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.

Brankrupt Aristo's Forced Out of Ancestral Home

Park House, the ancestral home of Sir Charles Wolseley, 11th Baronet of Wolseley and Lady Wolseley, has been sold to the Royal Bank of Scotland after Sir Wolseley's failed business venture. The couple ran into trouble after Sir Charles was unsuccessful in turning the garden into a tourist attraction; Sir Charles declared bankruptcy in 1996 with debts of ₤2.5 million The Daily Mail is reporting that the couple will have to move into a converted barn.

In these tough times, The Aristo News is surprised, but not shocked, by the news. The Park House estate has been in the family for 1,000 years after it was given to them by King Edgar. Maybe he should have sold the family silver instead...

German Prince Dating American Socialite

Casimir Wittgenstein-Sayn, a German aristocratic prince, is dating American socialite, Tinsley Mortimer. Casimir has a long, interesting relationship history (he married a Swedish divorcee nine years his senior, much to the consternation of his parents) and is quite known on the London social scene. Meanwhile, Tinsley is well known throughout the Park Avenue-set. If they marry, could this be the biggest society union since Consuelo Vandberilt married the 9th Duke of Marlborough? Probably not, but their relationship should be "entertaining" at the very least, especially because Tinsley is only seperated - not divorced - from her husband, Robert Mortimer & Casimir's ex-wife lives in Germany. Yes... Entertaining, indeed!

Swine Flu & The Aristocrat

Could it be?

The Aristo News has learned that the body of Sir Mark Sykes, 6th Baron of Sledmere may have died from an early strain of swine flu. The 6th Baron died of Spanish Flu, which is the precursor to what we know as swine flu. Although the 6th Baron died in 1919, he was buried in a lead lined coffin, which helped preserve his lungs & brain tissue. Professor John Oxford hopes that understanding the 1918 flu which killed Mark Sykes may help find a cure for swine flu.

Sir Mark Sykes is the great-grandfather of author Plum Sykes.

And We're Back!

The Aristo News has returned from a welcomed (and hot) beach break!

Updates will continue as normal on July 27, 2009!

As always, we'll keep you posted...

Aristo News in the Sunshine

The Aristo News has sought refuge in the summer sunshine of a quiet beach retreat for a much needed break. We will keep posting, so check back every now and then...look for one or two posts a day. Keep your tips coming! Always, The Aristo News

Horse Trails at Powderham Castle to Close in 2010

We're not picking on the Earl of Devon! He's just very popular today!

The Horse Trails at Powderham Castle, the Earl of Devon's home and ancestral seat, will close in 2010. Although no concrete reason has been provided, officials state that the circumstances regarding the closure are beyond their control. We would think that Lord Devon would take every pound that came his way in the light of his less than stellar sale at Sotheby's today... Riders in the past have included the Queen's granddaughter, Zara Phillips, who won (with Andrew Nicholson) the advanced section at this year's event.

We can't help but wonder if there's something rotten in Powderham Castle...

If you have any tips, e-mail us at aristotips@gmail.com.

Just in! Marquess of Downshire Scores at Sotheby's Sale!

Unlike the Earl of Devon, the Marquess of Downshire did very well at today's Sotheby's sale. As we previously reported, he was selling a document called "Engineering - The Draining of the Fens". The item had a guide price of ₤20,000-₤30,000, but it sold for a remarkable ₤35,000.

Well done!

It must be said that most items at today's sale went unsold, while others barely reached their minimum guide price. The market seems to be skewed towards buyers, so our aristo's would be advised to keep the family silver at home until the market recovers in their favor. But when you need the money, you need the money...

Just in!!! Results of Earl of Devon's Sotheby's Sale!

The Aristo News has just returned from the Sotheby's sale in London. It was a wonderful affair! Were you there?

As we've reported before, the Earl of Devon was set to sell his "family silver" to help cope with the loss of wedding revenue at his ancestral seat, Powderham Castle. We dug a bit deeper to find that Lord Devon had already sold two pieces at Sotheby's for ₤938,750, which makes us believe that his financial woes may very well be for castle repairs or other financial problems.

Anyway, Lord Devon had eight lots for sale, three of which did not sell. Only one lot (Theological Traits - A Collection of 155 Works) came in over its guide price. The item with the largest guide price, Vindication of the Character and Conduct of Sir William Waller by Sir William Waller, was ₤10,000-₤15,000. This lot was unsold; the highest bid was ₤8,500.

All in all, Lord Devon raised ₤19,600 through the Sotheby's Sale. Coupled with today's sale, Lord Devon has raised ₤958,350 for his castle repairs...or whatever the money's really for... Good luck, Lord Devon!

