Gerald David Lascelles


Gerald David Lascelles was the younger son of Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood, and Mary, Princess Royal, the only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary. He was a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. He was styled The Honourable Gerald Lascelles.

Life

Gerald David Lascelles was born at Goldsborough Hall, near Knaresborough, West Riding of Yorkshire, and was baptised in October 1924 with the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of York as his godparents represented there by proxies. The baptism was held in private at St. Mary's Church in the village of Goldsborough. At his birth, he was 7th in the line of succession. He was educated at Eton College.

Marriages and family

On 15 July 1952, he married Angela Dowding at St. Margaret's, Westminster. They then moved into a house in Albion Mews, W2. In 1955, the family moved to Fort Belvedere, Surrey, the former country home of Gerald Lascelles's uncle, Edward VIII. Before divorcing in July 1978, they had one son:
On 17 November 1978, Lascelles married his second wife, actress Elizabeth Colvin, in Vienna, Austria. They had a son:

Interests and positions

Lascelles was the president of the British Racing Drivers' Club from 1964 to 1991, after the 5th Earl Howe died. Lord Howe had asked Lascelles to replace him, who was briefly a driver before this. In his role as BRDC president, Lascelles was invited by the Australian Racing Drivers Club, promoters of the Bathurst 1000 Touring car race, to be the Grand Marshal for the 1985 race. He served as president of the Institute of the Motor Industry in 1969-73 and 1975–77, and company director of Silverstone Circuits Ltd and Silverstone Leisure Ltd, Smith & Grace Ltd, and Green Crop Conservation Ltd.
He was also a passionate jazz enthusiast, writing for Jazz Journal and collaborating with the magazine's editor Sinclair Traill in compiling the popular Just Jazz yearbooks in the 1950s.

Death

Lascelles died in Bergerac, France, on 27 February 1998 at the age of 73.

Honours

12 May 1937: Recipient of the King George VI Coronation Medal.