Rognvald Richard Farrer Herschell, 3rd Baron Herschell (13 September 1923 – 26 October 2008) was a British

hereditary peer The hereditary peers form part of the peerage in the United Kingdom. As of April 2025, there are 800 hereditary peers: 30 dukes (including six royal dukes), 34 marquesses, 189 earls, 108 viscounts, and 439 barons (not counting subsidiary ...

and politician.

Life

He succeeded his father to the peerage in 1929, and thus enjoyed his peerage for 79 years. He lost his right to sit 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 ...

upon passage 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 ...

which disqualified most hereditary peers from an automatic seat. Herschell was the only son of

Richard Herschell, 2nd Baron Herschell Richard Farrer Herschell, 2nd Baron Herschell (22 May 1878 – 14 October 1929), was a British Liberal Party (UK), Liberal politician. Background and early life Herschell was the only son of the Lord Chancellor, Farrer Herschell, 1st Baron Hers ...

, and Vera, daughter of Sir Arthur Nicolson, 10th Baronet, and 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 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 ...

to the king from 1935 to 1940 and was a train bearer at the

coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The coronation of the British monarch, coronation of George VI and his wife, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, Elizabeth, as King of the United Kingdom, king and List of British royal consorts, queen of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth realm, ...

in 1937. A captain in the

Coldstream Guards The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army. As part of the Household Division, one of its principal roles is the protection of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, monarchy; due to this, it often ...

, Lord Herschell fought in the Second World War from 1942 to 1945. Despite being entitled to a seat in the House of Lords between 1944 and 1999, he never took his seat.Dod's, 1999. p. 486.

Family

Lord Herschell married Lady Heather, daughter of

Humphry Legge, 8th Earl of Dartmouth Humphry Legge, 8th Earl of Dartmouth, (14 March 1888 – 16 October 1962) was a British peer and police officer. Biography Legge was the youngest son of the William Legge, 6th Earl of Dartmouth. During the First World War, he served as a com ...

, in 1948. They had one daughter, the Hon. Arabella Jane (born 1955), who is married to Sir

John Kiszely Lieutenant General Sir John Panton Kiszely, (born 2 April 1948) is a retired senior British Army officer who was director general of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom from 2005 to 2008. He is a former national president of The Royal Brit ...

. Herschell died in October 2008, aged 85, when the barony became extinct.

Arms

References

Citations

Bibliography

* Bedford, M. (1999). ''Dod's Parliamentary Companion'' (118 ed.). Westminster: Vacher Dod Publishing. * *

1923 births 2008 deaths People educated at Eton College British people of Polish-Jewish descent 3

Rognvald Ragnvald, Rögnvald or Rognvald or Rægnald is an Old Norse name (Old Norse ''Rǫgnvaldr'', modern Icelandic ''Rögnvaldur''; in Old English ''Regenweald'' and in Old Irish, Middle Irish '' Ragnall''). Notable people with the name include: * Ragn ...

Herschell {{UK-baron-stub