The Marlborough House set (also known as the smart set) was a social group that surrounded Edward, Prince of Wales, from the 1870s into his reign as King Edward VII (1901–1910). The group was centred on Pall Mall, the site of Edward's residence,

Marlborough House Marlborough House, a Grade I listed mansion in St James's, City of Westminster, London, is the headquarters of the Commonwealth of Nations and the seat of the Commonwealth Secretariat. It was built in 1711 for Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marl ...

, and the Marlborough Club with which he was closely associated. The Marlborough House set enjoyed horse racing, hunting, shooting and playing cards. They often visited country houses for weekend-long parties, at which adultery was common. The set was condemned by some in society for its loose morals, but increased Edward's popularity with the general public. The set included some of the leading bankers, politicians and lawyers of the day, and some members were rewarded with positions at court upon Edward's accession to the throne.

Establishment

The set was named after

, a mansion situated between Pall Mall and The Mall in central London and located near to

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...

. Edward moved into Marlborough House in 1863 after his marriage to

Alexandra of Denmark Alexandra of Denmark (Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia; 1 December 1844 – 20 November 1925) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 22 January 1901 to 6 May 1910 as the wife of King ...

. At this time, the court of his mother

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

was in the early part of a long period for mourning after the 1861 death of her husband

Albert, Prince Consort Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Franz August Karl Albert Emanuel; 26 August 1819 – 14 December 1861) was the consort of Queen Victoria from their marriage on 10 February 1840 until his death in 1861. Albert was born in the Saxon duch ...

. Edward assumed many of the social responsibilities of the Crown, presiding over

levees A levee (), dike (American English), dyke (Commonwealth English), embankment, floodbank, or stop bank is a structure that is usually earthen and that often runs parallel to the course of a river in its floodplain or along low-lying coastlin ...

at the palace and holding balls and parties at Marlborough House. Edward had Marlborough House altered to provide larger ground floor rooms for entertaining and increased the staff there to more than 100 to support his functions, establishing in effect a second court. When smoking was banned at the gentleman's club

White's White's is a gentlemen's club in St James's, London. Founded in 1693 as a hot chocolate shop in Mayfair, it is the oldest gentleman's club in London. It moved to its current premises on St James's Street in 1778. Status White's is the oldes ...

, Edward founded his own establishment, the Marlborough Club, in Pall Mall in 1869. Edward handpicked the first 400 members and the club soon became seen as an adjunct to his court at Marlborough House. The Marlborough House set developed in the 1870s around the house and club.

Activities

London society (ie. the

upper class Upper class in modern societies is the social class composed of people who hold the highest social status, usually are the wealthiest members of class society, and wield the greatest political power. According to this view, the upper class is gen ...

) grew in the 1880s and split into a number a separate cliques, of which the Marlborough House set was one part. The term "Marlborough House set" first came into use in the 1880s as it was noticed that the behaviour of its members was significantly different to the court around Victoria. According to historian James Stourton Edward wanted Marlborough House to be regarded as the "best kept house in London — even though many thought it had the worst morals". Edward was the undisputed leader of the set, which was the backdrop for many scandals. Edward expected the members to act with honour (though not necessarily with high morals). Adultery was common between the members, though divorce, as it would lead to public exposure, was seen as unacceptable. Edward enforced a strict formal dress code for the members of the set. Key events in the social calendar of the set included horse race meetings, especially

Royal Ascot Ascot Racecourse ("ascot" pronounced , often pronounced ) is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, which is used for thoroughbred horse racing. It hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 horse races and ...

, the

Epsom Derby The Derby Stakes, also known as the Epsom Derby or the Derby, and as the Cazoo Derby for sponsorship reasons, is a Group 1 flat horse race in England open to three-year-old colts and fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey o ...

and the

St Leger Stakes The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a d ...

. Members also enjoyed shooting, hunting, playing cards and attending extravagant dinners. Edward and the set developed the concept of the country house weekend, ostensibly for the purposes of hunting and shooting. When the men returned to the host's house at tea time in the afternoon the women would dress in tea gowns, without corsets or petticoats and assignations would often take place. Country home owners spent vast sums to improve their buildings and furnishings ahead of these weekends.

