Peregrine Cavendish, 12th Duke of Devonshire

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The Duke of Devonshire
Peregrine_Andrew_Morny_Cavendish,_12th_Duke_of_Devonshire
The Duke in his garden at the Chatsworth Estate (2016)
Chancellor of the University of Derby
In office
October 2008 – March 2018
DeputyJohn Coyne (2008–11)
Kathryn Mitchell (2011–2018)
Preceded byProfessor Leslie Wagner
Succeeded byWilliam Cavendish, Earl of Burlington
Her Majesty's Representative at Ascot
In office
1997–2011
MonarchElizabeth II
Preceded bySir Piers Bengough
Succeeded byJohn Weatherby
Personal details
Born
Peregrine Andrew Morny Cavendish

(1944-04-27) 27 April 1944 (age 79)
Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, England
Spouse
Amanda Heywood-Lonsdale
(m. 1967)
ChildrenWilliam Cavendish, Earl of Burlington
Lady Celina Cavendish
Lady Jasmine Cavendish
Lady Mary Cavendish
Parent(s)Andrew Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire
Deborah Mitford
Residence(s)Chatsworth House
Bolton Abbey
Lismore Castle
TitleDuke of Devonshire
Tenure 3 May 2004 – present
Other titlesEarl of Burlington (1944–1950)
Marquess of Hartington (1950–2004)
PredecessorAndrew Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire

Peregrine Andrew Morny Cavendish, 12th Duke of Devonshire, KCVO, CBE, DL (also known as "Stoker";[1] born 27 April 1944), is an English peer. He is the only surviving son of Andrew Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire, and his wife, the former Deborah Mitford. He succeeded to the dukedom following the death of his father on 3 May 2004. Before his succession, he was styled Earl of Burlington from 1944 until 1950 and Marquess of Hartington between 1950 and 2004. His immediate family are owner-occupiers of Chatsworth House and are worth an estimated £905 million.[2] Estates landscaped before 1900 by the family (who maintain a luxury hotels business) are parts of Derbyshire and North Yorkshire. Other capital managed by the Duke includes fine and contemporary art, forestry and farming.

Early life and education[edit]

Cavendish was born on 27 April 1944 in Chatsworth House, the second child and only surviving son of Andrew Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire, and Deborah Mitford. His mother was the youngest of the Mitford sisters. His paternal uncle was William Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington, who married Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy (a member of the Kennedy family and younger sister of U.S. President John F. Kennedy). He is a first cousin of merchant banker Jonathan Guinness, 3rd Baron Moyne (born 1930), the Irish preservationist Desmond Guinness (1931–2020), Max Mosley (1940–2021), former President of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), and fourth cousin of Diana, Princess of Wales. His niece was fashion model Stella Tennant (1970–2020).

In 1953, his grandmother served as Mistress of the Robes at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Cavendish was a Page of Honour in the ceremony, carrying his grandmother's coronet.

He was educated at Eton College, Exeter College, Oxford, where he read history, and at the Royal Agricultural College (now the Royal Agricultural University), Cirencester.[3]

Horse racing[edit]

The duke is well known in the world of horse racing and served as Her Majesty's Representative at Ascot and chairman of Ascot Racecourse Ltd. In 1980 he was elected to the Jockey Club and in 1989 he was appointed its Senior Steward (that is, chairman).[4] During his five-year term of office, he oversaw a number of changes within the racing industry, in particular the creation of the British Horseracing Board which is now the governing authority for British racing. He was appointed first chairman of the board in June 1993 and retired at the end of his term in 1996. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to racing in 1997 and Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) in the 2009 New Year Honours for his services as Her Majesty's Representative at Ascot.[5] The Duke and Duchess were invited to ride in the King's carriage at Royal Ascot 2023.[6]

Other interests[edit]

He was appointed a trustee of the Wallace Collection in 2007.[7] He is a trustee of Sheffield Galleries and Museums Trust.[8]

He is chairman of the Devonshire Arms Hotel Group, a chain of countryside hotels in North Yorkshire and Derbyshire, and deputy chairman of Sotheby's. He collects modern British and contemporary painting and sculpture, as well as works in other areas, many of which are on display at his family seat Chatsworth House. The Duke and Duchess and the house and estate grounds were featured in the BBC documentary series Chatsworth.[9]

In December 2012, he sold Auxiliary cartoon for the Head of a Young Apostle by Raphael for £29.7m at a Sotheby's auction.[10]

As of 2016, he is the owner of Heywood Hill, a notable bookstore in London where his aunt Nancy Mitford used to work.[11]

He took up the position as the third chancellor of the University of Derby at a ceremony on 28 October 2008 in Buxton.[12][13]

The duke is a current patron of St Wilfrid's Hospice in Eastbourne.[14]

The range of Cavendish Pianos was named after the family name of the duke to recognise his support, which was critical to the establishment of the new firm.[15]

He was the third chancellor of the University of Derby, serving from 2008 to March 2018.[16] He stepped down from the role in 2018 and his son and heir, William Cavendish, Earl of Burlington was nominated and installed as the fourth and current Chancellor of the university in March 2018.[17]

The duke has provided a Swaledale Ram as mascot to the Mercian Regiment since the regiment's inception. In 2017, he presented Private Derby to the Regiment.[18]

The duke was invited to attend the service of thanksgiving for Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh's life at Westminster Abbey on 29 March 2022.

