Hugh Algernon Percy, 10th Duke of Northumberland (6 April 1914 – 11 October 1988), styled Lord Hugh Percy between 1918 and 1940, was a British landowner, soldier and

peer Peer may refer to: Sociology * Peer, an equal in age, education or social class; see Peer group * Peer, a member of the peerage; related to the term "peer of the realm" Computing * Peer, one of several functional units in the same layer of a ne ...

. He was the son of

Alan Percy, 8th Duke of Northumberland Alan Ian Percy, 8th Duke of Northumberland, (17 April 1880 – 23 August 1930) was a British peer, army officer, and newspaper proprietor. Military career Percy was a second lieutenant of the 2nd Volunteer Battalion the Queen's (Royal West S ...

, and Lady Helen Gordon-Lennox. He succeeded to the dukedom of Northumberland in 1940 when his brother, the 9th Duke, was killed in action in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. He served in the Northumberland Hussars and the

Royal Regiment of Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

during World War II, rising to the rank of

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

. After the war, he served 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 in ...

whip A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally ...

in the

Churchill caretaker ministry The Churchill caretaker ministry was a short-term British government in the latter stages of the Second World War, from 23 May to 26 July 1945. The prime minister was Winston Churchill, leader of the Conservative Party. This government succeed ...

. Later, he served as

Lord Steward The Lord Steward or Lord Steward of the Household is an official of the Royal Household in England. He is always a peer. Until 1924, he was always a member of the Government. Until 1782, the office was one of considerable political importance a ...

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

's Household from 1973 until his death, Lord Lieutenant of Northumberland from 1956 until 1984 and as the first

Chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

of the

University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle University (legally the University of Newcastle upon Tyne) is a UK public research university based in Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England. It has overseas campuses in Singapore and Malaysia. The university is a red brick unive ...

from its formation in 1963 until his death.

Early life and family

Hugh Algernon Percy was born on 6 April 1914. He was the second son of Alan, Earl Percy, later the 8th Duke of Northumberland, and his wife, Lady Helen Gordon-Lennox, herself the daughter of the 7th Duke of Richmond. From birth, as the younger son of an earl, he was entitled to the prefix ''

The Honourable ''The Honourable'' (British English) or ''The Honorable'' ( American English; see spelling differences) (abbreviation: ''Hon.'', ''Hon'ble'', or variations) is an honorific style that is used as a prefix before the names or titles of certa ...

'' by

courtesy Courtesy (from the word ''courteis'', from the 12th century) is Gentleness, gentle politeness and Royal court, courtly Etiquette, manners. In the Middle Ages in Europe, the behaviour expected of the nobility was compiled in courtesy books. Hist ...

. When his father acceded to the dukedom upon the death of his paternal grandfather, the 7th Duke, in 1918, he became known as Lord Hugh Percy. His siblings included: George, 9th Duke of Northumberland; Elizabeth, Duchess of Hamilton; Diana, Duchess of Sutherland; and Lord Richard Percy. He was educated at

Eton College Eton College () is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI of England, Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. i ...

and

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church ( la, Ædes Christi, the temple or house, '' ædēs'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, the college is uniq ...

Career

On 15 April 1936, he was commissioned as a

Second Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army unt ...

in the Northumberland Hussars. He became 10th Duke of Northumberland on 21 May 1940 when his childless elder brother was killed in action in

Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

, in the leadup to the

Battle of Dunkirk The Battle of Dunkirk (french: Bataille de Dunkerque, link=no) was fought around the French port of Dunkirk (Dunkerque) during the Second World War, between the Allies and Nazi Germany. As the Allies were losing the Battle of France on t ...

. In 1940, as a

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

, he transferred to the

. He served in

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, ...

and on the North African campaign. In 1947, as a

, he transferred back to the Northumberland Hussars. Following the death of his brother, he took his seat in the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminst ...

as a

Lord Temporal The Lords Temporal are secular members of the House of Lords, the upper house of the British Parliament. These can be either life peers or hereditary peers, although the hereditary right to sit in the House of Lords was abolished for all but n ...

, making his

maiden speech A maiden speech is the first speech given by a newly elected or appointed member of a legislature or parliament. Traditions surrounding maiden speeches vary from country to country. In many Westminster system governments, there is a convention th ...

on 29 November 1944 in reply to

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 In ...

Speech from the Throne A speech from the throne, or throne speech, is an event in certain monarchies in which the reigning sovereign, or a representative thereof, reads a prepared speech to members of the nation's legislature when a session is opened, outlining t ...

. He also took of management of the family estates, namely

Alnwick Castle Alnwick Castle () is a castle and country house in Alnwick in the English county of Northumberland. It is the seat of the 12th Duke of Northumberland, built following the Norman conquest and renovated and remodelled a number of times. It is a G ...

Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land ...

Albury Park Albury Park is a country park and Grade II* listed historic country house (Albury Park Mansion) in Surrey, England. It covers over ; within this area is the old village of Albury, which consists of three or four houses and a church. The River Til ...

