Charles Beauclerk, 13th Duke of St Albans

Charles Beaulerk 13th Duke of St. Albans in London, 1981 by Allan Warren.

Charles Frederick Aubrey de Vere Beauclerk, 13th Duke of St Albans OBE (16 August 1915 – 8 October 1988) was a British soldier and peer.

Background

St Albans was the son of Aubrey Topham Beauclerk and Gwendolen Loftus Beauclerk (née Hughes). He was the great-grandson of William Beauclerk, 8th Duke of St Albans.

Career

St Albans had a very successful career in the army, achieving the rank of Colonel in the Intelligence Corps before the age of 30, and later working in the British Embassy in Vienna. He moved to London after the birth of his fourth son, and joined the Central Office of Information. He became head in turn of the Film, Radio and Book divisions. He inherited the title from his cousin in 1964, after which he left the Central Office of Information. He attempted to rebuild the family fortunes through a series of ill-advised ventures, in an area of work that he was not equipped to deal with. This led to massive personal losses for himself, and accusation of mishandling of share dealing in relation to the company Grendon Securities.

Family

He married, firstly, Nathalie Chatham Walker, on 21 March 1938 and they were divorced in 1947. They had one child:

• Murray Beauclerk, 14th Duke of St Albans (b. 19 January 1939)

He married, secondly, Suzanne Marie Adele Fesq, who was a writer and wrote 14 books, most recently Mango and Mimosa (2000) on 19 March 1947. They had four children:

• Lord Peter Charles de Vere Beauclerk (b. 13 January 1948)
• Lord James Charles Fesq de Vere Beauclerk (b. 6 February 1949)
• Lord John William Aubrey de Vere Beauclerk (b. 10 February 1950)
• Lady Caroline Ann de Vere Beauclerk (b. 19 July 1951)
• Still born daughter (b. & d. 15 November 1963)

References

• Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th Edition, edited by Charles Mosley, Wilmington, Delaware, 2003, vol III, pp. 3459-3466, ISBN 0-9711966-2-1

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Duke of St Albans

Peerage of England
Preceded by Osborne Beauclerk	Duke of St Albans 1964–1988	Succeeded by Murray Beauclerk