Viscount of the Week: Alexander Edgar Lascelles, The Viscount Lascelles

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/

Peer of the Year: HRH Prince Henry Charles Albert David “Harry” of Wales

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.

Address:

Clarence House

London SW1A 1BA

(+44) (0)20 7930 4832

Sources:

Access Hollywood - http://www.accesshollywood.com/prince-harry-and-ex-girlfriend-chelsy-davy-reunite-in-london_article_57509

Third Age - http://www.thirdage.com/news/prince-harry-of-wales-returns-to-england_11-29-2011

Wikipedia -  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_harry; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelsy_Davy; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pippa_Middleton

The Single Peer - http://thesinglepeer.blogspot.com/2010/12/ten-lords-leaping.html; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_harry; http://thesinglepeer.blogspot.com/2011/02/perennial-prince-hrh-prince-william.html; http://thesinglepeer.blogspot.com/2011/03/duke-of-day-hrh-prince-andrew-albert.html

The British Monarchy - http://www.royal.gov.uk/

Bumpshack - http://bumpshack.com/2011/06/17/prince-harry-to-go-back-to-war/

BBC - http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/51940000/jpg/_51940723_royal.jpg

Duke of the Day: HRH The Prince Andrew Albert Christian Edward, Duke of York

Born in 1960 (19 February), this 51-year-old duke and royal prince (pictured below) is the second son and third child of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.  The Duke of York is fourth in the line of succession to the throne of the United Kingdom and 15 other independent states.

HRH Prince Andrew was created Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, and Baron Killyleagh upon his marriage in 1986 to Sarah Ferguson.  Divorced from Sarah, Duchess of York, in 1996, the Duke of York has two daughters from that marriage, HRH The Princess Beatrice and HRH The Princess Eugenie.  However, as he currently has no sons, he has no heir to the dukedom of York.  Interestingly, since the first creation of the title in the year 1385, there has never been a Duke of York succeeded lifelong by his son.  The dukes have either become king (e.g. Henry VIII, George V, George VI), died without a male heir (e.g. Richard of Shrewsbury), or had a male heir who became king upon the death of an uncle (e.g. Edward IV).

The present Duke of York is unarguably one of the most eligible men in the world.  Among dukes, only the Duke of Wellington (95; widowed) and Duke of Fife (81; divorced) are currently unmarried.  Not only is the Duke of York substantially younger and more suitable than the other two, but he is also the only unmarried Duke who is also a royal prince.  Additionally, he and the Duke of Leinster (62; married) are the only dukes without living male heirs.  In fact, with the impending marriage of his nephew, HRH The Prince William of Wales (28), the Duke of York’s supremacy as a suitor is trumped only by that of another nephew, HRH The Prince Henry “Harry” of Wales (26), third in the line of succession – and admittedly not a likely direct romantic competitor.

Educated at the Royal Naval College, the Duke of York served for 22 years in the Royal Navy, primarily as a helicopter pilot, and served in the Falklands War.  Today, he supports many charities and carries out official duties on behalf of the Royal Family.  Since 2001, he has also served as UK's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, meeting with world leaders and heads of state and speaking at conferences, such as the World Economic Forum.  This has sometimes been a controversial role.

A devoted father, the Duke of York is known to spend considerable time with his two daughters and is on good terms with his former wife, including her in family outings to the extent it is feasible and rescuing her from brushes with impropriety and financial misfortune.  Although it is not thought likely that he will remarry, one can never tell.  We will not discount the possibility of a new wife in the Duke of York’s future or the birth of a son and heir to the dukedom of York, an addition to the line of succession.

 

HRH The Duke of York

Addresses:

Buckingham Palace, London SW1 1AA

Sources:

The British Monarchy - http://www.royal.gov.uk/ThecurrentRoyalFamily/TheDukeofYork/Background.aspx

The RoyaList - http://www.royalist.info/execute/biog?person=729

Conqueror - http://www.william1.co.uk/w95.htm#w95l20

The Duke of York - http://www.thedukeofyork.org/Home/Home.aspx

Wikipedia -  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_of_york

The Single Peer – http://thesinglepeer.blogspot.com/2010/12/2010-peer-of-year-arthur-valerian.html

Google Peerage News - http://groups.google.com/group/peerage-news/browse_thread/thread/b415a76a37f4a158/e17fef1c8487f898?lnk=gst&q=bowmont#e17fef1c8487f898

ThePeerage.com - http://www.thepeerage.com/p10071.htm#i100707

Cracroft’s Peerage - http://www.cracroftspeerage.co.uk/online/

Perennial Prince: HRH Prince William Arthur Philip Louis of Wales

Born in 1982 (21 June), this 28-year-old prince (pictured below) is the elder 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 William is second in the line of succession to the throne of the United Kingdom and 15 other independent states.

The most eligible bachelor in the world, his ineligibility will at last be official with his marriage on 29 April, 2001 to long-standing girlfriend Catherine Elizabeth “Kate” Middleton, 29 (born 9 January, 1982).  The couple announced their engagement on 16 November, 2010 and set their wedding date shortly thereafter.  Prince William's launch into engaged status earned him the #1 ranking on The Single Peer's 2010 Ten Lords-a-Leaping list.

Following in his family’s footsteps, the young prince supports many charities and carries out official duties on behalf of the Royal Family, when not away for military service.  He enjoys polo and skiing, loves football, and participates in a number of outdoor activities.  Prince William is currently serving as a search and rescue helicopter pilot with the RAF.

His younger brother, HRH Prince Henry “Harry” Charles Albert David of Wales (26; born 15 September 1984) will shortly be the most eligible man in the land.

Addresses:

Clarence House

London SW1A 1BA

(+44) (0)20 7930 4832

Anglesey, Wales

Sources:

Wikipedia -  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_William_of_Wales; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_Middleton

The Single Peer - http://thesinglepeer.blogspot.com/2010/12/ten-lords-leaping.html

The British Monarchy - http://www.royal.gov.uk/

San Francisco Sentinel - http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=32155