Francis Hastings, 16th Earl of Huntingdon facts for kids
Francis John Clarence Westenra Plantagenet Hastings, 16th Earl of Huntingdon (born January 30, 1901 – died August 24, 1990) was a very interesting person. He was an artist, a teacher, and later became a politician. Before he became the Earl of Huntingdon in 1939, people called him Viscount Hastings.
Growing Up and Education
Francis Hastings was the son of Warner Hastings, who was the 15th Earl of Huntingdon. His mother was Maud Margaret. He went to some very famous schools. He studied at Eton College, a well-known school in England. After that, he attended Christ Church, Oxford, which is part of Oxford University. While at Oxford in 1922, he played on the university's polo team. He also studied art at the Slade School of Art in London.
Artist and Teacher
Francis Hastings learned from a famous Mexican mural painter named Diego Rivera. Murals are large paintings on walls. Francis Hastings showed his own art in many cities. These included London, Paris, Chicago, and San Francisco. He also became a professor, teaching art at two colleges in London. These were the Camberwell College of Arts and the Central School of Arts & Crafts. From 1951 to 1958, he was the chairman of the Society of Mural Painters.
Public Service and Politics
During the Second World War, Francis Hastings helped with defense efforts. From 1941 to 1945, he was a Deputy Controller for the Andover area. In 1939, he became the Earl of Huntingdon. This meant he took his place in the House of Lords, which is part of the British Parliament. He joined the Labour Party. From 1945 to 1950, he worked for Prime Minister Clement Attlee. He served as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. This role meant he helped manage farming and fishing for the country. He also wrote two books: The Golden Octopus and Commonsense about India.
Family Life
Lord Huntingdon was married twice. His first marriage was in 1925 to Cristina Casati. They had one daughter:
- Lady Moorea Hastings (born March 4, 1928 – died October 21, 2011).
- Lady Moorea had two sons. Her first son was Hon. Pericles Plantagenet James Casati Wyatt (born 1963). He later owned and ran water parks in Arizona.
- Her second son was Octavius Orlando Irvine Casati Black (born 1968). He went to Eton College with David Cameron.
Francis and Cristina divorced in 1943. Lord Huntingdon then married Margaret Lane in 1944. Margaret was a writer and critic. She wrote books about famous authors like Beatrix Potter and the Brontë sisters. Francis and Margaret had two daughters:
- Lady Selina Shirley Hastings (born March 5, 1945).
- Lady Caroline Harriet Hastings (born June 12, 1946).
Lord Huntingdon passed away in August 1990 when he was 89 years old. His cousin, William Edward Robin Hood Hastings-Bass, became the next Earl. His wife, Margaret, died in 1994. In 2014, his daughter Selina, who is a well-known writer, wrote a book about him. It was called The Red Earl: The Extraordinary Life of the 16th Earl of Huntingdon.
