David Cholmondeley, 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley

The Most Honourable The Marquess of Cholmondeley KCVO DL
Photograph of Lord Cholmondeley at the Palace of Westminster in 1992
Lord Great Chamberlain of England
Incumbent
Assumed office 13 March 1990 Serving with 13 Others
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Preceded by	The Marquess of Cholmondeley
Personal details
Born	David George Philip Cholmondeley June 27, 1960 (age 51) Cholmondeley Castle Malpas, Cheshire United Kingdom
Nationality	British
Spouse(s)	Sarah Rose Hanbury
Children	2
Residence	Houghton Hall Cholmondeley Castle
Profession	Filmmaker

David George Philip Cholmondeley, 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley, KCVO, DL ( /ˈtʃʌmli/; born 27 June 1960), was styled from birth Viscount Malpas until 1968, and subsequently Earl of Rocksavage until 1990. He is a British peer and is the current Lord Great Chamberlain of the United Kingdom, as a tri-partite holder of that office.^[1]

Personal

Lord Cholmondeley is a direct descendant of Sir Robert Walpole (1676–1745), the first Prime Minister of Great Britain. He is the son of Hugh Cholmondeley, 6th Marquess of Cholmondeley and his wife, the former Lavinia Margaret Leslie.^[2] He is also a direct descendent of both the Rothschild family and the Sassoon family.^[3] He has three elder sisters, the Ladies Rose, Margot (married Tony Huston), and Caroline (married Baron Rodolphe d'Erlanger).

Like numerous members of his family, Cholmondeley was educated at Eton. He later took classes at the Sorbonne.^[1]

Lord Cholmondeley, aged 49, married (Sarah) Rose Hanbury, a 25-year-old fashion model turned researcher,^[4] on 24 June 2009, their engagement having been announced the previous day. She is a daughter of Tim Hanbury, a website designer, and his fashion designer wife, Emma. One of her ancestors founded the Truman, Hanbury, Buxton & Co brewery, and she was previously engaged to Frederick, Viscount Lambton, eldest son of the 7th Earl of Durham, who married Lady Cholmondeley's sister Marina Hanbury.^[5]

The announcement that she was expecting twins, was revealed by Richard Kay of The Daily Mail^[6] and Mandrake of the Daily Telegraph. On 12 October 2009, the Marchioness gave birth to twin sons, Alexander Hugh George and Oliver Timothy George,^[7][8] who were originally expected in January. The birth took place shortly after Lady Cholmondeley was rushed to Queen Charlotte's Hospital in London, where she was monitored for two weeks. The elder son, Alexander, as heir-apparent to the Marquessate, bears the courtesy title of Earl of Rocksavage; his brother is known as the Lord Oliver Cholmondeley.^[9]

Career

Film industry

Lord Cholmondeley is a film-maker. As David Rocksavage, he also appeared in a small part in Eric Rohmer's 1987 film, 4 aventures de Reinette et Mirabelle.^[10] His professional name is derived from his title Earl of Rocksavage. His chosen career took a turn when he succeeded to the marquessate in 1990.^[2]

In 1995, he directed the film adaptation of Truman Capote's novel Other Voices, Other Rooms.^[10]

In 2007, he directed The Wreck (working title), starring Jean Simmons and James Wilby. The film was shot in Norfolk. The re-named Shadows in the Sun was scheduled for release in 2008.^[10]

Political career

Cholmondeley became Marquess of Cholmondeley in 1990 upon the death of his father.^[2]

In 1992, Lord Cholmondeley held the office of Deputy Lieutenant of Cheshire.^[1]

Lands and estates

The family seats are Houghton Hall, Norfolk, and Cholmondeley Castle, which is surrounded by a 7,500 acres (30 km²) estate near Malpas, Cheshire.^[11]

According to the Sunday Times Rich List, Cholmondeley is considered to be amongst the wealthy with an estimated net-worth of approximately £60m, attributed primarily to his inherited land-holdings.^[12] Houghton Hall, ancestral home of the Marquess of Cholmondeley since the establishment of the title in 1815, has now opened some of its rooms to the public.

Position at court

In 1974, young Cholmondeley (then known as the Earl of Rocksavage) was a Page of Honour to Her Majesty The Queen at the age of 14.^[1]

One moiety part of the ancient office of Lord Great Chamberlain is a Cholmondeley inheritance.^[13] This hereditary honour came into the Cholmondeley family through the marriage of the first Marquess of Cholmondeley to Lady Georgiana Charlotte Bertie, daughter of Peregrine Bertie, 3rd Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven.^[14] The second, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh holders of the marquessate have all held this office.

Cholmondeley began acting as the hereditary Lord Great Chamberlain to Her Majesty in 1990.^[1] In the Queen's Birthday Honours List for 2007, Lord Cholmondeley was made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) for his 17 years' service as Lord Great Chamberlain.^[15]

Notes

References

• Debrett, John, Charles Kidd, David Williamson. (1990). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage. New York: Macmillan. 10-ISBN 0-333-38847-X; 13-ISBN 978-0-333-38847-1

External links

• Houghton Hall
• Cholmondeley Castle
• Photos of Houghton Hall and Cholmondley Castle: As a special Millennium project, Garlinda Birkbeck was commissioned by the Marquis of Cholmondeley to photograph every house, building and person on his estates in Norfolk and Cheshire, capturing the world of his estates at the turn of the year 1999/2000.
• Allen Warren Photographer: Marquis of Cholmondeley in uniform of Lord Great Chamberlain for State Opening of Parliament, standing in front of throne
• Mitchell Owens's interview with Lord Cholmondeley in The New York Times, 14 December 1997

Court offices
Preceded by David Bland	Page of Honour 1974–1976	Succeeded by Charles Loyd
Preceded by George Hugh Cholmondeley, 6th Marquess	Lord Great Chamberlain 1990 – present	Incumbent
Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by George Hugh Cholmondeley, 6th Marquess	Marquess of Cholmondeley 1990 – present	Incumbent
Order of precedence in England and Wales
Preceded by The Rt Hon Igor Judge, Baron Judge Lord Chief Justice	Gentlemen Lord Great Chamberlain	Succeeded by His Grace The Duke of Norfolk DL Earl Marshal
Order of precedence in Scotland
Preceded by George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews	Gentlemen Lord Great Chamberlain	Succeeded by The Marquess of Winchester
Order of precedence in Northern Ireland
Preceded by The Rt Hon John Bercow MP Speaker of the House of Commons	Gentlemen Lord Great Chamberlain	Succeeded by His Grace The Duke of Norfolk DL Earl Marshal