Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster
Hugh Richard Arthur Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster GCVO DSO (born March 19, 1879 in Saigton Towers , Cheshire , † July 19, 1953 in Lochmore Lodge ) was the son of Victor Grosvenor, Earl Grosvenor , and Lady Sibell Mary Lumley. He was the Duke of Westminster and a British motorboat driver who participated in the 1908 Olympics.
Life
Grosvenor was a grandson of Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster , whose title he inherited as a result of his father's early death in 1899. He fought with a volunteer unit of the Yeomanry in the Second Boer War , later he was aide-de-camp of Lord Roberts and Lord Milner . Grosvenor financially supported the Nimrod expedition (1907-1909) of the British polar explorer Ernest Shackleton . In return , Shackleton named Mount Westminster in the Transantarctic Mountains after him.
During the First World War he served in Egypt and Palestine , where he developed a prototype of the Rolls-Royce Armored Car . He put together a unit from such vehicles, with which he advanced far behind the enemy front. The armored vehicles were also used against the Senussi in Libya . He ended the war with the rank of colonel .
From 1925 Grosvenor had an affair with the French fashion designer Coco Chanel . This lasted until 1930.
In the period before World War II , Grosvenor joined various groups on the far right of the political spectrum, including the Right Club , which was also openly anti-Semitic .
Marriage and offspring
Grosvenor married on February 16, 1901 Constance Edwina (Shelagh) Cornwallis-West (1876-1970), the sister of Daisy von Pless . The marriage was divorced in 1919. There are three children from the marriage:
- Lady Ursula Mary Olivia Grosvenor (1902–1978),
- Edward George Hugh Grosvenor, Earl Grosvenor (1904-1909),
- Lady Mary Constance Grosvenor (1910-2000).
In his second marriage, the Duke married on November 16, 1920 Violet Mary Rowley (1891-1963). This marriage, which remained childless, ended in divorce in 1926.
Grosvenor married Loelia Mary Ponsonby (1902-1993) in 1930, a daughter of Frederick Ponsonby, 1st Baron Sysonby . The couple divorced in 1947 after living apart for a long time. Children did not come from marriage.
The Duke's fourth marriage was on February 7, 1947 with Anne (Nancy) Winifred Sullivan (1915-2003), who survived her husband.
Since the Duke died without a surviving male descendant, his titles passed to his cousin William Grosvenor .
Motor boating
driver
Grosvenor took part in the 1908 Olympic Games in London about 40 nautical miles in the unlimited Class A part. Together with the crew members George Clowes , Joseph Laycock and George H. Atkinson he started on his boat Wolseley-Siddeley . First he should start in the duel against the rival boat Dylan with Thomas Scott-Ellis, 8th Baron Howard de Walden , and Alfred Fentiman . However, the Dylan had to leave the race after the first lap and, since bad weather hindered Grosvenor's remaining boat shortly after, the race was postponed. The following day the competitor was the Frenchman Émile Thubron on the Camille , the only non-British competitor in the field. The Wolseley-Siddeley ran aground after taking the lead and had to give up the competition. Thubron was the only one to cross the finish line after 2:26:53 hours and won the gold medal.
After 1908, motor boating never became an Olympic discipline, so Hugh Grosvenor was one of probably only 13 or 14 participants who have ever competed in Olympic motor boating competitions.
Owner
Grosvenor's boat, the Wolseley-Siddeley , was named after the built-in car engines. As at the Olympic Games, the owner was rarely behind the wheel himself. With the British Noel Robbins at the helm, the boat had already won the races in Monte Carlo, Nice and Palermo in the Olympic year. Speeds of up to 56 km / h were achieved. After that, the boat was shipped to the US to take part in the annual Harmsworth Cup competition. In the race on August 2, 1908, the Wolseley-Siddeley crossed the finish line in second place after 30 miles, 49 seconds behind.
Grosvenor had the Wolseley-Siddeley II built for 1909 : 9 feet longer and with an engine output of 800 instead of the previous 400 hp. Robbins won the Monte Carlo race again. From 1910 surreptitious advertising in offshore racing was banned, the boat names were no longer allowed to match the brand names. With the renamed Ursula II , Robbins won the races in Monte Carlo in 1910, 1911 and 1912, each over 60 miles. The highest average speed recorded for the 1910 race was 70.17 km / h.
literature
- John O. Crouse: Searace - A History Of Offshore Powerboat Racing . Crouse Publications, Homestedt FL 1989
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ New York Times , July 19, 1908
- ^ New York Times , August 4, 1908
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Hugh Grosvenor |
Duke of Westminster 1899-1953 |
William Grosvenor |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Grosvenor, Hugh, 2nd Duke of Westminster |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Grosvenor, Hugh Richard Arthur 2nd Duke of Westminster (full name); Grosvenor, Hugh Richar Arthur |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British nobleman and Olympic competitor in motor boating |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 19, 1879 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Saigton Towers , Cheshire |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 19, 1953 |
| Place of death | Lochmore Lodge |