Charles Stanhope, 8th Earl of Harrington

A studio portrait

Charles Augustus Stanhope, 8th Earl of Harrington (9 January 1844 – 5 February 1917), known as Viscount Petersham from 1866 to 1881, was a British peer and successful polo player.^[1]

Biography

"Yeoman-like Polo"
As depicted by "Lib" (Libero Prosperi) in Vanity Fair, 19 September 1891

Harrington was the son of Charles Stanhope, 7th Earl of Harrington and Elizabeth Still de Pearsall. He learned polo in Malta while in the Earl of Chester's Yeomanry. In 1885 he played at the back in the Gloucesterhshire team that won the County Cup. Harrington won the Hurlingham Champion Cup in 1892 with Sussex County and the Rugby Open Cup with Cheshire. His rotund figure and flowing beard were a memorable image on British polo grounds and an obvious choice for caricature in Vanity Fair. Harrington was the inventor of the papier-mâché goal posts and was President of the County Polo Association and the first President of the Polo Pony Society and was responsible for the establishment of the Polo Pony Stud book.

He held the office of Deputy Lieutenant of Derbyshire.^[1] He held the office of Aide-de-Camp to HM King Edward VII between 1907 and 1910.^[1]

Lord Harrington married the Hon. Eva Elizabeth Carrington, daughter of Robert Carrington, 2nd Baron Carrington, in 1869. He died in February 1917, aged 73, and was succeeded in his titles by his younger brother Dudley. Lady Harrington died in 1919.

Peerage of Great Britain
Preceded by Charles Wyndham Stanhope	Earl of Harrington 1881–1917	Succeeded by Dudley Henry Eden Stanhope

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Charles Stanhope, thepeerage.com, accessed September 2009

• Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.
• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages

Persondata
Name	Stanhope, Charles Augustus
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	9 January 1844
Place of birth
Date of death	5 February 1917
Place of death