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant ur ...

and

Syon House Syon House is the west London residence of the Duke of Northumberland. A Grade I listed building, it lies within the 200-acre (80 hectare) Syon Park, in the London Borough of Hounslow. The family's traditional central London residence h ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. He also succeeded his brother as Master of the Percy Foxhounds. On 1 June 1945, he was appointed

Lord in Waiting Lords-in-waiting (male) or baronesses-in-waiting (female) are peers who hold office in the Royal Household of the sovereign of the United Kingdom. In the official Court Circular they are styled "Lord in Waiting" or "Baroness in Waiting" (withou ...

, remaining in the position until 23 October 1945. As Lord in Waiting, he was a junior government

in the

. In 1957, he gained the additional peerage of Baron Percy upon the death of his kinsman, James, 9th Duke of Atholl. In 1963, when the

became independent from the

University of Durham , mottoeng = Her foundations are upon the holy hills ( Psalm 87:1) , established = (university status) , type = Public , academic_staff = 1,830 (2020) , administrative_staff = 2,640 (2018/19) , chancellor = Sir Thomas Allen , vice_cha ...

, Northumberland was appointed their first

and retained the post until his death. As chancellor, the Duke presented an

honorary degree An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad h ...

to the

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...

in November 1967, five months before Dr King's assassination. He donated many books and works of art to the university's library. He was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Northumberland on 18 May 1956, a position previously held by his father and many of his ancestors which he held until 1984. On 2 January 1973, Northumberland succeeded the 10th Viscount Cobham as Lord Steward of the Household of

, the most senior of the Great Offices of the

Royal Households of the United Kingdom The Royal Households of the United Kingdom are the collective departments that support members of the British royal family. Many members of the royal family who undertake public duties have separate households. They vary considerably in size, ...

. In 1970, he was elected a fellow of the

Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

. On 9 March 1973, he was appointed a member of the

Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts The Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts (widely known as the Historical Manuscripts Commission, and abbreviated as the HMC to distinguish it from the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England), was a United Kingdom Royal Co ...

. He chaired or was a member of a number of councils and committees such as the

Agricultural Research Council The Agricultural and Food Research Council (AFRC) was a British Research Council responsible for funding and managing scientific and technological developments in farming and horticulture. History The AFRC was formed in 1983 from its predecessor, ...

, Medical Research Council and the Committee of Enquiry on

Foot and Mouth Disease Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) or hoof-and-mouth disease (HMD) is an infectious and sometimes fatal viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including domestic and wild bovids. The virus causes a high fever lasting two to six days, follow ...

. He was president of the

Royal Agricultural Society of England The Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE) promotes the scientific development of English agriculture. It was established in 1838 with the motto "Practice with Science" and received its Royal Charter from Queen Victoria in 1840. RASE is bas ...

in 1956 and 1962. He held the position of Honorary Colonel in various battalions of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers,

Northumbrian Volunteers The Northumbrian Volunteers was a short-lived Territorial Army infantry regiment of the British Army, in existence from 1971 to 1975. History The regiment was formed on 1 April 1971, as the successor to Territorial Army infantry battalions of ...

and the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. In recognition of his service, on 24 April 1959, he was appointed the 922nd Knight Companion of the

Order of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the Georg ...

and made a Knight Grand Cross of the

Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, o ...

in the

1981 Birthday Honours The Queen's Birthday Honours 1981 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The appointments were made to celebrate ...

Marriage and issue

On 12 June 1946, he married Lady Elizabeth Diana Montagu Douglas Scott, daughter of the 8th Duke of Buccleuch, at

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

. The Duke rode on horseback from Alnwick to

Drumlanrig Castle Drumlanrig Castle is situated on the Queensberry Estate in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The category A listed castle is the Dumfriesshire home of the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry. It is open to the public at set times. Con ...

to propose to Lady Elizabeth. The marriage united the

Percy The English surname Percy is of Norman origin, coming from Normandy to England, United Kingdom. It was from the House of Percy, Norman lords of Northumberland, derives from the village of Percy-en-Auge in Normandy. From there, it came into use ...

and

Douglas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals *Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking * Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil ...

families who had feuded for centuries, including at the

Battle of Otterburn The Battle of Otterburn took place according to Scottish sources on 5 August 1388, or 19 August according to English sources, as part of the continuing border skirmishes between the Scots and English. The best remaining record of the bat ...

in 1388. Guests at the wedding included

and

Queen Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elisabeth or Elizabeth the Queen may refer to: Queens regnant * Elizabeth I (1533–1603; ), Queen of England and Ireland * Elizabeth II (1926–2022; ), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms * Queen ...

, Queen Mary, King George II of Greece, Princess Elizabeth and

Princess Margaret Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, (Margaret Rose; 21 August 1930 – 9 February 2002) was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and the younger sister and only sibling of Queen Elizabeth ...

