Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster
Hugh Richard Arthur Grosvenor (19 March 1879 – 19 July 1953), known as "Bendor" or "Benny" by his friends, was the 2nd Duke of Westminster and son of Victor Alexander Grosvenor, Earl Grosvenor and grandson of Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster[1]. During his long and rich military career he received both the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) and the Distinguished Service Order (DSO)[2].
He married 4 women[3] and had a notorious affair with Gabrielle Chanel better known as Coco [4] the designer and establisher of the Coco Chanel fashion house.
He was an active member of the Conservative Party. In the 1930s he developed extreme right-wing opinions. He became a member of several anti-Semitic organizations, including the Anglo-German Fellowship[5].
In 1931, the Duke "outed" his brother-in-law Earl Beauchamp as a homosexual to King George V and Queen Mary. He aim was to ruin the Liberal Party through Beauchamp. The King horrified, said famously "I thought men like that shot themselves"[6].
According to recently-released MI5 files, Grosvenor who was one of the leading "appeasers" in the British establishment, donated GBP 1,000 to the far-Right revolutionary secret society, The Right Club[7].
At the start of the Second World War, Westminster became a leading supporter of the Peace Aims Group, an organization that urged a negotiated peace settlement with Nazi Germany[8].
The Duke died in 1953, aged 74 and his titles passed to his cousin, William Grosvenor[9].
Affiliations
- British League for European Freedom
- Common Cause, both organisations shared an office donated by the Duke.
References
- ^thepeerage.com
- ^The Cheshire Yeomanry 2006
- ^thepeerage.com
- ^Spartacus Educational
- ^The Express, November 14, 2005, U.K. 1st Edition; NEWS; Pg. 25, Amy Jory
- ^The Express, May 23, 2002 COLUMNS; Pg. 37, KATHRYN SPENCER, JULIE CARPENTER & KATE BOHDANOWICZ
- ^The Express, October 16, 2003, NEWS; Pg. 35, SIMON EDGE
- ^Educational
- ^the peerage.com
