Peregrine Cavendish, 12th Duke of Devonshire

Peregrine Andrew Morny Cavendish, 12th Duke of Devonshire, KCVO, CBE, DL (called "Stoker";[1] born 27 April 1944) is an English peer. He is the only surviving son of Andrew Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire and his wife, the former Deborah Mitford. He succeeded to the dukedom following the death of his father on 3 May 2004. Prior to this succession, he was styled Marquess of Hartington. His immediate family are owner-occupiers of Chatsworth House and are worth an estimated £800 million.[2] Estates landscaped before 1900 by the family (who maintain a luxury hotels business) are parts of Derbyshire and North Yorkshire. Other capital managed by the Duke includes fine and contemporary art, forestry and farming.

His Grace The Duke of Devonshire KCVO CBE DL
Chancellor of the University of Derby
In office October 2008 – March 2018
Deputy	John Coyne (2008–11) Kathryn Mitchell (2011–2018)
Preceded by	Professor Leslie Wagner
Succeeded by	William Cavendish, Earl of Burlington
Her Majesty's Representative at Ascot
In office 1997–2011
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Preceded by	Sir Piers Bengough
Succeeded by	John Weatherby
Personal details
Born	Peregrine Andrew Morny Cavendish (1944-04-27) 27 April 1944 Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, England
Nationality	British
Spouse(s)	Amanda Carmen Heywood-Lonsdale
Children	William Cavendish, Earl of Burlington Lady Celina Cavendish Lady Jasmine Cavendish
Parents	Andrew Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire Deborah Mitford
Residence	Chatsworth House Bolton Abbey Lismore Castle
Title	Duke of Devonshire
Tenure	3 May 2004 – present
Other titles	Earl of Burlington (1944–1950) Marquess of Hartington (1950–2004)
Predecessor	Andrew Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire

Education

He attended Eton College and Exeter College, Oxford, where he read History.[3]

Horse racing

The Duke is well known in the world of horse racing and served as Her Majesty's Representative at Ascot and chairman of Ascot Racecourse Ltd. In 1980 he was elected to the Jockey Club and in 1989 he was appointed its Senior Steward (that is, Chairman).[4] During his five-year term of office, he oversaw a number of changes within the racing industry, in particular the creation of the British Horseracing Board which is now the governing authority for British racing. He was appointed first chairman of the board in June 1993 and retired at the end of his term in 1996. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to racing in 1997 and Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) in the 2009 New Year Honours for his services as Her Majesty's Representative at Ascot.[5]

Other interests

He was appointed a Trustee of the Wallace Collection in 2007.[6] He is a trustee of Sheffield Galleries and Museums Trust.[7] He is Chairman of the Devonshire Arms Hotel Group, a chain of countryside hotels in North Yorkshire and Derbyshire, and Deputy Chairman of Sotheby's.[8] He collects modern British and contemporary painting and sculpture, as well as works in other areas, many of which are on display at his family seat Chatsworth House. The Duke and Duchess and the house and estate grounds were featured in the BBC documentary series Chatsworth.[9] In December 2012, he sold Auxiliary cartoon for the Head of a Young Apostle by Raphael for £29.7m at a Sotheby's auction.[10] As of 2016 he is the owner of Heywood Hill, a notable bookstore in London.[11]

He took up the position as the third Chancellor of the University of Derby at a ceremony on 28 October 2008 in Buxton.[12][13]

The Duke is a current patron of St Wilfrid's Hospice in Eastbourne.[14]

The range of Cavendish Pianos were named after the family name of the Duke to recognise his support which was critical to the establishment of the new firm.[15]

He was the third Chancellor of the University of Derby from 2008 to March 2018.[16] He stepped down from the role in 2018 and his son and heir, William Cavendish, Earl of Burlington was nominated and installed as the fourth and current Chancellor of the University in March 2018.

