Charles Gordon-Lennox, 11th Duke of Richmond facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Duke of Richmond
CBE DL
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The Duke in 2011
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| Born |
Charles Henry Gordon Lennox
8 January 1955 |
| Title | 11th Duke of Richmond 11th Duke of Lennox 11th Duke of Aubigny 6th Duke of Gordon etc |
| Spouse(s) |
Sally Clayton
(m. 1976; div. 1989)Hon. Janet Elizabeth Astor
(m. 1991) |
| Children | 5 |
| Parents |
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Charles Henry Gordon Lennox was born on January 8, 1955. He is known as the Duke of Richmond. He is a British aristocrat and owns the Goodwood Estate in Sussex, England.
The Duke is famous for starting two big events: the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Goodwood Revival. These events are all about cars and racing. He is also the President of the British Automobile Racing Club. In 2009, he received an honorary award from the University of Chichester.
Contents
A Passion for Photography and Film
Charles loved film and photography from a young age. When he was 17, he worked with the famous film director Stanley Kubrick. He helped out on the movie Barry Lyndon.
The Goodwood Estate: A Family Legacy
In 1995, Charles moved to Goodwood House. This is his family's main home and estate. He took over managing the estate, following a family tradition.
His grandfather, Freddie March, started motorsport at Goodwood. He opened the Goodwood Motor Circuit in 1948. Charles continued this tradition. He created the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 1993. Later, he brought motor racing back to the circuit with the Goodwood Revival in 1998. The circuit had been closed since 1966.
What is the Goodwood Estate?
The Goodwood Estate is very large, covering 12,000 acres. It is located north of Chichester. The estate has many different businesses. These include:
- Goodwood Racecourse (for horse racing)
- A large 4,000-acre organic farm
- Two golf courses
- Goodwood Aerodrome and a Flying School
- A 91-bedroom hotel
The Goodwood Group employs over 550 people. About 800,000 visitors come to the estate each year. The estate also has the Goodwood Cricket Club. The headquarters of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars are also located there.
In 2024, the Duke was honored with the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) award. This was for his work in heritage, sport, and charity.
Family Life
The Duke of Richmond has been married twice. He has three sons and two daughters.
His first marriage was in 1976 to Sally Clayton. They had one daughter:
- Lady Alexandra Gordon Lennox (born 1985)
After his first marriage ended in 1989, he married Janet Elizabeth Astor in 1991. With Janet, he has one daughter and three sons:
- Charles Henry Gordon Lennox (born 1994), who is the next in line for the family titles.
- Lord William Rupert Charles Gordon Lennox (born 1996)
- Lady Eloise Cordelia Gordon Lennox (born 2000)
- Lord Frederick Lysander Gordon Lennox (born 2000)
In January 2016, the Duke and Duchess were involved in a robbery at Goodwood House.
The Duke in Video Games
The Duke's name appears in the video game Gran Turismo 6. In the game, he sends players an invitation to the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Images for kids
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The coat of arms of the Duke of Richmond.