Witley Park Witley Park, formerly known as Lea Park, is an estate dating from the 19th-century between Godalming and Haslemere, Surrey, England. Its landscaped grounds include three artificial lakes, one of which conceals an underwater conservatory and smo ...

in Surrey was a favourite location. Towards the end of the weekends the attendees were often formally photographed with Edward seated in the centre, the current hostess to his right and his current mistress to his left. The Marlborough House set sometimes met with

The Souls The Souls was a small loosely-knit but distinctive elite social and intellectual group in the United Kingdom from 1885 to the turn of the century. Many of the most distinguished British politicians and intellectuals of the time were members. Th ...

, another of the late Victorian social sets, though The Souls tended to be more political and intellectual. A favourite joke of Edward's whilst meeting with the Marlborough House set was to pour brandy over the head of Conservative politician Christopher Sykes. Among the members Edward was nicknamed "Tum-Tum", on account of his being overweight. The Marlborough House set had generally anti-Prussian (later German) and pro-Danish sympathies (the two countries were rivals and fought a war in 1864, and the

Princess of Wales Princess of Wales (Welsh: ''Tywysoges Cymru'') is a courtesy title used since the 14th century by the wife of the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. The current title-holder is Catherine (née Middleton). The title was firs ...

was Danish), which contrasted with the pro-German stance of Victoria's court, leading to tension between the two. Victoria disapproved of what she considered the low morals of the Marlborough House set, comparing it to the Carlton House set around the dissolute king

George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...

. At one point a group of aristocratic ladies, including the Duchess of Leeds and the

Duchess of Bedford {{Notability, date=September 2022 Duchess of Bedford is a title given to the wife of the Duke of Bedford, an extant title in the peerage of England which was first created in 1414. Duchesses of Bedford ;1st creation (1414) *Anne of Burgundy (1404 ...

, complained about the Marlborough House set to the Archbishop of Canterbury,

Edward White Benson Edward White Benson (14 July 1829 – 11 October 1896) was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1883 until his death. Before this, he was the first Bishop of Truro, serving from 1877 to 1883, and began construction of Truro Cathedral. He was previousl ...

. They asked Benson to conduct a moral mission to aristocratic women to address what they perceived as a decline in morals, which they attributed to the presence of American women in the set. In contrast the activities of the set boosted the popularity of the prince with the general public.

Mordaunt affair

Sir Charles Mordaunt, 10th Baronet Sir Charles Mordaunt, 10th Baronet (28 April 1836 – 15 October 1897) was a wealthy English country gentleman, a Conservative Member of Parliament for South Warwickshire (1859–1868) and High Sheriff of Warwickshire in 1879. He became notor ...

had married, in 1866, the 18-year-old Harriet Moncreiffe. Edward and other members of the set were attracted to her and Mordaunt discovered that Edward was regularly visiting his wife in London and in the country. Lady Mordaunt confessed to her husband that her first child, born in 1869, was not his and the eye condition it suffered from was the result of venereal disease caught from a lover, naming Edward, Lord Cole. In 1869 Sir Charles filed for divorce on the grounds of adultery, naming Cole, Sir Frederick Johnstone and an unnamed man as co-respondents. Popular opinion was that the Prince of Wales was the un-named co-respondent. Although not cited, the prince was compelled to appear before the court as a witness. Lady Mordaunt was considered insane and confined to institutional care for the rest of her life; a divorce could not be granted until a change in the law in 1875. Prince Edward was afterwards featured in popular songs claiming him to be cuckolding the aristocracy.

Aylesford scandal

George Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of Blandford George John Godolphin Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of Blandford (born 28 July 1992), styled as Earl of Sunderland until 2014, is a British aristocrat and polo player. He is a model and brand ambassador for La Martina, an Argentinean polo clothin ...