LOTS SOLD:
₤3,500 for The Elements of Architecture by Henry Wotton (Guide Price: ₤4,000-₤6,000)
₤7,500 for Mahomet the Second, or the Generous Sultan: A Tragedy by John Boevery (Guide Price ₤8,000-₤12,000)
₤800 for The Entertainment of His Most Excellent Majestie Charles II, in His Passage through the City of London to his Coronation (Guide Price: ₤1,000-₤1,500)
₤7,000 for Theological Trairs - A Collection of 155 Works in 9 Volumes (Guide Price: ₤3,000-₤4,000)
₤800 for Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe in 2 Volumes (Guide Price: ₤1,000-₤1,500)
Total of Lots Sold: ₤19,600

UNSOLD LOTS:
Highest Bid: ₤8,500 for Vindication of the Character and Conduct of Sir William Waller by Sir William Waller (Guide Price: ₤10,000-₤15,000 with a ₤10,000 Reserve)
Highest Bid: ₤7,000 for a 17th Century Bible (Guide Price: ₤8,000-₤12,000 with a ₤8,000 Reserve)
Highest Bid: ₤750 for The Mourtray Family by Elizabeth Hervey (Guide Price: ₤1,000-₤1,500 with a ₤1,000 Reserve)
Potential Revenue of Unsold Lots Based on Reserves: ₤19,000


If anything arises, we'll keep you posted.
Click here for today's Sotheby's sale.

Jacobites to Regain Aristo Titles?

The Scotsman is reporting that certain Scottish noble families could regain their noble titles after losing them during the Jacobite uprisings in the 18th century. Certain noble lines lost their estates, titles and lives because they were seen as having "corrupt blood". This campaign to alleviate these families of centuries of ill will has support in the Scottish Parliament, so we'll see how this turns out. If this campaign is successful, it could restore ancient titles to descendants of earls of Panmure, Southesk and Kellie, as well as the Duke of Berwick. It's also interesting to note that on July 24 the heads of Scotland's noble families will meet in the Scottish Parliament for the very first time. Will this be a subject of conversation? Oh, if only we were a fly on that wall.

Viscount Rothermere Named 6th Most Powerful Person in Newspapers

The Guardian has named Viscount Rothermere, the chairman of Daily Mail & General Trust, has been named the sixth most powerful person in newspapers and the thirty-fourth most powerful person in overall media. Viscount Rothermere, also known as Jonathan Harmsworth, fell from the twenty-ninth most powerful person in overall media in 2008.

Click here and here to read the full story.

UK's Richest Aristo Lends Priceless Pieces of Art

The UK's richest aristocrat, the Duke of Westminster, has lent several priceless masterpieces to the Chester Grosvenor Museum in Chester. The four pieces: two Rembrandts and two David Teniers the Younger's, will be on display until September 30, 2009. The Teniers pieces are entitled "Saying Grace before a Meal" and "Interior of a Tavern", while the Rembrandt pieces include "A Man with a Hawk" and "Lady with a Fan".

For more information, click here.

Longines Royal International Horse Show

Aristocrats do frequent the Longines Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead before, so there's a good chance you'll run into one.

The show lasts from July 22-26, 2009. Unfortunately, The Aristo News will be abroad during this period, so if you have any tips or pictures, send them to us at aristotips@gmail.com.

For more information about the Longines Royal International Horse Show, click here or call 01273 834315.

Lady Elizabeth Crawshay Fined for Car Accident

Aristocrat Lady Elizabeth Crawshay was fined ₤750 for "driving below that of a reasonable driver" the BBC and WalesOnline are reporting. Apparently, Lady Crawshay's Rover car was involved in a glancing blow with a Subaru Impreza, which crashed into a Saab and killed two people. The driver of the Subaru, Samantha Mead, was found not guilty of causing death by dangerous driving. Lady Crawshay was fined an additional ₤15 victim surcharge, the ₤750 fine and ₤600 in costs; five points were added to her license.

The 2nd Earl Haig Has Passed Away

Yesterday, the 2nd Earl Haig passed away. He was 91. The Earl was best known as a painter, who was admired by the late Queen Mother. Earl Haig is survived by his wife, Donna Geroloma Lopez y Royo di Taurisano, two daughters and his heir, Viscount Dawick.

The Aristo News' thoughts are with his family at this time.

To read his full obituary, click here.

The Aristocracy in the 21st Century

Each month, The Aristo News will write our version of a "Letter from the Editor" based on the news surrounding the aristocracy. We hope you enjoy it! Always, The Aristo News

Last week, Burke’s Peerage announced that they would include illegitimate children of peers in their bible to the aristocracy. While this news may shake some families to the core, others may see it as Burke’s way of entering the twenty-first century. Illegitimate children are nothing new to the titled classes.

Charles, II acknowledged his illegitimate children and even bestowed aristocratic titles upon them. Their descendants include the Duke of Buccleuch, Earl of Plymouth, and the Duke of Richmond, Lennox and Gordon. It’s also interesting that while the illegitimate children will finally be recognized by Burke’s, it remains to be seen if the families of these children will be as welcoming? One can only imagine Christmas morning or the reading of the recently deceased duke’s last will and testament.

