Edward FitzGerald, 7th Duke of Leinster

Edward FitzGerald, 7th Duke of Leinster, etc. (6 May 1892 – 8 March 1976), known as Lord Edward FitzGerald before 1922 was Ireland's Premier Peer of the Realm.

Life

The third son of the 5th Duke, he unexpectedly inherited the Dukedom from his eldest brother, Maurice FitzGerald, 6th Duke of Leinster, in 1922.^{[citation needed]} An addicted gambler, he had already signed away his possible reversionary rights to the family's ancestral seat, Carton House, near Maynooth in County Kildare, never expecting that he would actually inherit the property and his title.^{[citation needed]} He moved to live in England.^{[citation needed]} He squandered a substantial inheritance and became known as the bedsit Duke, long before he died by suicide in 1976 by taking an overdose of pentobarbital.

Marriages and children

The duke had married four times:

He married first to a chorus girl named May Etheridge (died 11 February 1935) in London on 12 June 1913. They divorced in 1930. Together with her he had one child, a son (and heir of the peerage titles):

• Gerald FitzGerald, 8th Duke of Leinster (27 May 1914 - 3 December 2004)

He married secondly to Raffaella Kennedy (died 28 December 1993, London) on 1 December 1932; they divorced in 1946. On 11 March 1946, he married thirdly to Jessie Smither, aka Denise Orme (died 1960), who was the former wife of the John Yarde-Buller, 3rd Baron Churston. He also divorced her. Finally, he married fourthly to Vivien Irene Felton, formerly Mrs. Conner (19 February 1920 – Brighton, Sussex, 1992) in 1965. He did not father any children with these wives.

The duke had an illegitimate son by Yvonne Probyn:

• Adrian Dighton Desmond FitzGerald (born 1952)

References

• Ducal House of Leinster

Peerage of Ireland
Preceded by Maurice FitzGerald	Duke of Leinster 1922–1976	Succeeded by Gerald FitzGerald