Brigadier Nicholas Crespigny Laurence Vivian, 6th Baron Vivian (11 December 1935 – 28 February 2004), was a British peer and soldier from the

Vivian family Vivian may refer to: *Vivian (name), a given name and also a surname Places * Vivian, Louisiana, U.S. * Vivian, South Dakota, U.S. * Vivian, West Virginia, U.S. * Vivian Island, Nunavut, Canada * Ballantrae, Ontario, a hamlet in Stouffville, On ...

. He was one of the hereditary peers elected to remain in 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 ...

after the passing 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 ...

, sitting as a

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 ...

Early life

The son of the 5th Baron Vivian and Victoria Ruth Mary Rosamund (née Oliphant), Nicholas was educated at

Ludgrove School Ludgrove School is an English independent school, independent boys' Preparatory school (UK), preparatory boarding school. Ludgrove was founded in 1892 at Ludgrove Hall in Middlesex by the Old Etonian sportsman Arthur Dunn. Dunn had been employed ...

, then 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 ...

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...

and

Madrid University The Complutense University of Madrid (, UCM; ) is a public research university located in Madrid. Founded in Alcalá in 1293 (before relocating to Madrid in 1836), it is one of the oldest operating universities in the world, and one of Spain's ...

, where he received a diploma in Spanish Literature, History and Culture.

Biography

Military career

In 1955, Vivian was commissioned to the

3rd Carabiniers The 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1922 as part of a reduction in the army's cavalry by the amalgamation of the 3rd Dragoon Guards (Prince of Wales's) and the Cara ...

(Army Emergency Reserve), which later merged with the

Royal Scots Greys The Royal Scots Greys was a cavalry regiment of the Army of Scotland that became a regiment of the British Army in 1707 upon the Union of Scotland and England, continuing until 1971 when they amalgamated with the 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of ...

into the

Royal Scots Dragoon Guards The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys) is a light Cavalry regiments of the British Army, cavalry regiment of the British Army, and the senior Scottish regiment. The regiment, through the Royal Scots Greys, is the oldest survivi ...

. In 1957 he transferred to a Regular Army commission. From 1976, he commanded the

16th/5th The Queen's Royal Lancers The 16th/5th The Queen's Royal Lancers was a Cavalry regiments of the British Army, cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was formed by the amalgamation of the 16th The Queen's Lancers and the 5th Royal Irish Lancers in 1922. The reason for the ...

. Having then worked for defence intelligence staff at the

UK Ministry of Defence The Ministry of Defence (MOD or MoD) is a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for implementing the defence policy set by the government and serves as the headquarters of the British Armed Forces. ...

, Vivian became deputy commander of the land forces in

Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...

in 1984. Elevated to the rank of

brigadier Brigadier ( ) is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore (rank), commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several t ...

in 1987, he commanded the British Communication Zone until 1990, when he stepped down. Shortly after this, he was promoted Honorary Colonel of 306 Field Hospital, Territorial Army.

Political career

In 1991, Vivian succeeded to his father's titles and joined the House of Lords, where he was Shadow Minister for Defence. Between 1994 and 2000, he was Commissioner for the

Royal Hospital, Chelsea The Royal Hospital Chelsea is an Old soldiers' home, Old Soldiers' retirement home and nursing home for some 300 veterans of the British Army. Founded as an almshouse — the ancient sense of the word "hospital" — by King Charles II of Eng ...

Personal life

Vivian married firstly Catherine Joyce Hope, daughter of James Kenneth Hope, on 13 December 1960. Being divorced in 1972, he married secondly Carol Martineau (1939–2013), daughter of Frederick Alan Martineau, in 1972. He had one son, Charles (7th Baron Vivian) and one daughter, Henrietta (married to Philip Hoyland. Children: Jack, Francesca, George), by his first wife, and two daughters by his second wife, Natasha (married to Jamie Piggott. Children: Harry, Jemima, Olivia, Florence) and Camilla (married to William Wallace. Children: Agatha, George).

Notes

References

* * * 1935 births 2004 deaths Barons in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Conservative Party (UK) hereditary peers 16th/5th The Queen's Royal Lancers officers 3rd Carabiniers officers Royal Scots Dragoon Guards officers People educated at Eton College

Nicholas Nicholas is a male name, the Anglophone version of an ancient Greek name in use since antiquity, and cognate with the modern Greek , . It originally derived from a combination of two Ancient Greek, Greek words meaning 'victory' and 'people'. In ...

People educated at Ludgrove School Hereditary peers elected under the House of Lords Act 1999 {{UK-baron-stub