Succeeded by The Earl Cowper Succeeded by The Lord Carteret Role English Politician | Preceded by The Duke of Devonshire Preceded by The Duke of Bolton Name Charles 2nd | |
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Born 25 October 1683 ( 1683-10-25 ) Died May 6, 1757, Euston, Suffolk, United Kingdom Spouse Lady Henrietta Somerset (m. 1713) Children Lord Augustus FitzRoy, Lady Isabella FitzRoy Parents Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton, Isabella FitzRoy, Duchess of Grafton Similar People Isabella FitzRoy - Duchess, Barbara Palmer - 1st Duchess, Charles II of England, Lord Hugh Seymour |
Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Grafton KG PC FRS (25 October 1683 – 6 May 1757) was an Irish and English politician.
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Early life
He was the only child and heir of Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton (1663-1690) (an illegitimate son of King Charles II by his mistress Barbara Villiers) by his wife Isabella Bennet, 2nd Countess of Arlington. He succeeded to his father's titles on 9 October 1690.
Career
He was Lord High Steward at King George I's coronation, becoming a Privy Counsellor in 1715 and a Knight of the Garter in 1721. He also served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from 1720 to 1724 and Lord Chamberlain from 1724 until his death. In 1719 he was one of the main subscribers to the Royal Academy of Music, a corporation that produced baroque opera on the stage. In 1739 he supported the creation of what was to become one of London's most notable charities, the Foundling Hospital. He sat on that charity's original Court of Governors with such fellow Governors as the Duke of Bedford, the Lord Vere and the Lord Mayor of London.
Marriage and children
He married Lady Henrietta Somerset, daughter of Charles Somerset, Marquess of Worcester and Rebecca Child; they had seven children:
The Duke also fathered an illegitimate son, Charles FitzRoy-Scudamore. Grafton Street in Dublin was named after him.