Peter Randolph Louis Beatty (2 April 1910 – 26 October 1949) was an English
racehorse owner and breeder, businessman and member of the
aristocracy.
Early life and personality
Born on 2 April 1910, Beatty was the younger son of
David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty
Admiral of the Fleet David Richard Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty (17 January 1871 – 12 March 1936) was a Royal Navy officer. After serving in the Mahdist War and then the response to the Boxer Rebellion, he commanded the 1st Battlecruiser Squadro ...
and his wife
Ethel. An heiress in her own right, Beatty's mother was the only daughter of
Marshall Field
Marshall Field (August 18, 1834January 16, 1906) was an American entrepreneur and the founder of Marshall Field and Company, the Chicago-based department stores. His business was renowned for its then-exceptional level of quality and customer ...
, an American millionaire who was involved in the
department store
A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store made a dramatic app ...
business in Chicago. His mother's death in 1932 made Beatty a millionaire. As a baby Beatty suffered from
ophthalmia neonatorum. It affected his eyesight and personality throughout his life; he was frequently high-strung, and his eyesight gradually deteriorated. Beatty had consulted eye specialists in the UK and the US and also had many eye surgeries; none were able to offer him any improvement for the condition.
Beatty was described as having a shrewd business sense, particularly when it came to horses and horse racing. He was also said to be witty and at times, mischievous. Despite his failing eyesight, Beatty managed to obtain a commission in his father's old service. He served with the Commando Brigade in the Middle East until he was invalided out. He was a
tall, dark and handsome
"Tall, dark, and handsome" is a phrase that refers to an appealing man, often found in romantic fiction aimed at women.
History
The term came to prominent use in the early 1900s and was commonly used in Hollywood during the 1920s to describe Ru ...
man who had once been named one of Britain's most eligible bachelors. At the time of his death
Mereworth Castle in Kent was his main residence.
Aly Khan
Prince Ali Salman Aga Khan (13 June 1911 – 12 May 1960), known as Aly Khan, was a Pakistani diplomat of Iranian and Italian descent. He was the son of the Aga Khan III, and the father of Aga Khan IV.
A socialite, racehorse owner and jockey, ...
and his wife,
Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer and producer. She achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars, appearing in 61 films over 37 years. The press coined th ...
, were Beatty's guests at the castle for the running of the Epsom Derby in June 1949.
Horse racing
Beatty's nickname was "Lucky" because of the success he had enjoyed at an early age in horse racing. He told friends that he had consulted a fortune teller, who told him he would win the Epsom Derby with a horse whose name had three "s" in it; four years later, Beatty's
Bois Roussel
Bois Roussel (1935–1955) was a French-bred Thoroughbred champion horse racing, racehorse and a leading broodmare sire (horse), sire. He won the 1938 Epsom Derby on his second racecourse appearance.
Background
He was named for Haras du Bois-Rou ...
won the race. In 1936 Beatty inherited
Reigate Priory, the last private individual to own the property, and added stables to the grounds for his racehorses. He sold the property to the Mutual Property Life and General Insurance Company in 1942. Beatty was also involved in horse breeding; the noted racehorse
My Babu was bred by Beatty.
Beatty had racehorses trained at
Beckhampton by
Fred Darling
Frederick Darling (1884–1953) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse trainer who trained a record-equalling seven English Derby winners.
Darling's father, Sam Darling senior, was a trainer at Beckhampton, near Avebury in Wiltshire, who train ...
. He purchased the racehorse Bois Roussel from
Leon Volterra for £8,000, and it went on to win
The Derby on 1 June 1938. The horse had been listed as having 20 to 1 odds. The win surprised both Beatty and many others at the racecourse. King
George VI
George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of I ...
, whose horse, Licence, was also entered in the race, invited Beatty to the Royal Box after the win. The Derby victory won Beatty around $50,000. Beatty and Prince Aly Khan were friends and business partners, sharing a love of horses and horse racing. Beatty and Khan were joint owners of Tant Mieux, the 1939 winner of the
Gimcrack Stakes
The Gimcrack Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old colts and geldings.
It is run at York over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is scheduled to ...
.
Death and legacy
Beatty died on 26 October 1949 after falling from a sixth floor window of
The Ritz Hotel, London
The Ritz London is a Grade II listed 5-star hotel in Piccadilly, London, England. A symbol of high society and luxury, the hotel is one of the world's most prestigious and best known. The Ritz has become so associated with luxury and elegance ...
, having been informed that he was going completely blind. At the time of his death, Beatty's eyesight had failed to the point where he needed to be in the company of his valet to walk. He was wearing his pyjamas and a robe when he told his valet he was going to the sixth floor of the Ritz to visit friends there. He then fell six floors to his death at the rear of the hotel. Beatty's most recent eye surgery was on 5 September. His brother,
David Beatty, 2nd Earl Beatty
David Field Beatty, 2nd Earl Beatty, (22 February 1905 – 10 June 1972), styled Viscount Borodale from 1919 to 1936, was a Royal Navy officer and British Conservative Party politician.
Early life
Beatty was born on 22 February 1905. He was the ...
, with whom he was living at the time, said that after the surgery Beatty began to lose what little sight he had left, but gave no indication that he intended to kill himself. A coroner's verdict was that Beatty had committed suicide, since he had recently learned that there was no hope of saving his sight.
It upset Beatty greatly that his blindness meant that he could no longer see his racehorses. For a number of years, he needed to have someone describe the races to him when he went to a racetrack. His estate was valued at more than £306,000 in 1950, equivalent to £29.1 million as of 2013. Mereworth Castle was left to
Michael Lambert Tree, Beatty's nephew. Tree was a son of
Ronald Tree
Arthur Ronald Lambert Field Tree (26 September 1897 – 14 July 1976) was a British Conservative Party politician, journalist and investor who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Harborough constituency in Leicestershire from 1933 t ...
, Beatty's half sibling from his mother's first marriage. Ronald Tree's other son,
Jeremy Tree
Arthur Jeremy Tree (21 December 1925 – 7 March 1993) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse trainer.
Background
Born into a prominent London family, Tree was always known by his middle name, Jeremy. His father was Ronald Tree, an American-born ...
, inherited Beatty's bloodstock and became a racehorse trainer himself.
References
Notes
Citations
Bibliography
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Beatty, Peter
1910 births
1949 deaths
British racehorse owners and breeders
Peter
Peter may refer to:
People
* List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Peter (given name)
** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church
* Peter (surname), a sur ...
Marshall Field family
British people of American descent
Suicides by jumping in England
Blind people from England
Younger sons of earls
Owners of Epsom Derby winners