The Single Peer: 2012

Born in 1980 (13 May), this 31-year-old viscount is the second son and heir apparent of the 8th Earl of Harewood. On 11 July, 2011, Lord Lascelles succeeded to his courtesy title, his father having succeeded his paternal grandfather as the 8th Earl of Harewood. This event caused The Viscount Lascelles to be featured in The Single Peer’s 2011 Ten Lords-a-Leaping list. Interestingly, Lord Lascelles succeeded to the courtesy title and is his father’s heir due to the illegitimate birth of his elder brother, Benjamin. Although subsequently legitimized, Benjamin cannot lay claim to the earldom or the British throne.

History has a way of repeating itself, ironically, as Lord Lascelles has an illegitimate son of his own, Leo Cyrus Anthony (b. 2008), with his live-in girlfriend, Laleh Yeganegy. Leo, like his uncle, cannot succeed his father due to his illegitimacy. The viscount’s younger brother, The Hon. Edward David Lascelles (29, single), serves as his heir. These complicated domestic circumstances, however, render the viscount technically single and a good catch.

As alluded to above, the Lascelles are in the line of succession to the British throne. The late 7th Earl of Harewood was a son of Princess Mary, Princess Royal, and was a first cousin to Queen Elizabeth II. Lord Lascelles is approximately 52nd in line to the British throne.

Harewood House

Address:

Harewood House

Leeds

West Yorkshire
LS17 9LF

Sources:

The Single Peer – http://thesinglepeer.blogspot.com/2011/12/ten-lords-leaping-2011.html

The Peerage.com - http://thepeerage.com/p10159.htm#i101587

Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Lascelles,_Viscount_Lascelles; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Lascelles,_8th_Earl_of_Harewood; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Lascelles,_7th_Earl_of_Harewood

Debretts - http://www.debretts.com/people/royal-family/the-line-of-succession.aspx

Wargs.com - http://www.wargs.com/essays/succession/2011.html

Harewood - http://www.harewood-estate.co.uk/; http://www.harewood.org/house

Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/59303791@N00/3857875711/

After giving careful thought to this year’s honoree, we could not resist an opportunity to profile one who is beloved by many and who is often overshadowed by his brother (whose engagement earned him the #1 ranking in 2010 on The Single Peer's Ten Lords-a-Leaping list and whose marriage then earned him a #1 ranking again in 2011).

Born in 1984 (15 September), this 27-year-old prince (pictured below) is the younger son of The Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and the late Diana, Princess of Wales and a grandson of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Prince Harry is third in the line of succession to the throne of the United Kingdom and 15 other independent states.

Prince Harry attended Eton and Sandhurst, earning a commission as an officer in the British Army. He then famously served in Afghanistan, a tour of duty for which he received the Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan. He follows in the footsteps of his uncle, HRH Prince Andrew, The Duke of York (51; born 19 February, 1960), who served in a war zone during the Falklands War. In 2010, Prince Harry received his wings, deciding to fly attack helicopters for the Army Air Corps.

Now the most eligible bachelor in the world, Prince Harry is obviously the subject of much speculation. Despite his reputation as something of a bad boy and ladies’ man, he clearly has not dated every female in the U.K., despite tabloids that increasingly link his name to anyone with whom he comes in contact. Pippa Middleton (28; born 6 September, 1983), sister to HRH The Duchess of Cambridge, his sister-in-law, has been presented as a candidate for girlfriend by the tabloid press. On Prince Harry’s recent two-month sojourn in the United States for Apache helicopter training, any female who so much as served him drinks in Arizona, California, or Nevada was discussed as a potential girlfriend. Interestingly, earlier this month, within days of his return to the U.K., he was spotted out and about in Chelsea with former long-term flame, Chelsy Davy (26; born 13 October, 1985). Their relationship has been on-and-off since 2004, and, given that he announced his single status publicly earlier in the year, many wonder if they are simply friends now, or if one or both of them can’t make up their minds about their status and commit. Of course, his military service and training could also be having an effect on his romantic life.

Very fit and active, in addition to his military training, Prince Harry enjoys polo, rugby, motocross, and skiing. He follows in his family’s footsteps by supporting charities - often sports-related, as evidenced by his 2011 trek to the North Pole. He also carries out official duties on behalf of the Royal Family, when not away for military service. Prince Harry is continuing his military training, with 4-6 months ahead of him at Wattisham Flying Station in Suffolk until he could be combat-ready for possible deployment.