Alexander Thynn, 7th Marquess of Bath facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Most Honourable
The Marquess of Bath
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Bath in 1994 by Fergus Greer
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| Marquess of Bath | |
| In office 30 June 1992 – 4 April 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Henry Thynne |
| Succeeded by | Ceawlin Thynn |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Alexander George Thynne
6 May 1932 London, England |
| Died | 4 April 2020 (aged 87) Bath, England |
| Political party | Liberal Democrats (UK) (1992–2020) |
| Other political affiliations |
Wessex Regionalists (1974–1992) |
| Spouse |
Anna Gyarmathy
(m. 1969) |
| Children |
3, including:
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| Parents |
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| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Landowner, artist, author |
Alexander George Thynn, 7th Marquess of Bath (born May 6, 1932 – died April 4, 2020) was an English nobleman and a large landowner. He owned the famous Longleat estate. Before he became the Marquess of Bath in 1992, he was known as Viscount Weymouth from 1946.
Lord Bath was also a talented artist and author. He was known for his unique, colorful style of dressing. In 2009, his wealth was estimated to be around £157 million.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Alexander Thynn was born in London and grew up at Longleat. This grand Elizabethan house in Wiltshire was his family's main home. The beautiful parkland around the house was designed in the 1700s by Capability Brown.
He went to Ludgrove School and Eton College. After school, he joined the Life Guards, a part of the British Army. He became a Lieutenant in 1951. Later, he studied at Christ Church, Oxford university. In the 1950s, he also studied art in Paris, France.
Political Career
As Viscount Weymouth, Alexander Thynn was interested in politics. In 1974, he ran in an election as a "Wessex regionalist." He believed that the Wessex area of the UK should have more control over its own decisions. Soon after, he helped start the Wessex Regionalist Party. He even ran for them in the first ever elections for the European Parliament in 1979.
When he became the Marquess of Bath in 1992, he joined the House of Lords. This is part of the UK Parliament. He was a member of the Liberal Democrat party. However, he lost his seat in 1999. This happened because of new rules that removed most of the "hereditary peers" (people who inherited their right to be in the House of Lords). He often spoke about giving more power to different regions of England.
Family Life and Longleat
In 1969, Alexander Thynn married Anna Gyarmathy. They had two children: Lady Lenka Abigail Thynn and Ceawlin, who became the 8th Marquess of Bath.
In 1976, he changed his family name from "Thynne" to "Thynn." He did this to make sure people pronounced it correctly, like "pin" instead of "pine."
After his father passed away in 1992, Lord Bath took over the management of the Longleat estate. Later, in 2010, he passed the business management to his son, Ceawlin. There were some disagreements between them. For example, some of Lord Bath's unique paintings were removed from the house. This caused a disagreement, and Lord Bath did not attend his son's wedding to Emma McQuiston.
Death
Lord Bath was admitted to the Royal United Hospital in Bath on March 28, 2020. While in the hospital, he tested positive for COVID-19. He sadly passed away from pneumonia on April 4, 2020, at the age of 87.
Appearances and Media
Lord Bath was often featured in television shows.
- In 1999, he appeared on Time Team, a show about archaeology. They explored a cave on land he owned in Cheddar Gorge.
- From 2000 to 2009, he was often seen on Animal Park. This TV show on the BBC was about the animals and staff at Longleat Safari Park. It also showed daily life at Longleat House and its gardens.
- In March 2009, he was on an episode of Heston's Feasts, a cooking show.
- He also appeared in an episode of Globe Trekker, a travel show.
- He even played a nobleman in the music video for the Pet Shop Boys song Rent.
- In 2012, artist Grayson Perry interviewed him for his documentary series All in the Best Possible Taste with Grayson Perry. This episode looked at the lives of Britain's upper class.
- In 2014, he was in All Change at Longleat, a documentary series. It showed some of the challenges as he handed over the running of the house to his son.
Lord Bath also wrote an autobiography called Strictly Private to Public Exposure.
See also
- Burke's Peerage & Baronetage
Images for kids
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Bath in 1994 by Fergus Greer