, his brother,

Lord Randolph Churchill Lord Randolph Henry Spencer-Churchill (13 February 1849 – 24 January 1895) was a British statesman. Churchill was a Tory radical and coined the term 'Tory democracy'. He inspired a generation of party managers, created the National Union of ...

and his wife

Lady Randolph Churchill Jennie Spencer-Churchill (; 9 January 1854 – 29 June 1921), known as Lady Randolph Churchill, was an American-born British socialite, the wife of Lord Randolph Churchill, and the mother of British prime minister Sir Winston Churchill. Early ...

were members of the set until Blandford had an affair with Edith, wife of the

Earl of Aylesford Earl of Aylesford, in the County of Kent, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1714 for the lawyer and politician Heneage Finch, 1st Baron Guernsey. He had already been created Baron Guernsey in the Peerage of England in ...

, who were also members of the set. The pair fell in love and proposed to live together, writing to Aylesford whilst he was on a visit to India with Edward in 1875. Edward, who had also had an affair with Edith, supported Aylesford in his quest for a divorce. Randolph got access to love letters that had been sent by Edward to Edith and showed them to the Princess of Wales, hoping to pressure her into persuading her husband to end his support for a divorce. A duel between Edward and Randolph was narrowly avoided. The prime minister,

Benjamin Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman and Conservative politician who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a central role in the creation o ...

, persuaded Aylesford to avoid a divorce trial which might have involved Edward giving evidence.

Royal baccarat scandal

The

Royal baccarat scandal The Royal Baccarat Scandal, also known as the Tranby Croft Affair, was a British gambling scandal of the late 19th century involving the Prince of Wales—the future King Edward VII. The scandal started during a house party in September 1890, ...

broke in 1890 after a game of

baccarat Baccarat or baccara (; ) is a card game played at casinos. It is a comparing card game played between two hands, the "player" and the "banker". Each baccarat coup (round of play) has three possible outcomes: "player" (player has the higher score ...

played by members of the set, including Prince Edward, at

Tranby Croft Tranby Croft is a large Grade II listed Victorian country house and estate at Anlaby, near Hull in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The house is now the co-educational, independent day school, Tranby School. The house is built in wh ...

in Yorkshire. They had visited the house for the racing at nearby

Doncaster racecourse Doncaster Racecourse (also known as the Town Moor course) is a racecourse in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It hosts two of Great Britain's 36 annual Group 1 flat races, the St Leger Stakes and the Racing Post Trophy. History Doncas ...

. During the event one of the players,

Sir William Gordon-Cumming, 4th Baronet Lieutenant-Colonel Sir William Alexander Gordon Gordon-Cumming, 4th Baronet (20 July 1848 – 20 May 1930) was a Scottish landowner, soldier, adventurer and socialite. A notorious womaniser, he is best known for being the central figure in ...

, was accused of cheating. After consultation with the prince, Gordon-Cumming, who maintained his innocence, was persuaded to sign a document declaring he would never play cards again and the incident was to be kept secret. The scandal leaked to the press and in a subsequent court case for

slander Defamation is the act of communicating to a third party false statements about a person, place or thing that results in damage to its reputation. It can be spoken (slander) or written (libel). It constitutes a tort or a crime. The legal defini ...

, instigated by Gordon-Cumming, Edward was forced to appear as a witness. The court found against Gordon-Cumming but the affair caused friction between Edward and Victoria.

As monarch

When Edward became King Edward VII in 1901, many members of the set were rewarded with offices at court: Horace Farquhar became Master of the King's Household, Arthur Ellis Comptroller of the Lord Chamberlain's department, and Lord Suffield a lord-in-waiting. As King, Edward ceased to use Marlborough House which was used by Edward's son and the new Prince of Wales

George George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...

and his wife

Mary of Teck Mary of Teck (Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes; 26 May 186724 March 1953) was List of British royal consorts, Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 6 May 1910 until 20 Janua ...

