Charles Robert Spencer, 6th Earl Spencer, (30 October 185726 September 1922), styled The Honourable Charles Spencer until 1905 and known as Viscount Althorp between 1905 and 1910, was a British courtier and Liberal

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

from the Spencer family. An MP from 1880 to 1895 and again from 1900 to 1905, he served as Vice-Chamberlain of the Household from 1892 to 1895. Raised to peerage as Viscount Althorp in 1905, he was Lord Chamberlain from 1905 to 1912 in the Liberal administrations headed by Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman and H. H. Asquith. In 1910, he succeeded his half-brother as Earl Spencer. He was married to Margaret Baring, a member of the Baring family.

Background and education

Known as "Bobby", Spencer was born in St. James's,

Westminster Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...

, the son of Frederick Spencer, 4th Earl Spencer, by his second wife Adelaide Seymour, daughter of Horace Beauchamp Seymour and granddaughter of Lord Hugh Seymour.

John Spencer, 5th Earl Spencer John Poyntz Spencer, 5th Earl Spencer (27 October 1835 – 13 August 1910), known as Viscount Althorp from 1845 to 1857 (and also known as the "Red Earl" because of his distinctive long red beard), was a British Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party ...

, was his elder half-brother. He was educated at Harrow and

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any ...

Political career

Spencer represented Northamptonshire North in parliament from 1880 to 1885 and Northamptonshire Mid from 1885 to 1895 and again from 1900 to 1905, from his home at Dallington Hall. In 1898, he contested

Hertford Hertford ( ) is the county town of Hertfordshire, England, and is also a civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of the county. The parish had a population of 26,783 at the 2011 census. The town grew around a Ford (crossing), ford on ...

. He was a Groom in Waiting to

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 January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

between February and June 1886. In 1892, he was sworn of the Privy Council and appointed Vice-Chamberlain of the Household under

William Ewart Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British politican, starting as Conservative MP for Newark and later becoming the leader of the Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party. In a career lasting over 60 years, he ...

, a post he held until 1895, the last year under the premiership of Lord Rosebery. Between 1900 and 1905, he was a Liberal whip.Michael Stenton and Stephen Lees, ''Who's Who of British Members of Parliament'' (Harvester Press, Sussex, 1978) vol. II, p. 334. On 19 December 1905, Spencer was created Viscount Althorp, of Great Brington in the County of Northampton, to allow him to become Lord Chamberlain in Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman's new Liberal administration. (His older brother was still Earl Spencer at that time, but was 70 years old and childless, and so it was clear that his younger brother would inherit.) On 13 August 1910, he inherited the earldom on the death of his childless elder brother,

. He remained Lord Chamberlain until 1912. From 1908 to 1922, he was Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire. George Edward Cokayne, H A Doubleday and Lord Howard de Walden, ''The Complete Peerage'' (St Catherine's, London, 1940) vol. XIII, p. 39. He was made a Knight Grand Cross of the

Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the m ...

in 1911 and a Knight Companion of the Garter in 1913. He was also awarded the Volunteer Reserve Decoration. Lord Spencer held a large number of foreign decorations: the Grand Crosses of

Order of the Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog () is a Denmark, Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V of Denmark, Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the Order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single cla ...

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

, Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav, Order of the Polar Star of

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

, Order of the Rising Sun of Japan, the White Eagle of Serbia, Order of the Red Eagle of

Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...

and Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Carlos III. He was also an honorary major in and later honorary colonel of the 4th Volunteer Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment.

Family

Lord Spencer married the Hon. Margaret Baring (14 December 1868 – 4 July 1906), daughter of Edward Baring, 1st Baron Revelstoke and Louisa Emily Charlotte Bulteel, at St James's Church, Piccadilly, on 23 July 1887. They had six children: *Lady Adelaide Margaret "Delia" Spencer (1889–1981), married Sir Sidney Peel, 1st Baronet * Albert Edward John Spencer, 7th Earl Spencer (1892–1975), who married in 1919 Lady Cynthia Elinor Beatrix Hamilton (1897-1972). They had a son and two daughters. By their son they became grandparents of

Diana, Princess of Wales Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997), was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William, ...

. * Lieutenant commander the Hon. Cecil Edward Robert Spencer RN

DSC DSC or Dsc may refer to: Education * Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) * District Selection Committee, an entrance exam in India * Doctor of Surgical Chiropody, superseded in the 1960s by Doctor of Podiatric Medicine Educational institutions * Dyal Sin ...

Croix de Guerre (1894–1928), died unmarried in a riding accident. *Lady Lavinia Emily Spencer (1899–1955), married the 4th Baron Annaly and had issue. Lady Annaly was an extra Lady-in-Waiting to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother when she was Duchess of York. *Captain the Hon. George Charles Spencer (1903–1982), married (1) Barbara Blumenthal and had issue, married (2) Kathleen Henderson; no issue. * Lady Alexandra Margaret Elizabeth Spencer (1906–1996), married the Hon. Henry Douglas-Home (son of the 13th Earl of Home) and had issue. She was the author of ''A Spencer Childhood'', published in 1994. Viscountess Althorp died in 1906 shortly after giving birth to their sixth child. Lord Spencer died in September 1922 at his home in St James Place, London, aged 64. He had been ill for four months after contracting a "chill" at a public event in his home county, Northamptonshire.''The Times (London)'', Wednesday, 27 September 1922, p. 10, col. D. His eldest son Albert succeeded in the earldom. Lord Spencer was buried next to his wife in Saint Mary the Virgin with St John Churchyard, Great Brington,

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire ( ; abbreviated Northants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshi ...

Coat of arms

Ancestry

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Spencer, Charles Robert 1857 births 1922 deaths 20th-century British landowners 06 Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Knights of the Garter Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Grand Crosses of the Order of the Dannebrog Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star Grand Cordons of the Order of the Rising Sun Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Lord-lieutenants of Northamptonshire Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom UK MPs 1880–1885 UK MPs 1885–1886 UK MPs 1886–1892 UK MPs 1892–1895 UK MPs 1900–1906 Spencer, E6 UK MPs who were granted peerages Liberal Party (UK) hereditary peers Peers created by Edward VII People educated at Harrow School Younger sons of earls