The Duke of Wellington | |
|---|---|
 Wellington in 2015 | |
| Member of the House of Lords | |
| Elected Hereditary Peer 16 September 2015 | |
| By-election | 16 September 2015 |
| Preceded by | The 3rd Baron Luke |
| Member of theEuropean Parliament forSurrey West Surrey (1979–1984) | |
| In office 1979–1989 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Tom Spencer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Arthur Charles Valerian Wellesley (1945-08-19)19 August 1945 (age 80) |
| Party | Conservative |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 5, including Lady Mary Wellesley Lady Charlotte Santo Domingo |
| Parent(s) | Valerian Wellesley, 8th Duke of Wellington Diana McConnel |
| Education | Eton College |
| Alma mater | Christ Church, Oxford |
Arthur Charles Valerian Wellesley, 9th Duke of Wellington, 9th Prince of Waterloo, 10th Duke of Ciudad Rodrigo, 9th Duke of Victoria (born 19 August 1945), styledEarl of Mornington between 1945 and 1972 andMarquess of Douro between 1972 and 2014, is aBritish peer and politician. He served asConservativeMember of the European Parliament forSurrey (1979–1984) andSurrey West (1984–1989) and has sat as anexcepted hereditary peer in theHouse of Lords since 2015.
Wellington was born on 19 August 1945 at H.R.H. Princess Christian Hospital inWindsor,Berkshire, the first son ofValerian Wellesley, 8th Duke of Wellington andDiana McConnel. He grew up in London and atStratfield Saye House, his family's estate inHampshire, and was educated atLudgrove School,Eton College andChrist Church, Oxford.[1][2]
Wellington stood asConservative Party candidate forIslington North in 1974, losing to Labour's incumbentMichael O'Halloran. He was a member of Basingstoke Borough Council from 1978 to 1979. He subsequently served as ConservativeMEP forSurrey from 1979 to 1984, and as Conservative MEP forSurrey West from 1984 to 1989.
In September 2015, he waselected to a seat in theHouse of Lords as a Conservative in aby-election following the retirement ofLord Luke.[3] On 4 September 2019, he quit the Conservative Party. He sat as a "non-affiliated" member of the House of Lords from September 2019 to September 2020. Since September 2020 he has sat as a crossbench peer.[4]
In 2021, he put forward an amendment to the Environment Bill to attempt to reduce pollution from the dumping of sewage in rivers. The initial amendment was rejected by MPs, which led to a backlash on social media. TheEnvironment SecretaryGeorge Eustice proposed making measures a legal duty, but Wellington put forward the amendment again to attempt to ensure changes came into force.[5]
He carriedQueen Mary's Crown in the royal procession at thecoronation of Charles III and Camilla.[6] With the Duchess, he was invited to ride in the King's procession at Royal Ascot 2023.[7]
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 to 2001). He was appointed OBE in 1999 for services to British-Spanish business relations. He was appointed a DeputyLord-Lieutenant ofHampshire in 1999. In 2003 he was given a four-year appointment as a Commissioner forEnglish Heritage.
On 1 October 2007, he became Chairman of the Governing Council ofKing's College London, an institution of which his wife Princess Antonia is analumna, and of which his ancestorArthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, was instrumental in the foundation.
In February 2025, Charles participated in thePurdey Awards for Game and Conservation, held atAudley House inMayfair. He served as chair of the judging panel, which included representatives from the shooting and conservation sectors. The event, marking its 25th anniversary, was co-hosted byCharles Gordon-Lennox, 11th Duke of Richmond, who presented the awards.[8]
He marriedPrincess Antonia of Prussia on 3 February 1977 atSt Paul's Church, Knightsbridge, London. Notable guests at the wedding includedQueen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, Prince of Wales (later KingCharles III),Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, and theDuke andDuchess of Kent.[9] The couple are friends of King Charles III andQueen Camilla.[10]
They have five children:
Apart from his British titles, the Duke of Wellington also holds the hereditary titles ofHis Serene Highness9th Prince of Waterloo ("Prins van Waterloo") of both theKingdom of the Netherlands and theKingdom of Belgium, and9th Duke of Victoria ("Duque da Vitória") of theKingdom of Portugal with its subsidiary titlesMarquis of Torres Vedras ("Marquês de Torres Vedras") andCount of Vimeiro ("Conde de Vimeiro"). These were granted tothe first Duke asvictory titles for his distinguished services as victorious commanding general in thePeninsular War (in Spain and Portugal), and at theBattle of Waterloo (in what is now Belgium).
Wellington is also the10th Duke of Ciudad Rodrigo ("Duque de Ciudad Rodrigo") of theKingdom of Spain, which on 10 March 2010 was ceded to him by his father. In accordance with Spanish procedure, Wellington (then styled as Marquess of Douro) made a formal claim to the title with theSpanish Ministry of Justice.[16] KingJuan Carlos I of Spain, through his minister, granted the succession to the dukedom of Ciudad Rodrigo to Wellington in May 2010.[17]
| Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Duke The Duke of Wellington | Succeeded by |
| Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by | Duke of Wellington 2014–present | Incumbent |
| Peerage of Ireland | ||
| Preceded by | Earl of Mornington 2014–present | Incumbent |
| Dutch nobility | ||
| Preceded by | Prince of Waterloo 2014–present | Incumbent |
| Spanish nobility | ||
| Preceded by | Duke of Ciudad Rodrigo 2010–present | Incumbent |
| Portuguese nobility | ||
| Preceded by | Duke of Victoria 2014–present | Incumbent |
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by | Elected hereditary peer to theHouse of Lords under theHouse of Lords Act 1999 2015–present | Incumbent |
| Academic offices | ||
| Preceded by | Chairman of King's College London 2007–2016 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