Members

The Marlborough House set included a wide variety of members beyond the traditional upper classes. Admission to the set was on the basis of personality, wealth and, for women, beauty. Members of the set included horse racing enthusiasts, bankers, actresses and opera singers as well as a large number of American heiresses who had married into the British aristocracy. Membership included a number of Jewish bankers of the

Rothschild Rothschild () is a name derived from the German ''zum rothen Schild'' (with the old spelling "th"), meaning "with the red sign", in reference to the houses where these family members lived or had lived. At the time, houses were designated by signs ...

, Sassoon and Cassel families, who were not commonly accepted into high society in this period. A prominent member was

Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick Frances Evelyn "Daisy" Greville, Countess of Warwick (''née'' Maynard; 10 December 1861 – 26 July 1938) was a British socialite and philanthropist. Although embedded in late- Victorian British high society, she was also a campaigning sociali ...

, who had a long affair with Edward during the 1890s. She recalled that she disliked the inclusion of the bankers, not for their background or personalities but for their intelligence and understanding of finance; the other members of the set were generally spendthrifts. Among the bankers,

Maurice de Hirsch Moritz Freiherr von Hirsch auf Gereuth (german: Moritz Freiherr von Hirsch auf Gereuth; french: Maurice, baron de Hirsch de Gereuth; 9 December 1831 – 21 April 1896), commonly known as Maurice de Hirsch, was a German Jewish financier and phila ...

joined in 1890 after paying off Edward's debts and

Ernest Cassel Sir Ernest Joseph Cassel, (3 March 1852 – 21 September 1921) was a British merchant banker and capitalist. Born and raised in Prussia, he moved to England at the age of 17. Life and career Cassel was born in Cologne, in the Rhine Province ...

did the same in 1896. The Jewish lawyer George Henry Lewis acted as an informal solicitor to the set and was said to know all its members' secrets. The Marlborough House set was more open to

new money ''Nouveau riche'' (; ) is a term used, usually in a derogatory way, to describe those whose wealth has been acquired within their own generation, rather than by familial inheritance. The equivalent English term is the "new rich" or "new money" ( ...

figures than other parts of high society. These included the brewer Henry Allsopp and the Lister-Kaye family, whose money derived from cotton mills. The admission of new money represented a shift by Edward from the traditional aristocracy, many of whose members had bankrupted themselves in trying to entertain him.

List

The membership of the set was constantly changing. However several sources have given lists of those who were members at one time or another. ;Principal members The historian

Jane Ridley Jane Ridley (born 15 May 1953) is an English historian, biographer, author and broadcaster, and Professor of Modern History at the University of Buckingham. Ridley won the Duff Cooper Prize in 2002 for ''The Architect and his Wife'', a biography ...

, writing in the ''

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

'' lists the following as the principal members of the set: *Edward, Prince of Wales *Alexandra of Denmark * Francis Knollys (Edward's private secretary) * Louisa Cavendish, Duchess of Manchester (a mistress of the robes to Victoria dismissed in 1859 for "her tone, her love of admiration and 'fast style'"; together with her lover,

Lord Hartington Spencer Compton Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire, (23 July 183324 March 1908), styled Lord Cavendish of Keighley between 1834 and 1858 and Marquess of Hartington between 1858 and 1891, was a British statesman. He has the distinction of having ...

, and Edward they formed the so-called "innermost trinity" of London society for about 40 years from 1866) * Arthur Ellis (an equerry to Edward) *

Lord Charles Beresford Admiral Charles William de la Poer Beresford, 1st Baron Beresford, (10 February 1846 – 6 September 1919), styled Lord Charles Beresford between 1859 and 1916, was a British admiral and Member of Parliament. Beresford was the second son of J ...

(an equerry to Edward) *Heneage Finch, 7th Earl of Aylesford and his wife Edith (but see above) *

George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 3rd Duke of Sutherland George Granville William Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 3rd Duke of Sutherland KG FRS (19 December 1828 – 22 September 1892), styled Viscount Trentham until 1833, Earl Gower in 1833 and Marquess of Stafford between 1833 and 1861, was a British po ...

Prince Louis of Battenberg Admiral of the Fleet Louis Alexander Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Milford Haven, (24 May 185411 September 1921), formerly Prince Louis Alexander of Battenberg, was a British naval officer and German prince related by marriage to the British ...

