Edward FitzGerald, 7th Duke Of Leinster
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Edward FitzGerald, 7th Duke of Leinster, etc. (6 May 1892 – 8 March 1976), known as Lord Edward FitzGerald before 1922, was
Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
's Premier
Peer of the Realm A peer of the realm is a member of the highest aristocratic social order outside the ruling dynasty of the kingdom. Notable examples are: * a member of the peerages in the United Kingdom, who is a hereditary peer or a life peer * a member of the ...
.


Biography

Leinster was the youngest of the three sons born to Gerald, 5th Duke of Leinster, and his wife, the former Lady Hermione Duncombe. He served in
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, including taking part in the Gallipoli campaign. He inherited the Dukedom in February 1922, upon the death of his eldest brother, Maurice FitzGerald, 6th Duke of Leinster, who never married and was confined to a mental institution at the time of his deat

An problem gambling, addicted gambler, Leinster enjoyed an extravagant lifestyle, including motor racing. He had already signed away his possible reversionary rights to the family's ancestral seat,
Carton House Carton House is a country house and surrounding demesne that was the ancestral seat of the Earls of Kildare and Dukes of Leinster for over 700 years. Located 23 km west of Dublin, in Maynooth, County Kildare, the Carton Demesne is a 1,100 ...
, near
Maynooth Maynooth (; ) is a university town in north County Kildare, Ireland. It is home to Maynooth University (part of the National University of Ireland and also known as the National University of Ireland, Maynooth) and St Patrick's College, Maynoo ...
in
County Kildare County Kildare () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the Local gove ...
, not expecting that he would inherit the property and the title. He chose to live in
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
and his estates remained in the possession of the beneficiary,
Sir Harry Mallaby-Deeley, 1st Baronet Sir Harry Deeley Mallaby-Deeley, 1st Baronet (27 October 1863, London – 4 February 1937, Cannes) was a British Conservative Party politician. Harry Deeley was educated at Shrewsbury School and Trinity College, Cambridge. His brother was the ...
, during the Duke's lifetime.In 1936, Leinster testified at a bankruptcy hearing that he had travelled to the United States in 1928 in order to find an heiress to marry and that during his trip he "entertained lavishly on borrowed money in efforts to find an American wife who would pay off his debts"."Heiress Hunt Is Told by Duke of Leinster", ''The New York Times'', 15 October 1936 Two heiresses appeared to be interested but both eventually declined to become Duchess of Leinster. Unable to repay his debts, the duke spent the final years of his life living in a small
bedsit A bedsit, bedsitter, or bed-sitting room is a form of accommodation common in some parts of the United Kingdom which consists of a single room per occupant with all occupants typically sharing a bathroom. Bedsits are included in a legal categor ...
in
Pimlico Pimlico () is a district in Central London, in the City of Westminster, built as a southern extension to neighbouring Belgravia. It is known for its garden squares and distinctive Regency architecture. Pimlico is demarcated to the north by Lon ...
. He died by suicide in 1976 by taking an
overdose A drug overdose (overdose or OD) is the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities much greater than are recommended. Retrieved on September 20, 2014.
of
pentobarbital Pentobarbital (US) or pentobarbitone (British and Australian) is a short-acting barbiturate typically used as a sedative, a preanesthetic, and to control convulsions in emergencies. It can also be used for short-term treatment of insomnia but ...
.


Marriages and issue

The Duke of Leinster married four times, his wives being: The first wife was May Juanita Etheridg

