Richard Curzon, 4th Earl Howe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Earl Howe
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"South Bucks". Caricature by Spy published in Vanity Fair in 1896.
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| Lord-in-Waiting Government Whip |
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| In office 30 October 1900 – 1 October 1903 |
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| Monarch | Victoria Edward VII |
| Prime Minister | The Marquess of Salisbury Arthur Balfour |
| Preceded by | The Earl of Clarendon |
| Succeeded by | The Earl of Erroll |
| Treasurer of the Household | |
| In office 11 February 1896 – 30 October 1900 |
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| Monarch | Victoria |
| Prime Minister | The Marquess of Salisbury |
| Preceded by | Marquess of Carmarthen |
| Succeeded by | Victor Cavendish |
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal |
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| In office 26 September 1900 – 10 January 1929 Hereditary Peerage |
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| Preceded by | The 3rd Earl Howe |
| Succeeded by | The 5th Earl Howe |
| Member of Parliament for Wycombe |
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| In office 18 December 1885 – 25 September 1900 |
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| Preceded by | Gerard Smith |
| Succeeded by | William Grenfell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 28 April 1861 |
| Died | 10 January 1929 (aged 67) |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouses | (1) Lady Georgiana Spencer Churchill (1860–1906) (2) Florence Davis (d. 1925) (3) Lorna Curzon (d. 1961) |
| Children | Francis Curzon, 5th Earl Howe |
| Parents | Richard Curzon-Howe, 3rd Earl Howe Isabella Anson |
| Alma mater | Christ Church, Oxford |
Richard George Penn Curzon, 4th Earl Howe (born April 28, 1861 – died January 10, 1929) was an important British politician. He was known as Viscount Curzon before he inherited his father's title in 1900. He was a member of the Conservative Party.
Lord Howe held several key positions in the British government. He served as Treasurer of the Household from 1896 to 1900. Later, he became the Lord Chamberlain to Queen Alexandra, which was a very important role in the royal household.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Richard Curzon was the oldest son of Richard Curzon-Howe, 3rd Earl Howe. His mother was Isabella Maria Katherine Anson. Her father was Major-General The Hon. George Anson.
Richard went to two famous schools in England. He studied at Eton, which is a well-known boarding school. After that, he attended Christ Church, Oxford, a college at the University of Oxford.
Political Career and Public Service
Lord Howe had a long career serving his country. He was involved in both politics and military service.
Starting in Parliament
In 1885, Richard Curzon was chosen as a Member of Parliament for the area called Wycombe. This meant he represented the people of Wycombe in the House of Commons, which is part of the British Parliament.
Government Roles
He became part of the government in 1896. He was appointed Treasurer of the Household under the Prime Minister, Lord Salisbury. He kept this job until 1900.
In 1900, his father passed away, and Richard inherited his father's titles, becoming the 4th Earl Howe. This meant he moved from the House of Commons to the House of Lords.
From 1900 to 1903, he worked as a Lord-in-waiting. This role involved assisting the monarch. He served both Queen Victoria and King Edward VII during this time.
Serving the Queen
In 1903, Lord Howe received a special honor called the Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order. He was also chosen to be the Lord Chamberlain to Queen Alexandra. This was a very important job, as he managed the Queen's household. He held this position until Queen Alexandra's death in 1925.
Military and Local Service
Besides his political roles, Lord Howe was also involved in the military. He was a captain in the Prince Albert's Own Leicestershire Yeomanry Cavalry. He also held an honorary rank as a lieutenant-colonel in the 2nd Battalion of the Leicestershire Volunteer Regiment. For his military service, he received a Territorial Decoration.
He was also a Justice of the Peace for Buckinghamshire. This meant he helped keep law and order in his local area.
Honors and Awards
Lord Howe received many awards for his service. In 1903, he was given the Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO).
He also received several awards from other countries:
- Order of Leopold (Belgium) from Belgium.
- Order of Charles III from Spain.
- Order of St. Olav from Norway.
- Order of the White Eagle (Poland) from Poland.
- Order of the Dannebrog from Denmark.
- Order of the Polar Star from Sweden.
- Order of the Red Eagle from Prussia.
- Grand Officer in the Legion of Honour from France.
- Order of the Redeemer from Greece.
Family Life
Lord Howe married three times during his life.
First Marriage
On June 4, 1883, Lord Howe married Lady Georgiana Elizabeth Spencer-Churchill. She was the fifth daughter of John Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough. This marriage made Lord Howe the uncle by marriage to Winston Churchill, who later became a famous Prime Minister.
Richard and Georgiana had one son together, named Francis.
Lady Georgiana was also very active in charity work. In December 1899, she and Lady Chesham started raising money for a hospital. This hospital was sent to South Africa to help soldiers fighting in the Second Boer War. They raised over £100,000, which helped create the Imperial Yeomanry Hospital. Lady Howe later wrote a book about the hospital's work.
Later Marriages
After Lady Georgiana passed away in 1906, Lord Howe married Florence, Dowager Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava, in 1919.
After Florence's death in 1925, he married his first cousin once removed, Lorna Curzon.
Lord Howe passed away in January 1929 at the age of 67. His only son, Francis, inherited his title. Lorna, the Countess Howe, died much later in February 1961.