Will Burke’s new additions give credence to long whispered rumors that were never substantiated by the men and women who were the source of such scurrilous gossip? Debrett’s, the main competitor to Burke’s, has listed illegitimate children since 1990 (Los Angeles Times). Needless to say, illegitimate children still cannot inherit their parents’ title even if they are the oldest of the peer’s children. It’s unlikely that this will affect the aristocracy in any great way, but it may finally allow those children who were thrust into the shadows to have their own moment in the sun.

Burke’s also announced that they will list children in their birth order, regardless of sex. This is great news for the women of aristocratic families who have long been pushed to the bottom of their parents’ birth order in favor of their brothers. However, the eldest daughter still cannot inherit the family title. No, that’s still reserved for the oldest son or eldest male relative to outlive the current title holder.

History has shown us that upon the 1st Duke of Marlborough’s death in 1722, his eldest daughter, Henrietta, became the 2nd Duchess of Marlborough since her father had no male relative to carry on the title. It wasn’t as easy as Henrietta simply inheriting the title; a special act of Parliament had to be passed for Henrietta to become the duchess. Interestingly enough, the Dukedom of Marlborough is the only one in the United Kingdom that can still pass to the female line.

The Barony of de Walden fell into abeyance after the death of the 9th Baron de Walden in 1999. It wasn’t until 2004 that Queen Elizabeth; II took the barony out of abeyance in order for the 9th Baron’s eldest daughter, Mary, to become to the 10th Baroness Howard de Walden. Mary is also the third richest aristocrat on The Aristo News’ “Ten Richest Aristocrats in the UK” list.

Could Parliament call an end to male preference lineages in favor of a full primogeniture (or birth order preference)? There have been rumblings that the UK monarchy should adopt this system, which is already in use in Sweden, Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, and Denmark. If women were to inherit the title, one could simply state that the title of peerage could not change, no matter what the children are called. For example, if the woman is Mary Hart, 3rd Duchess of Holm and she marries John Draper, her son would be known as the John Draper, 4th Duke of Holm. Maybe we’re oversimplifying the issue, but it’s something to think about.

Thanks for the tips

We would like to thank everyone who has sent us news tips over the past week! The Aristo News is only a week old, but we're growing! We've already dug inside the Earl of Devon's financial woes in such depth that hasn't been touched upon by the mainstream press. We've even broken the story of the 2nd Baron Hesketh's trustees selling a priceless painting at Sotheby's. Bet you didn't read about that in the Daily Mail.

This is all thanks to you, our readers.

Please keep those great tips coming and we'll keep doing what we do best: Being the only site online that delves deep into the world of the aristocracy.



Always,
The Aristo News

Germany's New Economics Minister is an Aristocrat

Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg is Germany's new economics minister, despite his aristocratic background. The Irish Times reports that he's the second most popular politician in Germany after Angela Merkel, the current chancellor.

Karl-Theodor is a baron from Franconia, which is in northern Bavaria. His full title is: Karl-Theordor Maria Nikolaus Johann Jacob Philipp Franz Joseph Sylvester, Baron from and to Guttenberg. Try saying that three times fast.

The 37 year old baron is a married father of two and it seems that the German society (or gossip) press cannot get enough of him. His approval rating is an astounding 61%. The Irish Times even alludes to the fact that his vast family wealth (which is rumored to stand between ₤600 million-₤800 million) allows the baron to think independently, without worrying about his own financial well being.

The baron lives in his family's castle in Bavaria and a mansion in Berlin. He is also a member of the distinguished noble House of Guttenberg. The House of Guttenberg dates back to 1149. His wife is Stephanie, Countess of Bismark-Schönhausen and the great-great-granddaughter of Otto von Bismark, Prince of Bismarck and Duke of Lauenburg.

Germany abolished all royal and aristocratic titles & privileges in 1919.

We'll keep you posted on Karl-Theodor.

Belvoir Castle to Host CLA Game Fair

From July 24-26, Belvoir Castle will host the CLA Game Fair. The fair is the world's biggest and greatest country sport and country show, according to the NNFCC. Guests will have the chance to experience all that country life has to offer, which will be an ideal day out for families and country enthusiasts. Maybe you'll even run into the Duke and Duchess of Rutland.

Belvoir Castle is owned by is the home and ancestral seat of the 11th Duke of Rutland and his family.

For more information about the castle, click here.

For more information on the CLA Game Fair, click here.

Dowager Duchess of Devonshire's New Book

In the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire's new book, Home to Roost: And Other Peckings, she recounts her first meeting with future United States president, Jack Kennedy, along with his inauguration and sudden death. The book is taken from the diaries the duchess kept at the time of all three events. It's a wonderful read for anyone who wants a ringside seat to some of the most pivotal points of the last hundred years. And the Dowager Duchess was right there...

Click here to buy the book.