* Maria, Lady Ailesbury *

Charles Yorke, 5th Earl of Hardwicke Charles Philip Yorke, 5th Earl of Hardwicke, (23 April 1836 – 18 May 1897), styled Viscount Royston until 1873, and nicknamed Champagne Charlie for his love of the high life, was a British aristocrat, Conservative politician, dandy and bankr ...

Charles Hardinge Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst, (20 June 1858 – 2 August 1944) was a British diplomat and statesman who served as Viceroy and Governor-General of India from 1910 to 1916. Background and education Hardinge was the second ...

Thomas Lipton Sir Thomas Johnstone Lipton, 1st Baronet (10 May 18482 October 1931) was a Scotsman of Ulster-Scots parentage who was a self-made man, as company founder of Lipton Tea, merchant, philanthropist and yachtsman who lost 5 straight America's Cup m ...

Reginald Brett, 2nd Viscount Esher Reginald Baliol Brett, 2nd Viscount Esher, (30 June 1852 – 22 January 1930) was an historian and Liberal politician in the United Kingdom, although his greatest influence over military and foreign affairs was as a courtier, member of public c ...

Alice Keppel Alice Frederica Keppel (''née'' Edmonstone; 29 April 1868 – 11 September 1947) was an aristocrat, british society hostess and a long-time mistress of King Edward VII. Keppel grew up at Duntreath Castle, the family seat of the Edmonstone baro ...

(Edward's mistress from 1898) * Mrs Willie James * Mrs Naylor-Leyland *Madame Murietta (a mistress of Edward's) ;French sub-set A small sub-set of members had significant connections to France and include: * Mr and Mrs Standish *, Princess of Sagan * Gaston, Marquis de Galliffet *

Antonin-Just-Léon-Marie de Noailles Antoine Just Léon Marie de Noailles (19 April 1841 in Paris – 2 February 1909) 9th prince de Poix, from (1846) 6th duc espagnol de Mouchy, 5th duc français de Mouchy et duc de Poix, from 1854, was a French nobleman. Son of Charles-Philippe-Hen ...

, Duke de Mouchy and his wife Anne Murat ;Hamilton's list Others, in addition to those listed previously, are given in an 1891 diary entry by civil servant

Edward Walter Hamilton Sir Edward Walter Hamilton, (7 July 1847 – 2 September 1908HAMILTON, Sir Edward Walter’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007), also known as Eddy Hamilton, was a British political diarist and ...

: *

Archibald Acheson, 4th Earl of Gosford Archibald Brabazon Sparrow Acheson, 4th Earl of Gosford, (19 August 1841 – 11 April 1922) was a British peer. The son of Archibald Acheson, 3rd Earl of Gosford, he was born at Worlingham Hall, Suffolk, in 1841, and educated at Harrow School; ...

and his wife

Louisa Acheson, Countess of Gosford Louisa Augusta Beatrice Acheson, Countess of Gosford, (née Lady Louisa Montagu; 17 January 1856 – 3 March 1944) was the wife of the 4th Earl of Gosford. Early life Lady Gosford was the third of five children born to Countess Louisa van Alt ...

Edward Stanley, 4th Baron Stanley of Alderley Edward Lyulph Stanley, 4th Baron Sheffield, 4th Baron Stanley of Alderley and 3rd Baron Eddisbury PC (16 May 1839 – 18 March 1925) was an English peer. Life He was the son of Edward Stanley, 2nd Baron Stanley of Alderley, and the former Hen ...

Consuelo Montagu, Duchess of Manchester Consuelo Montagu, Duchess of Manchester (1853 – 20 November 1909), née María Francisca de la Consolación "Consuelo" Yznaga (also spelled Iznaga by some sources), was a Cuban American heiress who married George, Viscount Mandeville, in ...

Georgina Ward, Countess of Dudley Georgina Elizabeth Ward, Countess of Dudley (9 August 1846 – 2 February 1929) was a British noblewoman and a noted beauty of the Victorian era. Early life and family Georgina was born in Dunbarney, Perthshire, Scotland – "the third of a s ...