(4 August 1892 – 11 February 1935), a
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and
actress An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...
on the
London Stage West End theatre is mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres in and near the West End of London.Christopher Innes"West End"in ''The Cambridge Guide to Theatre'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998), pp. 1194–1195, ...
nicknamed the "Pink Pajama Girl", whom he married, in
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, on 12 June 1913. She was daughter of Jesse Edward Etheridge, a
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, buried at
Bishop's Cleeve Bishop's Cleeve is a large village and civil parish in the Borough of Tewkesbury in the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire, England. The village lies at the foot of Cleeve Hill, the highest point in the Cotswolds. Bishop's Cleeve had a popu ...
,
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, and son of a George Etheridge and wife ..., and his wife, the former Theresa Grace Harriett Ann Summerell. They separated in 1922, whereupon the duke paid his estranged wife approximately $50 a week, "on condition that she live in retirement and make no effort to communicate with her son"."Divorced Duchess Dies in Bungalow", ''The New York Times'', 13 February 1935 The duke sued the duchess for divorce in 1926, citing a George Frederick Newell as co-respondent. The couple finally divorced in 1930, with Stanley Williams, "a young chef", being named as co-respondent. After the end of her marriage, the duchess took the name May Murray by
deed poll A deed poll (plural: deeds poll) is a legal document binding on a single person or several persons acting jointly to express an intention or create an obligation. It is a deed, and not a contract, because it binds only one party. Etymology Th ...
br>
In 1935 she committed suicide by an overdose of sleeping draught. They had one son: *
Gerald FitzGerald, 8th Duke of Leinster Gerald is a masculine given name derived from the Germanic languages prefix ''ger-'' ("spear") and suffix ''-wald'' ("rule"). Gerald is a Norman French variant of the Germanic name. An Old English equivalent name was Garweald, the likely original ...
(27 May 1914 – 3 December 2004) The second wife was (Agnes) Raffaelle Van Neck (14 December 1902 – 28 December 1993, London), an American socialite, who was the former wife of Clare Van Neck and the only child of Robert Davidson Kennedy and his first wife, the former May Nuttin

The Duke and Mrs Van Neck married in London on 1 December 1932; they divorced in 1946, after some years of living in Scotland, the duke saying, "She said she could not live with black-faced sheep and lochs, and I saw a certain amount of truth in that". The third wife was Jessie Wessel, a former actress and music-hall performer, known professionally as
Denise Orme Jessie Smither, Duchess of Leinster (25 August 1885 – 20 October 1960),Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage, 107th edition, vol. 2, ed. Charles Mosley, Burke's Peerage Ltd (2003), p. 2300 known by her stage name Denise Orme, was a ...
(1884–1960). She was the maternal grandmother of Prince
Aga Khan IV Prince Karim al-Husseini (13 December 1936 – 4 February 2025), known as the Aga Khan IV, was the 49th Imamah, imam of Imamate in Nizari doctrine, Nizari Isma'ilism from 1957 until his death in 2025. He inherited the Imamate in Nizari doctrine ...
. Born Jessie Smither, daughter of a bartender named Alfred Smither, she had become a music-hall performer and then married and divorced firstly Danish diplomat Theodor William Wessel, and secondly The 3rd Baron Churston; Leinster became her third husband on 11 March 1946. By this marriage, the duke acquired seven stepchildren, including
Joan Yarde-Buller Joan Barbara Berry, Viscountess Camrose (née Yarde-Buller, later Guinness and Princess Taj-ud-dawlah Aga Khan; 22 April 1908 – 25 April 1997), was an English socialite, one of the Bright Young Things.{{cite journal, title=Showing Aside the Jazz ...
, known at that time (1936–49) as Princess Taj-ud-dawlah, mother of Prince
Aga Khan IV Prince Karim al-Husseini (13 December 1936 – 4 February 2025), known as the Aga Khan IV, was the 49th Imamah, imam of Imamate in Nizari doctrine, Nizari Isma'ilism from 1957 until his death in 2025. He inherited the Imamate in Nizari doctrine ...
(born 1936). The fourth wife was Vivien Irene Conner, a waitress (19 February 1920 –
Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...
,
Sussex Sussex (Help:IPA/English, /ˈsʌsɪks/; from the Old English ''Sūþseaxe''; lit. 'South Saxons'; 'Sussex') is an area within South East England that was historically a kingdom of Sussex, kingdom and, later, a Historic counties of England, ...
, 1992), the former wife of George William Conner and a daughter of Thomas Felton.Suzy Knickerbocker, "Duke and Duchesses and Their Bankruptcies", ''St. Petersburg Times'', 1 January 1968 She and the duke married in 1965. By this marriage, the duke had a stepson, Tony Conner. The duke had an illegitimate son with Yvonne Denison Percy Probyn, later known as Yvonne FitzGerald, the daughter of Colonel J. Percy Probyn: Adrian Dighton Desmond FitzGerald, born in 1952, who married twice. His first wife was Colleen Theresa Cross, whom he married in 1972 and divorced in 1975; from this relationship, they had a daughter, Kirsty FitzGerald, born in 1973, who is the wife of Andrew Keetch. Adrian's second wife was Linda Jane Harris Clark, whom he married in 1982 and divorced in 1992.


References


External links

*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leinster, Edward Fitzgerald, 7th Duke Of
Edward Edward is an English male name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortunate; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-S ...
1892 births 1976 deaths Drug-related suicides in England Barbiturates-related deaths Irish politicians who died by suicide Dukes of Leinster (1766 creation)