Do You Know These Men?

Do you know the men in this photo?
If not, you need to read this blog more often! For the wonderful story, click here.

Photo by Jonathan Becker

Aristo News Blind Item

Which aristo couple may very well call it quits?

September's Eligible Aristo Bachelor

Who's our bachelor of September?
Hint: He attended the Oundle School. 
Find out after the jump!

Just In! Earl of Snowdown Replies!

The Daily Mail has posted a response to Nicky Haslam's reclaims that he had an affair with the Earl of Snowdon. The quote is after the jump.

Duchess of Norfolk Goes Stateside

Her Grace The Duchess of Norfolk is in Philadelphia. Why?

Just In! Which Aristo Claims To Have Had An Affair With Earl of Snowdon?

How we love a scandal!

Which aristo claims to have had an affair with the Earl of Snowdon a year before his marriage to Princess Margaret?

Heir To The 6th Baron Hindlip Fined For Smuggling Drugs In A Condom

Yes, you read the headline correctly.

Apparently, the future 7th Baron Hindlip, The Honorable Henry William Allsopp, was found guilty of trying to smuggle 16.39 grams of cannabis resin into the Bermuda. After being stopped by customs officials at the airport in Bermuda, Henry was discovered to a condom tied to his penis which contained the cannabis resin. Henry was fined $3,000 for his offense.

What a dumb ass. But hey, we'll give him points for originality. Hey, at least he didn't try to smuggle it into the American Embassy. Now that's stupid.

Lord Frederick Windsor Finally Weds At Hampton Court Palace

Today, Lord Frederick Windsor, the son of the Prince of Kent, married Sophie Winkleman at Hampton Court Palace's Chapel Royal. Congratulations! Sophie will now be styled as The Lady Frederick Windsor.

We've been hearing that the wedding has been fraught with drama including (but not limited to) the "unrefined" guest list, wedding gift list, and the absence of senior members of the royal family. Was Princess Pushy a reason? She isn't exactly a favorite amongst her extended family. Thankfully, the couple turned down a six figure sum to have their wedding pictures published in a tacky glossy magazine. It seems that Lord Frederick erred on the side of caution after the last royal wedding...

As many senior member of the royal family weren't in attendance, but some of the distinguished guests included: Princess Eugenie, Lady Annabel Goldsmith, and Lady Gabriella Windsor.

The BBC is reporting that the couple will leave the UK tomorrow for their new life in Los Angeles. We hope the couple will have a lifetime of happiness, but with Princess Pushy as a mother-in-law, we can see why Sophia & Freddie are moving 6,000 miles away...

The Talented Nat Rothschild

Our aristo bachelor of August, the Honourable Nathaniel Rothschild, is the topic of a great article in the Independent. He's a true man of many colors with unlimited wealth, power and privilege. He's also rumored to be dating Princess Florence von Preussen. Very nice.

To read the story, click here.

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Pay Up or Move On...

West Lothian County is in a tizzy over a building owned by Malcolm Harry Erskine, 17th Earl of Buchan. Apparently, a building that has been sitting empty of nearly a decade after once housing a primary school. The local council want to sell the building for ₤140,000 to be used as a leisure center and nursery. However, when the earl's family allowed the land to be built upon more than one hundred years ago, there was a stipulation that it could only be used for educational purposes. In order to change this condition, the earl wants ₤70,000. The council is furious, but it is his land. Either pay up or forget it. Such is life, right?

Note: The picture is not the building in question. Always, The Aristo News.

A Fairy Tale Wedding...On a Budget?

The Aristo News has been following the exploits of Lord Frederick Windsor, who we consider the ultimate aristo: He's a the son of the Prince of Kent & well known amongst his aristocratic peers. Despite being in line for the British throne, the lord isn't immune to the many opinions concerning his upcoming wedding to actress Sophie Winkleman. Rumor has it that the couple will have a "budget" reception at Hampton Court Palace's Great Hall, although senior members of the royal family want it to be a "mature" affair.

It seems the wedding guests will consists of young people and it isn't thrilling the royal family. If Lord Frederick were styled as a member of the royal family, we would understand if they might have some say. However, he's styled as an aristocrat who's an extended member of the regal family. Lord Frederick is already quitting the UK to work full time & be supportive of his soon-to-be-wife's acting career. Upon their marriage, Sophie will be known as Lady Frederick Windsor.

Let's just hope he doesn't sell pictures of his wedding to a tacky magazine. We all know which extended member of the royal family has already done that...

Brother, Can You Spare a Liver Snap?

Some people donate to charity, others leave millions of pounds to their pets.

Gunther, III, an Alsatian, who recently died left ₤224.9 million to his heir, Gunther, IV. Oh, the two Gunther's are dogs. Gunther, III inherited his wealth from the German aristocrat, Countess Carlotta Liebenstein upon her death in 1991. Gunther, IV has it good: He has his own personal maid, custom built swimming pool, and chauffeur driven limousine.

Not to be outdone, Kalu, a chimpanzee, inherited ₤53 million from Patricia O'Neill, daughter of the Countess of Kenmore.

We're not one to judge, but seriously?

To read the full story, click here.

The Fabulous Misadventures of Earl Spencer

To read a great piece on the 9th Earl Spencer (better known as Diana's bitter brother), click here.

Just in! Aristo Caught in Drug Scandal

How we love a scandal...

The Honourable Nicholas Knatchbull (right), the godson of Prince Charles, has been caught on tape smoking a crack pipe. Classy.

The great-grandson of Earl Mountbatten is an extended member of the British royal family, but addiction knows no social divisions. Nicholas' parents, the 8th Baron Brabourne and Lady Brabourne, are close friends of Prince Charles. It'll be interesting to see how this story develops.

