Nancy Jane Marie Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 28th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby ( ; born 1 December 1934) is an English peer and member of the

Astor family The Astor family achieved prominence in business, society, and politics in the United States and the United Kingdom during the 19th and 20th centuries. With ancestral roots in the Italian Alps region of Italy by way of Germany, the Astors settle ...

. She is a holder of the office of

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, Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal and above the Lord High Constable of England, Lord Hi ...

, which is exercised by the 7th Baron Carrington.

Family

She is the daughter of

James Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 3rd Earl of Ancaster Gilbert James Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 3rd Earl of Ancaster, (8 December 1907 – 29 March 1983) styled Lord Willoughby de Eresby from 1910 to 1951, was a British Conservative politician. Early life Gilbert James Heathcote-Drummond-Willo ...

, and Nancy Phyllis Louise Astor (daughter of

Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor, DL (19 May 1879 – 30 September 1952) was an American-born English politician and newspaper proprietor. He was a member of the Astor family. He was active in minor political roles. He was devoted to charitab ...

). Her brother Timothy Gilbert (born 19 March 1936),

heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...

of the Earldom of Ancaster, was lost at sea in 1963.

Adult life

Lady Willoughby was one of the six

Maids of Honour A maid of honour is a junior attendant of a queen in royal households. The position was and is junior to the lady-in-waiting. The equivalent title and office has historically been used in most European royal courts. Role Traditionally, a queen ...

at the 1953 coronation of 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 ...

. Her father was the third and last

Earl of Ancaster Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particular ...

. On his death in 1983, the earldom became extinct, but according to the rules of succession to the ancient peerage, she succeeded him as

Baroness Willoughby de Eresby Baron Willoughby de Eresby ( ) is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1313 for Robert de Willoughby. Since 1983, the title has been held by Jane Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 28th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby. History Th ...

. She became the sixth woman to hold the barony, which is distinguished by its suffix from that of Willoughby de Broke. She also inherited divided between

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire ...

and

Perthshire Perthshire (locally: ; gd, Siorrachd Pheairt), officially the County of Perth, is a historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, ...

and in 2008 was ranked 1,572nd in a list of richest people forming the '' annual report of the Sunday Times'', citing her wealth as £48 million. The annual report includes domiciled and non-domiciled visitors believed to be in the United Kingdom at the start of each year. Her father left net assets subjected to tax to his heirs on his death attested as £1,486,694 (equivalent to £5 million in 2019), but may have transferred assets before his death. In 1987, Lady Willoughby became a patron of King Edward VI School in

Spilsby Spilsby is a market town, civil parish and electoral ward in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. The town is adjacent to the main A16, east of the county town of Lincoln, north-east of Boston and north-west of Skegness. It ...

(now

King Edward VI Academy King Edward VI Academy (formerly King Edward VI Humanities College), is a coeducational bi-lateral secondary school and sixth form with academy status, located in Spilsby, Lincolnshire, England, for children between the ages of eleven and eigh ...

). She also served as a Deputy Lieutenant of Lincolnshire. Like most other hereditary peers, Lady Willoughby lost her seat in the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...

as a result of the

House of Lords Act 1999 The House of Lords Act 1999 (c. 34) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed the House of Lords, one of the chambers of Parliament. The Act was given Royal Assent on 11 November 1999. For centuries, the House of Lords ...

. She has not been elected as one of the ninety hereditary peers to hold a seat for life. However, she has a quarter-share in the hereditary position of

, which carries with it a seat in the House of Lords, although the quarter share means only that she is a ''Joint Hereditary Lord Great Chamberlain'', with the possibility of gaining the position in every fourth monarch's reign; her relevant family tree back to 1789 features in this regard, as the office was split by decision of the House of Lords between the daughters of

Robert Bertie, 4th Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven Robert Bertie, 4th Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven, PC (17 October 1756 – 8 July 1779), styled Lord Robert Bertie until 1758 and Marquess of Lindsey between 1758 and 1778, was a British peer. He was born in Grimsthorpe, the second son ...

(who was also Lord Willoughby de Eresby and Marquess of Lindsey). Lady Willoughby de Eresby is unmarried and without issue. This leaves co-heirs presumptive of the peerage Sebastian St Maur Miller (b. 1965), her older aunt's grandson, and

Sir John Aird, 4th Baronet Sir George John Aird, 4th Baronet (born 30 January 1940) is a British baronet. He is the son of Sir John Renton Aird, 3rd Baronet and Lady Priscilla Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby. He is usually called by his middle name John. Biography George J ...

(b. 1940), her younger aunt's son. They will share in the Lord Great Chamberlain's quarter-interest, leaving them one eighth of the role each, ranking them second behind the

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 fe ...

, who takes the role in every alternate reign.Kidd, Charles, ''Debrett's Peerage & Baronetage 2015 Edition'', London, 2015, p.P751

References

Bibliography

* *28 Hereditary women peers British maids of honour 1934 births Astor family Heathcote family Livingston family Living people Daughters of British earls English people of German descent English people of Irish descent English people of Scottish descent 20th-century English people 20th-century English women 21st-century English people 21st-century English women {{England-baron-stub

Family

Adult life

See also

References

Bibliography