Nicholas Preston, 17th Viscount Gormanston facts for kids
Nicholas Dudley Preston, 17th Viscount Gormanston (born 19 November 1939), is an Anglo-Irish aristocrat and British hereditary peer. He was a member of the House of Lords, which is part of the UK Parliament, until 1999. He sat with the Conservative & Unionist group.
Lord Gormanston holds the special title of the Premier Viscount of Ireland. This means his family's Viscount title was the first of its kind created in Ireland, back in 1478 by King Edward IV.
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Family History
Nicholas Dudley Preston is the only son of the 16th Viscount Gormanston (1914–1940) and Pamela Hanly (1917–1975). His mother was the only daughter of Captain Edward Hanly. Nicholas became the Viscount before his first birthday, inheriting the family titles.
His father, Captain Jenico Preston, served in WWII. Sadly, he was killed in action at Dunkirk in 1940.
His grandfather, the 15th Viscount Gormanston, was a well-known Irish landowner. He owned a large amount of land, about 11,000 acres.
Important Relatives
Nicholas's great-grandfather on his mother's side was General Sir William Butler. His great-grandmother was the famous Victorian painter, Elizabeth Thompson, also known as Lady Butler. His great-grandfather on his father's side was the diplomat, the 14th Viscount Gormanston.
Gormanston Castle
The family's historic home was Gormanston Castle in County Meath, Ireland. In 1947, the castle was sold to the Franciscan religious order. It then became Gormanston College, a school.
Life and Interests
Nicholas Dudley Preston is a Roman Catholic, like his family before him. He went to a Benedictine school called Downside School in Somerset, England.
He is known as a socialite and has a strong interest in art. He was even elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA).
Personal Life
In 1974, Viscount Gormanston married Eva-Antonie Landzianowska. They had two sons together:
- The Hon. Jenico Francis Tara Preston, born 30 April 1974. He is the heir apparent, meaning he is next in line to inherit the title. He works as a commercial director. In 2015, he married Kelly Catherine Reade. They have one son:
* (Jenico Bertram Nicholas) Alfred Preston, born in 2016. He is next in line after his father.
- The Hon. William Luke Preston, born in 1976. He married Victoria Christensen in 2016.
Lord Gormanston married a second time on 2 November 1997 to Lucy Arabella Grenfell. She is the daughter of actors Edward Fox and Tracy Reed.
Lord and Lady Gormanston live in Kensington, London.
See also
- Baron Gormanston (I, cr. 1365)
- Baron Gormanston (UK, cr. 1868)
- House of Lords