Nicholas stands to inherit ₤100 million. Let's just hope he doesn't blow it on crack and heroin. Now that would be a waste.

To read the full story, click here.

The Right to Bear Titles

Should women be allowed to inherit aristocrat titles? The Aristo News discussed this topic on July 10 in an article entitled The Aristocracy in the 21st Century. We've just learned that the same debate is alive within the hallowed halls of the Spanish aristocracy.

There has been a change to Spanish law that will now allow elder sisters to inherit the family title, in place of her younger brothers. However, some people within this Spanish aristocracy fear that this will allow older sisters to retroactively claim titles already held by their younger brothers, uncles, etc. According to The Irish Times more than 1,000 families are worried about the repercussions of retroactive claims on noble titles held by the younger men in these aristocratic families, which is why they're demanding a change to the law.

But why is this an issue now? Spain has had absolute and equal cognatic primogeniture since 2006.

We at The Aristo News are strong supporters of equality. We think that the current holders should be allowed to retain their titles, but on the death of present holder, the eldest child (or living relative) should inherit the title. Simple, right?

Yet it's interesting to note that the Spanish monarchy still practices male preference primogeniture. How can the King of Spain have one set of rules for the noble families and another for himself? If change is supposed to start at the top, maybe this situation wouldn't be such a mess now.

August's Eligible Aristo Bachelor

Our eligible aristo bachelor is:

The Honourable Nathaniel Rothschild.

Quick fact:
He is heir to the 4th Baron Rothschild & a member of the storied Rothschild banking dynasty.
Nathaniel is better known as "Nat".
The Sunday Times Rich List places his net worth at ₤330 million.
The thirty-eight year old is the co-chairman of Atticus Capital, a New York based hedge fund.
Nat has homes in New York, London, Moscow, Switzerland, and Corfu.

Highclere Castle is Falling Down

...and the trend continues...

The Daily Mail is reporting that Highclere Castle (right), the ancestral home of the Earl's of Carnarvon, is in a dilapidated, uninhabitable state. Apparently, it will cost ₤1.8 million to immediately repair the 50 downtrodden rotting rooms, and a further ₤12 million to repair outbuildings, grounds, and the like. The 8th Earl, George Reginald Oliver Molyneux Herbert, blames his ancestors for not keeping up the castle prior to his inheritance.

Recently, the 8th Earl (who lives in a cottage on the estate with his wife and children) applied for permission to build a housing estate on the 5,000 acre estate. Needless to say, the decision has caused horror in some circles.

As The Aristo News has reported before, these problems are not unique to any one aristocrat. Everyone is feeling the pinch in these economic times...

However, if he can't afford to keep up the estate, maybe he should ask the Queen for a loan. After all, she and the late 7th Earl were close friends. If you don't ask, you don't get, right?

The Glorious Earl of March

Since The Aristo News is committed to bringing you all of the latest news of the aristocrats of today, we thought you might like this great profile on the current Earl of March.

This is a guy who clearly knows the real financial demands of running his family home as a business and has bucked the financial woes that plague his colleagues. Maybe the earl should give seminars on fiscal responsibility amongst the aristocracy. It only goes to show that sometimes it's better to go against the conventional way of thinking...

We've found it quite interesting to learn that it costs ₤2 million to run the Earl of March's ancestral seat, Goodwood House. No wonder so many aristocrats are feeling the pinch in these tough economic times.

To read the full story, click here.

Money Can't Retain Your Title

The Aristo News has always stated for a while that financial woes are permeating all aspects of aristocratic life. The 11th Baronet of Wolseley has been forced out of his ancestral seat, the Earl of Devon is selling everything he can & the Marquees of Devonshire just raised ₤35,000 at a Sotheby's sale.

Well, now Chris Eubank's, the boxer who purchased the Lordship of the Manor of Brighton, is being forced to sell his title. Why? He's bankrupt. Actually, he's been bankrupt since 2005, but now he's being forced to sell property, assets and the title he purchased for ₤45,000. It is now on sale for ₤35,000. Ouch. If the title can't be sold, it will be auctioned to the highest bidder by the Manorial Society of Great Britain.

If you have the cash, click here to learn more about the sale of the title.

Lock Up Your Stately Homes!

The 8th Viscount Gage's (right) ancestral home, Firle Place, has been the subject of theft to the tune of ₤1 million. Meanwhile, the 7th Viscount Hampden's home, Glynde Place, has had two silver chandeliers stolen which are valued at ₤200,000. All of this, and Croome Court, the former home of the 11th Earl of Coventry, was looted of its fixtures and fittings (including the kitchen sink) to the tune of ₤200,000.

Now, we find this a little fishy...to say the least. Either there's massive fraud going on amongst England's aristocratic families (which we highly doubt) or there's a very experienced ring of thieves making off with the family silver (sorry, but that's our new favorite term). The BBC first hit upon this by stating that Firle Place and Glynde Place are only six minutes apart. Meanwhile, Croome Court is approximately three hours away from both locations. Maybe Croome (a deserted home) was the beginning for a nefarious gang of looters...

One thing that doesn't help is the fact that Firle Place and Glynde Place are both open to the public, which would allow unsavory characters to "case the joint" before striking. It's not as if these families hide their most prized, cherished, and valuable possessions. Why make it easy for the thieves to see exactly what they're stealing because it's labeled, authenticated and behind a thin sheet of glass?
Oh, and this is the third time Firle Place has been robbed in the past eight years!

We suggest that they lock their doors, close the security gates, invest in a top-notch security system and put the good stuff away when the tourists go home for the night... Preferably, in the family vault.