Henry Allen John Bathurst, 8th Earl Bathurst DL (1 May 1927 – 16 October 2011), styled Lord Apsley from 1942 to 1943, was a British peer, soldier and

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

politician. He was most recently known for an altercation with

Prince William William, Prince of Wales (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982), is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales. William was born during the reign of his p ...

Background and education

The eldest son of Allen Bathurst, Lord Apsley, and his wife

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(née Meeking), he was educated at

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, and

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Military and political career

His father having been killed in 1942 while on active duty during

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, Bathurst succeeded to the family titles on the death of his grandfather, the 7th Earl Bathurst, in 1943. He joined the military in 1948, when he was appointed a Governor of the Royal Agricultural College. Lord Bathurst was commissioned, served in the 10th

Royal Hussars The Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was formed by the amalgamation of the 10th Royal Hussars and the 11th Hussars in 1969 and it amalgamated with the 14th/20th King's Hussars to form the King' ...

and later the

Royal Gloucestershire Hussars The Royal Gloucestershire Hussars was a volunteer yeomanry regiment which, in the 20th century, became part of the British Army Reserve. It traced its origins to the First or Cheltenham Troop of Gloucestershire Gentleman and Yeomanry raised i ...

, and promoted Captain in the Territorials to the local cavalry regiment, the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars. While working on his estate he was made Joint MFH of the Vale of White Horse hunt. He later held political office under

Harold Macmillan Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton (10 February 1894 – 29 December 1986), was a British statesman and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1957 to 1963. Nickn ...

as a

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(government whip in the House of Lords) from 1957 to 1961. The Conservative government recommended him as a Deputy Lieutenant of the county in 1960. Briefly, he was promoted a junior minister as Joint

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from 1961 to 1962. He was a Deputy Lieutenant for

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from 1960 to 1986, following which he left politics to run the family estate based around Cirencester Park. According to the 2003 Sunday Times Rich List, he was tied at position #904 with a number of others. On retiring he took up residence at Manor Farm, Sapperton near Cirencester. Lord Bathurst married Judith Mary, daughter of Viscount Nelson and had issue of two sons and a daughter.

Publicity

Bathurst was rather notoriously involved in an altercation with

in the summer of 2003. According to the noted sources, the altercation occurred on Lord Bathurst's property at Cirencester Park,

. He was driving a

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Defender, when Prince William, after playing polo at the club, overtook Lord Bathurst in a

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car. Lord Bathurst, unaware of the driver's identity, was infuriated by what he saw as a reckless disregard for the driving rules that guide cooperation between his estate and the polo club. In his attempt to keep up with the Prince, Lord Bathurst engaged in off-road manoeuvres, finally being stopped by the Prince's security team. As Lord Bathurst told the BBC, "There are rules in the polo club about driving on the athurst familyestate, and people have to stick to them." No harm was done, as there were no resulting injuries and

Clarence House Clarence House is a royal residence on The Mall in the City of Westminster, London. It was built in 1825–1827, adjacent to St James's Palace, for the royal Duke of Clarence, the future King William IV. The four-storey house is faced in ...

issued a formal apology to Lord Bathurst.

Marriages and children

The 8th earl was married on 20 March to Judith Mary (1931–2001), daughter of Sir Amos Christopher Nelson, by whom the Earl had issue. They were divorced in 1976: *

Allen Bathurst, 9th Earl Bathurst Allen Christopher Bertram Bathurst, 9th Earl Bathurst (born 11 March 1961), known as Lord Apsley until 2011, is a British peer, landowner and property developer. Life The son of Henry Bathurst, 8th Earl Bathurst, and his wife Judith Mary Nels ...

(born 11 March 1961) he married Hilary George in 1986 and they were divorced in 1994. They have two children. He married secondly Sara L. Chapman on 5 June 1996. * Lady Henrietta Mary Lilias Bathurst (born 17 October 1962) she married Neil S. Palmer in 2000. They have two children: ** Judith Kathleen Lilias Palmer (14 September 2001) ** Alexander Henry Oliver Palmer (14 February 2004) * The Honorable Alexander Edward Seymour Bathurst (born 8 August 1965) he married Emma Gae Sharpe in 1992. They have one son: ** Harry John Seymour Bathurst (3 July 1996) After his divorce, Lord Bathurst married a second time on 17 January 1978, to Gloria Rutherston, née Clary. She died in 2018; and left the bulk of her fortune to a pair of interior designers.

References

External links

*
Obituary of the 8th Earl Bathurst, The Daily Telegraph, 18 October, 2011
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bathurst, Henry Bathurst, 8th Earl 1927 births 2011 deaths 8 Royal Gloucestershire Hussars officers 10th Royal Hussars officers People educated at Eton College Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Deputy lieutenants of Gloucestershire Conservative Party (UK) hereditary peers

Henry Henry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Henry (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters * Henry (surname) * Henry, a stage name of François-Louis Henry (1786–1855), French baritone Arts and entertainmen ...

Ministers in the Macmillan and Douglas-Home governments, 1957–1964 Ridley College alumni Bathurst