Arnold Keppel, 8th Earl of Albemarle

Arnold Allan Cecil Keppel, 8th Earl of Albemarle CB, GCVO, TD, VD, JP (1 June 1858–12 April 1942), known as Viscount Bury from 1891 to 1894, was a British soldier, courtier and Conservative politician.

Albemarle was the eldest son of William Keppel, 7th Earl of Albemarle, and his wife Sophia Mary, daughter of Sir Allan Napier McNab, 1st Baronet, and was educated at Eton. He served with the Scots Guards, achieving the rank of Lieutenant. In 1892 he was returned to Parliament for Birkenhead, a seat he held until 1894 when he succeeded his father in the earldom and took his seat in the House of Lords. Albemarle commanded the Prince of Wales's Own Civil Service Rifles with the rank of Colonel from 1892 to 1901 and fought in the Second Boer War as a Lieutenant-Colonel commanding the Infantry Battalion of the City Imperial Volunteers, where he was mentioned in despatches and won a medal with four clasps. Albemarle was also an Honorary Colonel in the 5th Battalion of the Norfolk Regiment and a Brigadier-General from 1901 to 1906 in the Norfolk Volunteer Infantry Brigade and was awareded the Territorial Decoration. He was an Aide-de-Camp to both Edward VII and George V and served in the Conservative administrations of Andrew Bonar Law and Stanley Baldwin as a Lord-in-Waiting (government whip in the House of Lords) between 1922 and 1924.

Lord Albemarle married Lady Gertrude Lucia (1861-1943), daughter of Wilbraham Egerton, 1st Earl Egerton, in 1881. They had four sons and one daughter :
* Walter Egerton George Lucian (1882-1979), married (1) in 1909 Lady Judith Sydney Myee Wynn-Carington (1889-1928), daughter of the 1st and last Marquess of Lincolnshire, (2) in 1931 Diana Cicely Grove (1909-?). 2 daughters, 3 sons from the first marriage, 1 daughter from the second.
* Arnold Joost William (1884-1964), married (1) in 1921 (div 1938), Doris Lilian Carter, (2) in 1938 Annie Margaret Blanche Purnell, (3) in 1952 Mildred Rodber, without issue from his three unions.
* Rupert Oswald Derek (1886-1964), married in 1919 (annulled in 1921) Violet Mary de Trafford, without issue.
* Elizabeth Mary Gertrude (1890-?), married to Torquhil George, baronet Matheson
* Albert Edward George Arnold (1898-1917), killed in action in Ypres (Belgium), unmarried.

He died in April 1942, aged 83, and was succeeded in the earldom by his eldest son Walter.

References

*Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). "Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage" (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.
* [http://www.angeltowns.com/town/peerage/ Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page]
* [http://www.thepeerage.com/ www.thepeerage.com]