Name Charles 9th | ||
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Born Arthur Charles Valerian Wellesley 19 August 1945 (age 78) Princess Christian Nursing Home, Windsor, Berkshire, England ( 1945-08-19 ) Children Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Douro Grandchildren Arthur Darcy Mae Madeleine Similar People Arthur Valerian Wellesley, Arthur Wellesley - Marquess, Princess Antonia - Duchess, Gerald Wellesley - 7th Duke, Diana Wellesley - Duchess | ||
Arthur Charles Valerian Wellesley, 9th Duke of Wellington, (born 19 August 1945) is a British aristocrat and politician. He has served as Conservative Party Member of the European Parliament (1984–1989) for Surrey West and currently sits as a hereditary peer in the House of Lords since 2015.
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Wellington is the son of Valerian Wellesley, 8th Duke of Wellington, and the former Diana McConnel. Until acceding to the dukedom in 2014 he was styled with the courtesy title Marquess of Douro.
Education
Wellington was born in 1945 at Princess Christian Nursing Home, Windsor, Berkshire as the eldest of three brothers and a sister. He was educated at Eton College and Christ Church, Oxford.
Politics
Wellington stood as Conservative candidate for Islington North in 1974, finishing in second place. He was a member of Basingstoke Borough Council from 1978–79. He subsequently served as Conservative MEP for Surrey from 1979–84, and as Conservative MEP Surrey West from 1984–89.
In September 2015 he was elected to a seat in the House of Lords as a Conservative in a by-election following the retirement of Lord Luke.
Charity
Wellington has worked for a number of non profit or charitable organisations. He was a patron of British Art at the Tate Gallery (1987–90), a member of the Royal College of Art between (1992–97), Chair of British-Spanish Tertulias (1993–98) and Trustee of the Phoenix Trust from 1996–2001). He received an OBE in 1999 for services to British–Spanish business relations. He was appointed a Deputy Lord-Lieutenant of Hampshire in 1999. In 2003 he was given a four-year appointment as a Commissioner for English Heritage.
On 1 October 2007 he became Chairman of the Governing Council of King's College London, an institution of which his wife Princess Antonia is an alumna, and of which his ancestor Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, was instrumental in the foundation.
Business career
Wellington was an Independent Member of the Board of Directors of Sanofi S.A. since May 2002. He is also a Member of the Company Nominating, Governance and Strategy Committees.
Marriage
He married Antonia von Preussen on 3 February 1977 at St. Paul's Church, Knightsbridge, London.
They have five children:
Titles and styles
In the United Kingdom:
In Spain:
In Belgium and the Netherlands:
In Portugal:
Besides being British peer, he also belongs to the Dutch, Belgian, Spanish and Portuguese nobilities.
Apart from his British titles, the Duke of Wellington also holds the hereditary titles of 9th Prince of Waterloo (Prins van Waterloo) of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and Duke of Victoria (Duque da Vitória) of the Kingdom of Portugal with its subsidiary titles Marquis of Torres Vedras (Marquês de Torres Vedras) and Count of Vimeiro (Conde de Vimeiro). These were granted to the first Duke as victory titles for his distinguished services as victorious commanding general in the Peninsular War (in Spain and Portugal), and at the Battle of Waterloo (in what is now Belgium).
Wellington is also the 10th Duke of Ciudad Rodrigo (Duque de Ciudad Rodrigo) of the Kingdom of Spain, which on 10 March 2010 was ceded to him by his father. In accordance with Spanish procedure, Wellington (then styled as the Marquess of Duoro) made a formal claim to the title with the Spanish authorities. King Juan Carlos of Spain, through his Minister, granted the succession of the Dukedom of Ciudad Rodrigo to Wellington on May 2010.