Family

On 28 June 1967 the future Duke married Amanda Carmen Heywood-Lonsdale, daughter of Commander Edward Gavin Heywood-Lonsdale and a descendant of Arthur Heywood-Lonsdale.[17]

They have three children - Lord Burlington (born on 6 June 1969), Lady Celina (born on 4 October 1971), and Lady Jasmine (born on 4 May 1973) - as well as ten grandchildren.[17][18]

Titles, honours and arms

Possibility of renouncing title

In February 2010, the Duke announced his intention to give up his title if hereditary peers were removed from the House of Lords, on the basis that "the aristocracy is dead" and "because then it would be clear-cut what the people wanted, and it would be confusing to maintain hereditary titles".[19] This mirrored the view of his mother, who had said "titles are meaningless because peers are no longer legislators". This was dismissed as "nonsense" by Lord Ferrers, who disagreed with the Duke's claims that the aristocracy was dead. It is not known how serious he was in his intention, but if he had gone ahead with his threat then he would have been known as "Sir Peregrine Cavendish, KCVO, CBE".

Honours

• Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (2008)
• Commander of the Order of the British Empire (1997)
• Chancellor of the University of Derby (October 2008 - March 2018)[16]

Coat of arms of Peregrine Cavendish, 12th Duke of Devonshire

Coronet A Coronet of a Duke Crest A Serpent nowed proper Escutcheon Sable three Bucks' heads cabossed Argent Supporters On either side a Buck proper wreathed round the neck with a Chaplet of Roses alternately Argent and Azure Motto Cavendo Tutus (Secure by caution)

References

1. Chatsworth – A statement from the Duke (Archive accessed 24 May 2016)
2. Duke of Devonshire Archived 29 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Derby Evening Telegraph, Retrieved August 2015
3. "Peregrine Andrew Morny Cavendish". wealthx.com. Archived from the original on 7 February 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
4. "The Tatler List". Tatler. Archived from the original on 5 February 2016.
5. "No. 58929". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2008. p. 3.
6. Wallace Collection-New Trustees
7. Museum & Galleries Assistant Archived 22 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine
8. "The Devonshire Profile - Forbes.com". Forbes.
9. "The Duke of Devonshire: a reluctant reality TV star". The Daily Telegraph. 6 May 2012.
10. Kate Green, Chatsworth's Raphael sells for £29.7m , Country Life, 6 December 2012
11. Sarah Lyall (2 February 2016). "The Tiny London Shop Behind Some of the Very Best Libraries". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 February 2016. London’s Heywood Hill curates impressive collections for discerning customers in 60 different countries – and specializes in the obscure.
12. Kirby, Sean. University of Derby – Duke of Devonshire Revealed As University’s New Chancellor Archived 16 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine, University of Derby, 6 March 2008. Retrieved 25 September 2010.
13. Hawley, Zena. Duke of Devonshire becomes new chancellor at the University of Derby Archived 2 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine, This Is Derbyshire, 27 October 2008. Retrieved 25 September 2010.
14. St Wilfrid's Hospice in Eastbourne
15. Morrison, Richard (27 February 2013). "Cavendish Pianos really are in a field of their own". The Times. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
16. "Our Chancellor". www.derby.ac.uk. University of Derby.
17. Lundy, Darryl (9 March 2011). "Peregrine Andrew Morny Cavendish, 12th Duke of Devonshire". The Peerage. cites Mosley, Charles, ed. (2003), Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 1 (107th (3 volumes) ed.), Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, p. 1126; "Announcements", The Times, 19 March 1980.
18. The Peerage, entry for 12th Duke of Devonshire
19. Walker, Tim. Aristocrats dismiss the despondent Duke of Devonshire’s fears, The Telegraph, 22 February 2010. Retrieved 25 September 2010.

Court offices
Preceded by Sir Piers Bengough	Her Majesty's Representative at Ascot 1997–2011	Succeeded by John Weatherby
Peerage of England
Preceded by Andrew Cavendish	Duke of Devonshire 2004–present	Succeeded by Incumbent
Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom
Preceded by The Duke of Bedford	Gentlemen The Duke of Devonshire	Succeeded by The Duke of Marlborough
Academic offices
Preceded by Professor Leslie Wagner	Chancellor of the University of Derby 2008–2018	Succeeded by William Cavendish, Earl of Burlington