After the death of the Queen on 8 September 2022, The Duke and Duchess were invited to her funeral on 19 September.

In 2023, the duke attended the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla.

Marriage and children[edit]

The duke married Amanda Carmen Heywood-Lonsdale, daughter of Commander Edward Gavin Heywood-Lonsdale, on 28 June 1967. Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother attended the wedding ceremony. They have three children:[19]

Chatsworth House[edit]

One of the homes of the Duke and Duchess is Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. They are involved in the operation of the house as a tourist attraction.[20] In 2019, the Duke and Duchess visited Sotheby's to view "Treasures From Chatsworth", including art and artifacts from Chatsworth House, that would be displayed in New York.[21][22]

Titles, honours and arms[edit]

Titles[edit]

He succeeded as the 12th Duke of Devonshire, 12th Marquess of Hartington, the 7th Earl of Burlington, the 15th Earl of Devonshire, the 15th Baron Cavendish of Hardwick, and the 7th Baron Cavendish of Keighley on 3 May 2004.

In February 2010, the Duke announced his intention to give up his title if hereditary peers were removed from the House of Lords, on the basis that "the aristocracy is dead" and "because then it would be clear-cut what the people wanted, and it would be confusing to maintain hereditary titles".[23]

Honours[edit]

Coat of arms of Peregrine Cavendish, 12th Duke of Devonshire
Coronet
A coronet of a duke
Crest
A Serpent nowed proper
Escutcheon
Sable three Bucks' heads cabossed Argent
Supporters
On either side a Buck proper wreathed round the neck with a Chaplet of Roses alternately Argent and Azure
Motto
Cavendo Tutus (Secure by Caution)

References[edit]

  1. ^ Chatsworth – A statement from the Duke (Archive accessed 24 May 2016)
  2. ^ "The Sunday Times Rich List 2022". www.thetimes.co.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  3. ^ "Peregrine Andrew Morny Cavendish". wealthx.com. Archived from the original on 7 February 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  4. ^ "The Tatler List". Tatler. Archived from the original on 5 February 2016.
  5. ^ "No. 58929". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2008. p. 3.
  6. ^ "Ascot Racecourse on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  7. ^ Wallace Collection-New Trustees
  8. ^ Museum & Galleries Assistant Archived 22 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ "The Duke of Devonshire: a reluctant reality TV star". The Daily Telegraph. 6 May 2012.
  10. ^ Kate Green, Chatsworth's Raphael sells for £29.7m , Country Life, 6 December 2012.
  11. ^ Sarah Lyall (2 February 2016). "The Tiny London Shop Behind Some of the Very Best Libraries". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 February 2016. London's Heywood Hill curates impressive collections for discerning customers in 60 different countries – and specializes in the obscure.
  12. ^ Kirby, Sean. University of Derby – Duke of Devonshire Revealed As University’s New Chancellor Archived 16 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine, University of Derby, 6 March 2008. Retrieved 25 September 2010.
  13. ^ Hawley, Zena. Duke of Devonshire becomes new chancellor at the University of Derby Archived 2 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine, This Is Derbyshire, 27 October 2008. Retrieved 25 September 2010.
  14. ^ St Wilfrid's Hospice in Eastbourne, stwhospice.org. Accessed 10 January 2023.
  15. ^ Morrison, Richard (27 February 2013). "Cavendish Pianos really are in a field of their own". The Times. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
  16. ^ a b "Our Chancellor". derby.ac.uk. University of Derby.
  17. ^ "New Chancellor installed at the University of Derby". www.derby.ac.uk. University of Derby. 16 March 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  18. ^ "Derby With The Duke and Duchess of Devonshire". YouTube. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  19. ^ Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes. Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003
  20. ^ "EDENSOR AND THE CHATSWORTH ESTATE". Chatsworth Estate. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  21. ^ "An English Manor Travels Across the Pond and Opens for Visitors". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  22. ^ "Treasures from Chatsworth: The Exhibition". Sotheby's. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  23. ^ Walker, Tim. Aristocrats dismiss the despondent Duke of Devonshire’s fears, The Telegraph, 22 February 2010. Retrieved 25 September 2010.
Court offices
Preceded by Her Majesty's Representative at Ascot
1997–2011
Succeeded by
John Weatherby
Peerage of England
Preceded by Duke of Devonshire
2004–present
Incumbent
Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom
Preceded by Gentlemen
The Duke of Devonshire
Succeeded by
Academic offices
Preceded by Chancellor of the University of Derby
2008–2018
Succeeded by