The Honourable David Alexander Reginald Herbert (3 October 1908 – 3 April 1995) was a British socialite and writer.

Early life and education

He was the second son of

Reginald Herbert, 15th Earl of Pembroke Reginald Herbert, 15th Earl of Pembroke and 12th Earl of Montgomery (8 September 1880 – 13 January 1960) was a British peer. His parents were Sidney Herbert, 14th Earl of Pembroke and Beatrix Louisa Lambton, daughter of George Lambton, 2nd Earl ...

. He spent his first few years in Castletown, Ireland. At the age of four, he moved to the family home of Wilton, near Salisbury. Attending Wixenford Preparatory School, he was later sent on to

Eton Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. Eton may also refer to: Places *Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England * Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States * Éton, a commune in the Meuse dep ...

Performing career

David had brief stints as both a film actor, appearing in 1930's ''Knowing Men'', and as a cabaret performer. He briefly shared an apartment with

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...

in the

East End The East End of London, often referred to within the London area simply as the East End, is the historic core of wider East London, east of the Roman and medieval walls of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It does not have uni ...

, and was satirized by

Lord Berners Gerald Hugh Tyrwhitt-Wilson, 14th Baron Berners (18 September 188319 April 1950), also known as Gerald Tyrwhitt, was a British composer, novelist, painter, and aesthete. He was also known as Lord Berners. Biography Early life and education ...

as the character Daisy Montgomery in his 1936 satiric novel, ''The Girls of Radcliff Hall''. He was also scathingly satirized as "Peter Barclay" in William Bayer's novel ''Tangier''.

Writing career

David's books recall his years in the company of such figures as Cecil Beaton, Lady Diana Cooper,

, Paul and

Jane Bowles Jane Bowles (; born Jane Sydney Auer; February 22, 1917 – May 4, 1973) was an American writer and playwright. Early life Born into a Jewish family in New York City on February 22, 1917, to Sydney Auer (father) and Claire Stajer (mother), Jane ...

Cyril Connolly Cyril Vernon Connolly CBE (10 September 1903 – 26 November 1974) was an English literary critic and writer. He was the editor of the influential literary magazine ''Horizon'' (1940–49) and wrote '' Enemies of Promise'' (1938), which combin ...

, Brian Howard, Barbara Hutton, Osbert Sitwell and Tallulah Bankhead. These include ''Second Son: An Autobiography'' (1972), which included a foreword by Paul Bowles and photographs by Cecil Beaton, ''Engaging Eccentrics: Recollections'' (1990), his second volume of autobiography, and ''Relations and Revelations: Advice to Jemima'' (1992), a book of memories and opinions written in the form of advice to his great-niece Jemima.

Personal life

David spent almost fifty years in Tangier, Morocco where he was known for his vibrant personality, frequent lavish parties, good taste, and ruthless snobbery. He was referred to by

Ian Fleming Ian Lancaster Fleming (28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964) was a British writer who is best known for his postwar ''James Bond'' series of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., a ...

as 'the Queen of Tangier'. He was labeled as the 'most terrible snob' by author Patrick Thursfield, who regularly enjoyed attending his famous parties.

Death

David died of kidney failure in 1995 and was buried in the cemetery at Saint Andrew's Church. He had been a devout

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

. On his tombstone was engraved, "He loved Morocco". File:III Church of St. Andrew's, Tangier, Morocco (2).jpg, Church of St. Andrew's, Tangier, Morocco File:Grave of david herbert tangier.jpg, tomb of David Herbert

References

External links

A Biography of David Herbert by Kenneth Lisenbee
*
Information on Wilton House, home of the Earl of Pembroke
{{DEFAULTSORT:Herbert, David 1908 births 1995 deaths 20th-century Anglicans 20th-century English male actors 20th-century English memoirists English socialites Younger sons of earls People educated at Eton College People educated at Wixenford School English people of Russian descent English interior designers British expatriates in Morocco Deaths from kidney failure English Anglicans British cabaret performers David