Arthur Sassoon Arthur Abraham David Sassoon (25 May 1840 – 13 March 1912) was an English banker and socialite. Biography Early life Arthur Abraham David Sassoon was born on 25 May 1840. He was the fifth son of David Sassoon (1792–1864), a Jewish trade ...

John Lister-Kaye Sir John Philip Lister Lister-Kaye, 8th Baronet, (born 8 May 1946) is an English naturalist, conservationist, author who is owner and director of the Aigas Field Centre, among other business interests. He is married with four children and h ...

*Emily Yznaga *Margaret Williams-Bulkeley and her daughter Mrs Benjamin Guinness *

Henry Sturt, 1st Baron Alington Henry Gerard Sturt, 1st Baron Alington (16 May 1825 – 17 February 1904), was a British peer, Conservative Party politician, and notorious slum landlord in the East End of London. Early life He was the son of Henry Sturt, a landowner and poli ...

and his daughters Owen and Hwfa * Sir Leslie Falkiner, seventh baronet *

Gerald FitzGerald, 5th Duke of Leinster Gerald FitzGerald, 5th Duke of Leinster (16 August 1851 – 1 December 1893) was an Anglo-Irish peer. Biography Leinster was born in Dublin, Ireland, the son of The 4th Duke of Leinster and Lady Caroline Sutherland-Leveson-Gower. He married L ...

and his wife Hermione *Don Jose de Murietta *

William Gerard, 2nd Baron Gerard Colonel William Cansfield Gerard, 2nd Baron Gerard (1 June 1851 – 30 July 1902) was a British Army officer and nobleman. Biography Gerard was born in 1851, the elder son of Robert Gerard, 1st Baron Gerard, by his wife Harriet Clifton. His fa ...

and his wife Mary *Henry Oppenheim *

and his wife

*John and Frances Horner *

Henry Wellesley, 3rd Duke of Wellington Henry Wellesley, 3rd Duke of Wellington (5 April 1846 – 8 June 1900) was a British peer and Conservative Party politician. Early life He was a son of Lord Charles Wellesley and grandson of the 1st Duke of Wellington. He was born with no titl ...

Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 6th Marquess of Londonderry Charles Stewart Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 6th Marquess of Londonderry, (16 July 1852 – 8 February 1915), styled Viscount Castlereagh between 1872 and 1884, was a British Conservative politician, landowner and benefactor, who served in various cap ...

and his wife

Theresa Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Marchioness of Londonderry Theresa Susey Helen Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Marchioness of Londonderry (née Chetwynd-Talbot; 6 June 1856 – 16 March 1919) was a British socialite and political hostess. She was a leading Unionist campaigner against Irish Home Rule, serving as p ...

* Frederick Robinson, 4th Earl de Grey and his wife Constance, Countess de Grey * Francis Greville, Lord Brooke (husband of Daisy Greville) *

Lord Carrington Peter Alexander Rupert Carington, 6th Baron Carrington, Baron Carington of Upton, (6 June 1919 – 9July 2018), was a British Conservative Party politician and hereditary peer who served as Defence Secretary from 1970 to 1974, Foreign Secret ...

Charles Harbord, 5th Baron Suffield Charles Harbord, 5th Baron Suffield (2 January 1830 – 9 April 1914), was a British peer, courtier and Liberal politician. A close friend of Edward VII, he served as a Lord of the Bedchamber and Lord-in-waiting to the King. He also held politic ...

(lord of the bedchamber to Edward) and his wife Cecilia *Sir William Carrington * Lord Algernon Gordon-Lennox *Lord Hartington *Oliver Montagu (an equerry to Edward and confidant of Princess Alexandra) *J. C. Sykes *

Horace Farquhar Horace Brand Farquhar, 1st Earl Farquhar, (19 May 1844 – 30 August 1923) was a British financier, courtier and Conservative politician. Background Townsend-Farquhar was born at Goldings near Hertford, the fifth of six sons of Sir Minto To ...

