David George Philip Cholmondeley, 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley, ( ; born 27 June 1960), styled Viscount Malpas from birth until 1968, and subsequently Earl of Rocksavage until 1990, is a British peer and filmmaker who acted as

Lord Great Chamberlain The Lord Great Chamberlain of England is the sixth of the Great Officers of State (United Kingdom), Great Officers of State, ranking beneath the Lord Privy Seal but above the Lord High Constable of England, Lord High Constable. The office of Lo ...

of the United Kingdom from 1990 to 2022.

Early life and education

Lord Cholmondeley is a descendant of Sir

Robert Walpole Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford (; 26 August 1676 – 18 March 1745), known between 1725 and 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole, was a British Whigs (British political party), Whig statesman who is generally regarded as the ''de facto'' first Prim ...

(1676–1745), the first

Prime Minister of Great Britain The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet, and selects its ministers. Modern pr ...

. He is the son of Hugh Cholmondeley, 6th Marquess of Cholmondeley, and Lavinia, Marchioness of Cholmondeley (née Leslie). He is also a descendant of both the

Rothschild family The Rothschild family ( , ) is a wealthy Ashkenazi Jews, Ashkenazi Jewish noble banking family originally from Frankfurt. The family's documented history starts in 16th-century Frankfurt; its name is derived from the family house, Rothschild, ...

and the

Sassoon family The Sassoon family were a wealthy Baghdadi Jews, Baghdadi Jews, Jewish family dynasty, associated with finance, banking, capital markets, the exploration of oil and gas, Judaism, British Conservative Party, Conservative politics, opium trade wit ...

through his paternal grandmother,

Sybil Sassoon Sybil Rachel Betty Cecile Cholmondeley, Marchioness of Cholmondeley ( , born Sybil Rachel Betty Cecile Sassoon; 30 January 1894 – 26 December 1989), styled Countess of Rocksavage from 1913 to 1923, was a British socialite, patron of the arts ...

. He has three older sisters: the Ladies Rose, Margot (previously married to Tony Huston), and Caroline (married to Baron Rodolphe

d'Erlanger D'erlanger (stylized as D'ERLANGER) is a Japanese rock band from Kyoto Prefecture, formed in 1983 by guitarist Cipher and bassist Seela. While they originally played speed and power metal, after recruiting drummer Tetsu and vocalist Kyo they s ...

). Like many members of his family, Cholmondeley was educated at

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

. He later studied at the Sorbonne in Paris.

Career

Film industry

Lord Cholmondeley is a filmmaker. As David Rocksavage, he also appeared in a small part in

Eric Rohmer The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, Eirik, or Eiríkur is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Nor ...

's film '' 4 aventures de Reinette et Mirabelle'' (1987). His professional name is derived from his title of Earl of Rocksavage. He has made the following documentaries for television: *1979, ''The Gentlemen Factory'', about Eton College, (co-directed with Simon Dewhurst), BBC2 and Rank cinemas. *1984, ''Madeleine Castaing, '' FR3 *1986, ''Portrait of My Grandmother,'' Anglia TV In 1995, he directed the film adaptation of

Truman Capote Truman Garcia Capote ( ; born Truman Streckfus Persons; September 30, 1924 – August 25, 1984) was an American novelist, screenwriter, playwright, and actor. Several of his short stories, novels, and plays have been praised as literary classics ...

's novel ''Other Voices, Other Rooms''. In 2007, he directed '' Shadows in the Sun'', starring

Jean Simmons Jean Merilyn Simmons (31 January 1929 – 22 January 2010) was a British actress and singer. One of J. Arthur Rank's "well-spoken young starlets", she appeared predominantly in films, beginning with those made in Britain during and after the ...

and

James Wilby James Jonathon Wilby (born 20 February 1958) is an English actor. Early life and education Wilby was born in Rangoon, Burma to a corporate executive father. He was educated at Terrington Hall and Sedbergh School, studied for a degree in M ...

, which was shot in Norfolk. The film was released in 2009.

Inherited title

Cholmondeley became

Marquess of Cholmondeley Marquess of Cholmondeley ( ) is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1815 for George Cholmondeley, 4th Earl of Cholmondeley. History The Cholmondeley family descends from William le Belward (or de Belward), the ...

on 13 March 1990, upon the death of his father. Cholmondeley also inherited a half share of the office of

, and succeeded his father in exercising the function of the office for the duration of Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

's reign. As Lord Great Chamberlain, Cholmondeley was ''ex officio'' a member of the

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

and attended the House of Lords in his ceremonial role such as at the

State Opening of Parliament The State Opening of Parliament is a ceremonial event which formally marks the beginning of each Legislative session, session of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. At its core is His or Her Majesty's "Speech from the throne, gracious speech ...

, although he did not sit in the House of Lords for debates as he was on a leave of absence. Upon Queen Elizabeth II's death on 8 September 2022, Lord Cholmondeley ceased to be Lord Great Chamberlain and a member of the House of Lords, with the office of the Lord Great Chamberlain passing to Rupert Carington, 7th Baron Carrington.

Lands and estates

The family seats are Houghton Hall in Norfolk, and Cholmondeley Castle, which is surrounded by a estate near

Malpas, Cheshire Malpas ( ) is a market town and a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies near the borders with Shropshire and Wales, and had a population of 1,673 at the 2011 U ...

. According to the '' Sunday Times Rich List'' in 2008, Cholmondeley has an estimated net worth of approximately £60m, attributed primarily to his inherited landholdings. Houghton Hall, ancestral home of the Marquesses of Cholmondeley since the establishment of the title in 1815, opens some of its rooms to the public, as well as the walled garden and extensive sculpture park. The gardens of Cholmondeley Castle are also open to the public. Cholmondeley was the co-author of the 2014 monograph on Houghton Hall published by Rizzoli. In 2000 Cholmondeley commissioned Garlinda Birkbeck to photograph all the residents of his estates and the buildings within them in a survey that was bound in three volumes.

