Letters Patent dated in the forenoon of 7 January, 2026.

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Peter Edward Bugge 1943-2026

Peter Edward Bugge died 2 January, 2026, aged 82.

He was born in 1943 son of Edward Walter Bugge (1906-1983), and his wife the former Edith Elizabeth Webster (1912-1994); and married in 1974, Helen Penelope Hippisley Coxe (1946-2010), daughter of Lieutenant Commander Antony Dacres Hippisley Coxe, RN (1912-1988), by his wife the former Araminta Peel (1916-1999), descended from the Hunter Blair baronets, by whom he had two sons, Charles Edward A. Bugge (born 1975), and Jonathan Peter  Bugge (born 1977).

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Delia Flora Graham-Clarke 1931-2025

Delia Flora Graham-Clarke, who died 25 December, 2025, aged 94, was a scion of that landed gentry family.

She was born 28 July, 1931, daughter of Gerald Graham-Clarke (1873-1961), and his wife the former Albertha Mildred Miles (1893-1955), scion of that landed gentry family. She was unmarried.

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Dame Gillian Wagner, DBE 1927-2025

 Dame Gillian Wagner, DBE, who died 31 December, 2025, aged 98, was an expert in children’s history and the chairman, at various times, of the children’s charity Barnardo’s, the Thomas Coram Foundation and the Carnegie Trust.

She was the widow of Sir Anthony Wagner, herald and distinguished genealogist, who was head of the Wagner landed family.

She was born Gillian Mary Millicent Graham, 25 October, 1927, a scion of a landed gentry family, daughter of Major Henry Archibald Roger Graham (1892-1970), and his wife the Hon Margaret Beatrix Lopes (1898-1984), daughter of the 1st Baron Roborough (1859-1938); and married 26 February, 1953, Anthony Richard Wagner (born 6 September, 1908), scion of that landed family, son of Orlando Henry Wagner (1867-1956), head of that LG family, and his wife the former Monica Bell (1878-1971). Her husband, Anthony Wagner, was Garter Principal King of Arms, 1961-78. He was appointed CVO in 1953, advanced to KCVO in 1961, appointed KCB in 1978. He died 5 May, 1995.

Dame Gillian leaves issue, two sons, Roger and Mark, and a daughter, Lucy.

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