Henry Chaplin Henry Chaplin, 1st Viscount Chaplin (22 December 1840 – 29 May 1923) was a British landowner, racehorse owner and Conservative Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1868 until 1916 when he was raised to the peerage. Backgrou ...

*Sir Lawrence Oliphant * Luís Pinto de Soveral, 1st Marquis of Soveral * John Baring *

Francis Mildmay, 1st Baron Mildmay of Flete Francis Bingham Mildmay, 1st Baron Mildmay of Flete, TD, DL (26 April 1861 – 8 February 1947) was initially a Liberal and later a Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 until 1922 when he was raised to the peerage ...

Montague Guest Montague John Guest (29 March 1839 – 9 November 1909), was a British Liberal politician. Family A member of the prominent Guest family, he was the third son of Sir John Josiah Guest, 1st Baronet, and his second wife Lady Charlotte, daugh ...

In addition Hamilton names

Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, 1st Earl of Midlothian, (7 May 1847 – 21 May 1929) was a British Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from March 1894 to June 1895. Between the death of ...

as being "of course of the set, but as a matter of fact is not much in it". ;National Portrait Gallery list In addition to those mentioned in the above lists the

National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to: *National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra *National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred *National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C. *National Portrait Gallery, London, with s ...

lists the following as members: *

Spencer Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire Spencer Compton Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire, (23 July 183324 March 1908), styled Lord Cavendish of Keighley between 1834 and 1858 and Marquess of Hartington between 1858 and 1891, was a British statesman. He has the distinction of having ...

*Winifred Selina Sturt (wife of Charles Hardinge) *

Charles Stanhope, 8th Earl of Harrington Charles Augustus Stanhope, 8th Earl of Harrington (9 January 1844 – 5 February 1917), known as Viscount Petersham from 1866 to 1881, was a British peer and successful polo player. Biography Early life Harrington was the son of Charles Stanh ...

Robert Kingscote Colonel Sir Robert Nigel Fitzhardinge Kingscote (28 February 1830 – 22 September 1908) was a British soldier, Liberal politician, courtier and agriculturalist. He was generally known as Sir Nigel Kingscote. Biography Kingscote was the son of ...

* William Knollys (father of Francis Knollys) *

Thomas Coke, 2nd Earl of Leicester Thomas William Coke, 2nd Earl of Leicester (26 December 1822 – 24 January 1909), known as Viscount Coke from 1837 to 1842, was a British peer. Background Leicester was the son of Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester, by his second wife Lady ...

*Natica Yznaga (wife of John Lister-Kaye) *Mildred Cecilia Harriet, Lady Montagu *

and his wife

Harriet Mordaunt Harriet Sarah, Lady Mordaunt (''née'' Moncreiffe; 7 February 1848 – 9 May 1906) was the Scottish wife of an English baronet and member of parliament, Sir Charles Mordaunt. She was the respondent in a sensational divorce case in which the Pri ...

(but see above) *

Maurice Towneley-O'Hagan, 3rd Baron O'Hagan Maurice Herbert Towneley Towneley-O'Hagan, 3rd Baron O'Hagan (20 February 1882 – 18 December 1961), was a British Liberal and later Conservative politician. O'Hagan was the second son of Thomas O'Hagan, 1st Baron O'Hagan, the Liberal Lord Chanc ...

* George Payne *

John Baring, 2nd Baron Revelstoke John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

Reuben David Sassoon Reuben David Sassoon, MVO (1835–1905) was an English businessman. Biography Early life Reuben David Sassoon was born in 1835. His father was David Sassoon (1792–1864), a Jewish trader of opium and cotton in China who served as the Treas ...

Edward Montagu-Stuart-Wortley-Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Wharncliffe Edward Montagu Stuart Granville Montagu-Stuart-Wortley-Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Wharncliffe (15 December 1827 – 13 May 1899), was a British peer and railway executive. Early life A member of the Stuart family headed by the Marquess of Bute, W ...

* Owen Williams

References

{{Edward VII, state=collapsed Social history of the United Kingdom Edwardian era Edward VII Victorian era Social groups