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Patrick Plunket, 7th Baron Plunket

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Equerry to Queen Elizabeth II of England (1923–1975)

Not to be confused with Patrick Plunkett, 7th Baron of Dunsany (died 1601 or 1602).
Lieutenant-Colonel The Right Honourable
The Lord Plunket
KCVO
Born(1923-09-08)8 September 1923
Died28 May 1975(1975-05-28) (aged 51)
BuriedRoyal Burial Ground, Frogmore
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service / branch British Army
RankLieutenant-Colonel
UnitIrish Guards
Battles / warsWorld War II
Relations

Patrick Terence William Span Plunket, 7th Baron Plunket, KCVO (8 September 1923 – 28 May 1975), was an Anglo-Irish aristocrat and British Army officer who served as an equerry to Queen Elizabeth II and Deputy Master of the Household from 1954 until his death in 1975.

Early life

Plunket was born on 8 September 1923 into an old Anglo-Irish aristocratic family. He was the eldest son of the 6th Baron Plunket and Dorothée Mabel Lewis (1900–1938). His mother was the illegitimate daughter of the 7th Marquess of Londonderry and actress Fannie Ward. He was a childhood friend of the future Queen Elizabeth II.

When he was 15, his parents were killed in an air crash in California in 1938. Plunket succeeded to the family peerage (created in 1827) as 7th Baron Plunket. He and his brothers were raised by their aunt, the Hon. Helen Rhodes, and her husband. He was educated at Eton College and the University of Cambridge. and later served as an officer in the Irish Guards during World War II with the rank of captain.

Career

Queen Elizabeth II wearing Plunket's family tiara, 3 January 1973

In March 1948, Plunket was appointed temporary equerry to King George VI. He was appointed equerry to the new Queen Elizabeth II shortly after her accession in August 1952. On 4 May 1954, he was appointed Deputy Master of the Household, a post he held until his death.

He enjoyed a close friendship with Queen Elizabeth II, he has been described 'the nearest thing to a brother to the Queen'. In 1961, he became godfather to Princess Margaret's son Viscount Linley. On 8 September 1957, he was promoted to the rank of major and later to the rank of lieutenant-colonel on 8 April 1969. On 3 January 1973, Plunket lent his family tiara to the Queen when hers broke en route to the “Fanfare for Europe” gala at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden.

Plunket was a trustee of the Wallace Collection and the National Art Collection Fund.

Death

Memorial pavilion at Valley Gardens

Unmarried, Plunket died of cancer on 28 May 1975 at the age of 51. The Queen unusually attended both his funeral at the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace and his memorial service at the Guards' Chapel. He is buried in the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore, the royal family's private graveyard in the Home Park near Windsor Castle. Apparently, Lord Plunket is the only person buried at the Royal Burial Ground who is not related through blood or marriage to the royal family.

The Queen had a memorial built for him in Valley Gardens, Windsor Great Park. His estate was valued at £471,004. Upon his death, his younger brother Robin Rathmore Plunket succeeded him as the 8th Baron Plunket.

In popular culture

Plunket was portrayed by Sam Crane in "Dear Mrs Kennedy", the eighth episode of the second series of the Netflix original historical drama The Crown.

Honours and arms

Honours

Arms

Coat of arms of Patrick Plunket, 7th Baron Plunket
Crest
A horse passant Argent charged on the shoulder with a portcullis.
Escutcheon
Sable a bend a castle in chief and a portcullis in base Argent.
Supporters
Dexter an antelope Proper sinister a horse Argent both charged on the shoulder with a portcullis Sable.
Motto
Festina Lente

References

  1. ^ Bedell Smith, Sally (14 February 2012). "Her Majesty's A-Team". The Telegraph. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  2. Dorothé Lewis's paternity was revealed by the 7th Marquess's granddaughter Lady Annabel Goldsmith in her memoirs, "Annabel: An Unconventional Life." She specifically discusses Lord Londonderry's reaction to the death of his illegitimate daughter's first husband, the accidental death of Dorothe and her second husband Teddy Plunket, and the effective treatment of her sons by Plunket as first cousins, pages 22-23.
  3. "No. 38246". The London Gazette. 26 March 1948. p. 2074.
  4. "No. 39616". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 August 1952. p. 4198.
  5. "No. 40167". The London Gazette. 7 May 1954. p. 2694.
  6. Pope-Hennessy, James (2018). The Quest for Queen Mary. London: Hodder Zuleika. p. 235. ISBN 9781529330618.
  7. Michaels, Ashley. Sobrinos Reales. ASIN B077H1HWCB.
  8. Harl, Johann (3 June 2002). "Royal Rumours". New Statesman. p. 19.
  9. Gonyea, Don (10 September 2022). "An audio tour of Queen Elizabeth meeting 13 U.S. Presidents across seven decades". NPR. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  10. "No. 40366". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1954. p. 5.
  11. "No. 43010". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 May 1963. p. 4797.
  12. "No. 46162". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 December 1973. p. 4.
  13. Burke's Peerage. 1850.
Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded byTerence Plunket Baron Plunket
1938–1975 		Succeeded byRobin Plunket
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