. They had seven children: * Lady Caroline Mary Percy (born 3 May 1947). She married Pierre, Comte de Cabarrus, on 12 January 1974 and had issue. * Lady Victoria Lucy Diana Percy (born 19 April 1949). She married, firstly, Aidan Cuthbert on 4 October 1975 and had issue including Lucy, wife of Prince Khalid bin Bandar Al Saud. They were divorced in 2000 and she married secondly, the same year, Charles Lyon Fellowes, whom she divorced in 2006. * Lady Julia Helen Percy (born 12 November 1950). She married Nicholas Craig Harvey on 11 June 1983 and had issue. * Henry Alan Walter Richard Percy, 11th Duke of Northumberland (1 July 1953 – 31 October 1995). Godson of

. He succeeded his father as 11th Duke of Northumberland in 1988. * Ralph George Algernon Percy, 12th Duke of Northumberland (born 16 November 1956). He married Jane Richard on 21 July 1979 and had issue, including Lady Catherine Percy, George, Earl Percy, and Lady Melissa Trafelet. Succeeded his brother as 12th Duke of Northumberland in 1995. * Lady Louise Percy (25 May 1962 – 27 May 1962). Died in infancy. * Lord James William Eustace Percy (born 18 June 1965). He married Lucy Caroline Rugge-Price in 2000 and had issue.

Death

The Duke died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

at his London home,

, on 11 October 1988 at the age of 74. He was succeeded as duke by his eldest son, Henry, Earl Percy, who became the 11th Duke of Northumberland. He was succeeded as

and Chancellor of

Newcastle University Newcastle University (legally the University of Newcastle upon Tyne) is a UK public research university based in Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England. It has overseas campuses in Singapore and Malaysia. The university is a red brick unive ...

by the 4th Viscount Ridley, who had succeeded him as Lord Lieutenant of Northumberland four years earlier. His ashes were interred on 18 November 1988 in the

Northumberland Vault Honouring individuals with burials and memorials in Westminster Abbey has a long tradition. History Henry III rebuilt Westminster Abbey in honour of the Royal Saint Edward the Confessor, whose relics were placed in a shrine in the sanctuary an ...

Honours

Coat of Arms of Hugh Algernon Percy, 10th Duke of Northumberland, KG, GCVO, PC, TD, FRS

24 April 1959: 922nd Knight Companion of the

Most Noble Order of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the George Cr ...

(KG) *

13 June 1981: Knight Grand Cross of the

(GCVO) *

9 July 1957: Knight of the

Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem The Order of St John, short for Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (french: l'ordre très vénérable de l'Hôpital de Saint-Jean de Jérusalem) and also known as St John International, is a British royal order of ...

(KStJ) *

Ribbon - Efficiency Decoration (South Africa)

17 November 1961: Recipient of the

Territorial Decoration __NOTOC__ The Territorial Decoration (TD) was a military medal of the United Kingdom awarded for long service in the Territorial Force and its successor, the Territorial Army. This award superseded the Volunteer Officer's Decoration when the T ...

(TD)

Appointments

* 1970: Fellow of the Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge (FRS) * 1973: Member of

Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council The Privy Council (PC), officially His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the sovereign of the United Kingdom. Its membership mainly comprises senior politicians who are current or former members of e ...

(PC) * Honorary Associate of the

Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) is the regulatory body for veterinary surgeons in the United Kingdom, established in 1844 by royal charter. It is responsible for monitoring the educational, ethical and clinical standards of the ...

Military ranks

* 15 April 1936:

, Northumberland Hussars * 1940:

* 20 June 1944:

* 28 August 1947:

, Northumberland Hussars

Honorary military appointments

* 25 September 1948 – 23 April 1968: Honorary Colonel of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers * 1 April 1967 – 1 April 1969: Honorary Colonel of the 7th (Territorial) Battalion, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers * 1 April 1969 – 31 March 1971: Honorary Colonel of the 7th Battalion, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers * 1 April 1971 – 31 March 1975: Deputy Honorary Colonel of the

* 1 April 1975 – 11 October 1988: Honorary

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

of the 6th (Volunteer) Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers

References

External links

Alnwick Castle official website
* , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Northumberland, Hugh Percy, 10th Duke Of 1914 births 1988 deaths Hugh Percy, 10th Duke of Northumberland

310 __NOTOC__ Year 310 ( CCCX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Andronicus and Probus (or, less frequently, year 1063 ''A ...

British Army personnel of World War II Northumberland Hussars officers Royal Artillery officers Lord-Lieutenants of Northumberland Ministers in the Churchill caretaker government, 1945 Conservative Party (UK) Baronesses- and Lords-in-Waiting Knights of the Garter Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Knights of the Order of St John Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom English justices of the peace Fellows of the Royal Society (Statute 12) People educated at Eton College Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford People associated with Newcastle University British farmers British landowners Burials at Westminster Abbey