John Russell, 13th Duke of Bedford

John Ian Robert Russell, 13th Duke of Bedford (24 May 1917–25 October 2002) was a British peer and writer, the son of Hastings Russell, 12th Duke of Bedford.

Known in his youth as Ian, the Duke, later known by his courtesy title of Lord Howland, married three times, firstly to Clare Gwendolyn (Bridgman) Hollway, on 6 April 1939. She died of a drug overdose in 1945. They had two children:
* Henry Robin Ian Russell, 14th Duke of Bedford (1940 – 2003)
* Lord Rudolf Russell (b. 7 March 1944)

In 1947, then known by his courtesy title Marquess of Tavistock, he married his second wife, Lydia Lyle (born 17 October 1917 - died 25 July 2006), the widow of Capt. Ian Archibald de Hoghton Lyle (1909-1942), heir to the baronetcy of Lyle; she had two children by her first marriage. The daughter of John Yarde-Buller, 3rd Baron Churston and his wife, the former Denise Orme, Lydia Lyle and the Marquess of Tavistock were married on 13 February 1947 and divorced in 1960. They had one child:
* Lord Francis Hastings Russell (b. 27 February 1950)

The Duke of Bedford married, thirdly, Nicole (Schneider) Milinaire (b. 29 June 1920) on 4 September 1960. The Duke had no children by this union.

Career

Russell started his career as a rent collector in 1938, in Stepney. He then joined the Coldstream Guards in 1939 and fought in the Second World War between 1939 and 1940, but quit his army career after being invalided.

Journalism

He then turned to journalism and was a reporter for the Daily Express in 1940. He wrote:
*"A Silver-Plated Spoon" (published in 1959)
*"The Duke of Bedford's Book of Snobs" (published in 1965)
*"The Flying Duchess" (published in 1968)
*"How to Run a Stately Home" (published in 1971)