Brigadier Nicholas Crespigny Laurence Vivian, 6th Baron Vivian (11 December 1935 – 28 February 2004), was a British peer and soldier from the

Vivian family Vivian may refer to: *Vivian (name), a given name and also a surname Toponyms * Vivian, Louisiana, U.S. * Vivian, South Dakota, U.S. * Vivian, West Virginia, U.S. * Vivian Island, Nunavut, Canada * Ballantrae, Ontario, a hamlet in Stouffville, ...

. He was one of the hereditary peers elected to remain in the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...

after the passing of the

House of Lords Act 1999 The House of Lords Act 1999 (c. 34) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed the House of Lords, one of the chambers of Parliament. The Act was given Royal Assent on 11 November 1999. For centuries, the House of Lords ...

, sitting as a

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

Early life

The son of the 5th Baron Vivian and Victoria Ruth Mary Rosamund (née Oliphant), Nicholas was educated at

Ludgrove School Ludgrove School is an English independent boys preparatory boarding school. Ludgrove was founded in 1892 at Ludgrove Hall in Middlesex by the Old Etonian sportsman Arthur Dunn. Dunn had been employed as a master at Elstree School, which sent boys ...

, then at

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...

and

Madrid University The Complutense University of Madrid ( es, Universidad Complutense de Madrid; UCM, links=no, ''Universidad de Madrid'', ''Universidad Central de Madrid''; la, Universitas Complutensis Matritensis, links=no) is a public research university loca ...

, where he received a diploma in Spanish Literature, History and Culture.

Biography

Military career

In 1955, Vivian was commissioned to the

3rd Carabiniers The 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1922 as part of a reduction in the army's cavalry by the amalgamation of the 3rd Dragoon Guards (Prince of Wales's) and the Carab ...

(Army Emergency Reserve), which later merged with the

Royal Scots Greys The Royal Scots Greys was a Cavalry regiments of the British Army, cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1707 until 1971, when they amalgamated with the 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards) to form the Royal Scots Dragoon Guard ...

into the

Royal Scots Dragoon Guards The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys) is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, and the senior Scottish regiment. The regiment, through the Royal Scots Greys, is the oldest surviving Cavalry Regiment of the Line in the British ...

. In 1957 he transferred to a Regular Army commission. From 1976, he commanded the

16th/5th The Queen's Royal Lancers The 16th/5th The Queen's Royal Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was formed by the amalgamation of the 16th The Queen's Lancers and the 5th Royal Irish Lancers in 1922. The reason for the uniquely atypical regimental title (wit ...

. Having then worked for defence intelligence staff at the

UK Ministry of Defence The Ministry of Defence (MOD or MoD) is the department responsible for implementing the defence policy set by His Majesty's Government, and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces. The MOD states that its principal objectives are to d ...

, Vivian became deputy commander of the land forces in

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...

in 1984. Elevated to the rank of

Brigadier Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. In ...

in 1987, he commanded the British Communication Zone until 1990, when he stepped down. Shortly after this, he was promoted Honorary Colonel of 306 Field Hospital, Territorial Army.

Political career

In 1991, Vivian succeeded to his father's titles and joined the House of Lords, where he was Shadow Minister for Defence. Between 1994 and 2000, he was Commissioner for the

Royal Hospital, Chelsea The Royal Hospital Chelsea is a retirement home and nursing home for some 300 veterans of the British Army. Founded as an almshouse, the ancient sense of the word "hospital", it is a site located on Royal Hospital Road in Chelsea. It is an in ...

Personal life

Vivian married firstly Catherine Joyce Hope, daughter of James Kenneth Hope, on 13 December 1960. Being divorced in 1972, he married secondly Carol Martineau (1939–2013), daughter of Frederick Alan Martineau, in 1972. He had one son, Charles (7th Baron Vivian) and one daughter, Henrietta (married to Philip Hoyland. Children: Jack, Francesca, George), by his first wife, and two daughters by his second wife, Natasha (married to Jamie Piggott. Children: Harry, Jemima, Olivia, Florence) and Camilla (married to William Wallace. Children: Agatha, George).

References

* * * 1935 births 2004 deaths Barons in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Conservative Party (UK) hereditary peers 16th/5th The Queen's Royal Lancers officers 3rd Carabiniers officers Royal Scots Dragoon Guards officers People educated at Eton College

Nicholas Nicholas is a male given name and a surname. The Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Anglicanism, Anglican Churches celebrate Saint Nicholas every year on December 6, which is the name day for "Nicholas". In Greece, the n ...

Eldest sons of British hereditary barons People educated at Ludgrove School {{UK-baron-stub Hereditary peers elected under the House of Lords Act 1999