Position at court

In 1974, at the age of fourteen, Cholmondeley, then known as the Earl of Rocksavage, was appointed as a

Page of Honour A Page of Honour is a ceremonial position in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. It requires attendance on state occasions, but does not now involve the daily duties which were once attached to the office of page. The only ...

to Queen

. He relinquished this role upon reaching the age limit in 1976. One moiety of the ancient office of

is a Cholmondeley inheritance. This hereditary honour came into the Cholmondeley family through the marriage of the first Marquess of Cholmondeley to Lady Georgiana Charlotte Bertie, daughter of

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

Peregrine Bertie, 3rd Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven General Peregrine Bertie, 3rd Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven (171412 August 1778), styled Lord Willoughby de Eresby from 1715 to 1723 and Marquess of Lindsey from 1735 to 1742, was an English peer. Early life Bertie was born in 1714 and, begi ...

. The second, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh holders of the marquessate have all held this office. Cholmondeley exercised the office of Lord Great Chamberlain from 1990 to 2022, during the reign of Elizabeth II; in the event

Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...

ceased to be king before Cholmondeley's death, he would either exercise the office again or nominate a deputy to act on his behalf. In March 2023, he was appointed a permanent

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" (without ...

Marriage and children

Lord Cholmondeley married (Sarah) Rose Hanbury, a fashion model, on 24 June 2009, their engagement having been announced two days prior. She is a daughter of Timothy Hanbury, a website designer, and Emma Hanbury (née Longman), a fashion designer. The landed gentry Hanbury family lived at Holfield Grange, Coggeshall, Essex. Her maternal grandmother is Lady Elizabeth Lambart, daughter of

Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...

Rudolph Lambart, 10th Earl of Cavan; Lady Elizabeth was one of the bridesmaids at the 1947 wedding of Princess Elizabeth; her paternal grandmother, Sara, was the daughter of racing driver Sir Tim Birkin, 3rd Baronet. On 12 October 2009, the Marchioness gave birth to twin sons, Alexander Hugh George and Oliver Timothy George. The elder son, Alexander, as

heir apparent An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...

to the Marquessate, bears the

courtesy title A courtesy title is a title that does not have legal significance but is rather used by custom or courtesy, particularly, in the context of nobility, the titles used by children of members of the nobility (cf. substantive title). In some context ...

of Earl of Rocksavage; his brother is known as Lord Oliver Cholmondeley. In March 2016, the Marquess and Marchioness had their third child, a daughter, Lady Iris Marina Aline Cholmondeley. Lord Oliver Cholmondeley was a

page of honour A Page of Honour is a ceremonial position in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. It requires attendance on state occasions, but does not now involve the daily duties which were once attached to the office of page. The only ...

at the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on 6 May 2023 at which the Marquess wore his Coronation robes. He subsequently served as a page of honour to the King.

Titles, styles and arms

* 27 June 1960 – 16 September 1968: Viscount Malpas * 16 September 1968 – 13 March 1990: Earl of Rocksavage * 13 March 1990 – present: ''The Most Honourable'' The Marquess of Cholmondeley As the eldest son of the

of the 5th Marquess, he was known from birth by the courtesy title of Viscount Malpas. Upon his grandfather's death, he became the heir to the marquessate and was thus known by the courtesy title of Earl of Rocksavage, before inheriting the marquessate in 1990. He also inherited the following subsidiary titles: *Earl of Cholmondeley (Peerage of England) *Earl of Rocksavage (Peerage of the United Kingdom) *Viscount Cholmondeley (Peerage of Ireland) *Viscount Malpas (Peerage of England) *Baron Cholmondeley (Peerage of England) *Baron Newborough (Peerage of Ireland) *Baron Newburgh (Peerage of Great Britain)

Honours

* In the Queen's Birthday Honours List for 2007, Lord Cholmondeley was made a

Knight Commander 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 ...

(KCVO) for his 17 years of service as

. * In the Honours List on the Demise of HM Queen Elizabeth II, Lord Cholmondeley was promoted to a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO). * He was awarded the UK Version of the

Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal () or the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal created in 2002 to mark the 50th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession in 1952. The Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal was ...

in 2002. * He was awarded the UK Version of the

Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal () or The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal created in 2012 to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession in 1952. There are four versions of the medal: one iss ...

in 2012. * He serves as a Deputy Lieutenant of the

County A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...

. This gives him the

post-nominal letters Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles, designatory letters, or simply post-nominals, are letters placed after a person's name to indicate that the individual holds a position, an academic degree, accreditation ...

"DL" for life.

Notes

References

External links

* *
Houghton Hall

Cholmondeley Castle

Photos of Houghton Hall and Cholmondley Castle:
As a special Millennium project, Garlinda Birkbeck was commissioned by the Marquis of Cholmondeley to photograph every house, building and person on his estates in Norfolk and Cheshire, capturing the world of his estates at the turn of the year 1999/2000.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cholmondeley, David Cholmondeley, 7th Marquess of 1960 births Living people Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Lord Great Chamberlains Crossbench hereditary peers Deputy lieutenants of Cheshire Deputy lieutenants of Norfolk Sassoon family Rothschild family People educated at Eton College People educated at Heatherdown School Pages of Honour Permanent Lords-in-Waiting English film directors

David David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...

British people of German-Jewish descent British people of Iraqi-Jewish descent People from Houghton, Norfolk 7 Excepted hereditary peers