The Bullingdon Club is a private all-male

dining club A dining club (UK) or eating club (US) is a Social club, social group, usually requiring membership (which may, or may not be available only to certain people), which meets for dinners and discussion on a regular basis. They may also often have g ...

for

Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...

students. It is known for its wealthy members, grand banquets, and bad behaviour, including vandalism of restaurants and students' rooms. The club selects its members not only on the grounds of wealth and willingness to participate but also by reference to their education. The Bullingdon was originally a sporting club, dedicated to

cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

and

horse-racing Horse racing is an equestrianism, equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all spor ...

, although club dinners gradually became its principal activity. Membership is expensive, with tailor-made uniforms, regular

gourmet Gourmet (, ) is a cultural idea associated with the culinary arts of fine food and drink, or haute cuisine, which is characterized by their high level of refined and elaborate food preparation techniques and displays of balanced meals that have ...

hospitality, and a tradition of on-the-spot payment for damage. Some members have gone on to become leading figures within British society and the political establishment. Former members include two kings of England (

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910. The second child ...

and

Edward VIII Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire, and Emperor of India, from 20 January ...

), three prime ministers (

David Cameron David William Donald Cameron, Baron Cameron of Chipping Norton (born 9 October 1966) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016. Until 2015, he led the first coalition government in the UK s ...

Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, 1st Earl of Midlothian (7 May 1847 – 21 May 1929) was a British Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from March 1894 to June 1895. Between the death of h ...

, and

Boris Johnson Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (born 19 June 1964) is a British politician and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He wa ...

), and two chancellors of the Exchequer ( George Osborne and

Lord Randolph Churchill Lord Randolph Henry Spencer-Churchill (13 February 1849 – 24 January 1895) was a British aristocrat and politician. Churchill was a Tory radical who coined the term "One-nation conservatism, Tory democracy". He participated in the creation ...

). The Bullingdon is often featured in fiction and drama.

History

The Bullingdon Club was founded more than 200 years ago. Petre Mais claims it was founded in 1780 and was limited to 30 men, Stuart Petre Brodie Mais, The Story of Oxford, 1951; p. 70 and Viscount Long, who was a member in 1875, described it as "an old

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

institution, with many good traditions". Originally it was a

fox hunting Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase and, if caught, the killing of a fox, normally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds. A group of unarmed followers, led by a "master of foxhounds" (or "master of hounds" ...

and

club, and Thomas Assheton Smith the Younger is recorded as having batted for the Bullingdon against

Marylebone Cricket Club The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) is a cricket club founded in 1787 and based since 1814 at Lord's, Lord's Cricket Ground, which it owns, in St John's Wood, London, England. The club was the governing body of cricket from 1788 to 1989 and retain ...

in 1796.Aubery Noakes, Sportsmen in a Landscape, 1971; p.61 In 1805 cricket at Oxford University "was confined to the old Bullingdon Club, which was expensive and exclusive". This foundational sporting purpose is attested to in the club's symbol.

Harry Mount Henry Francis Mount (born 1971) is a British author and journalist, who is the editor of ''The Oldie'' magazine, and a frequent contributor to the ''Daily Mail'' and ''The Daily Telegraph''. Early life Harry Mount was born in 1971. His father, ...

suggests that the name itself derives from this sporting background, proposing that the club is named after the Bullingdon Hundred, a past location of the annual Bullingdon Club point-to-point race. This origin of the club is marked by an annual breakfast at the Bullingdon point to point. Bullingdon Club 1900

The Wisden Cricketer ''The Wisden Cricketer'' was the world's best-selling monthly cricket magazine. It was incorporated in 2003, by a merger between '' The Cricketer'' magazine and '' Wisden Cricket Monthly''. It is now no longer connected to Wisden and is called ' ...

'' reports that the Bullingdon is "ostensibly one of the two original

cricket teams but it actually used cricket merely as a respectable front for the mischievous, destructive or self-indulgent tendencies of its members". By the late 19th century, the present emphasis on dining within the club began to emerge. Long attested that in 1875 "Bullingdon Club ricketmatches were also of frequent occurrence, and many a good game was played there with visiting clubs. The Bullingdon Club dinners were the occasion of a great display of exuberant spirits, accompanied by a considerable consumption of the good things of life, which often made the drive back to Oxford an experience of exceptional nature". A report of 1876 relates that "cricket there was secondary to the dinners, and the men were chiefly of an expensive class". James Pycroft in London Society, v.30, 1876 (James Hogg, Florence Marrayat ed.); p. 197 ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' told its readers in 1913 that "The Bullingdon represents the acme of exclusiveness at Oxford; it is the club of the sons of nobility, the sons of great wealth; its membership represents the 'young bloods' of the university". During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, an extension of the club was founded at

Colditz Castle Colditz Castle (or ''Schloss Colditz'' in German) is a Renaissance architecture, Renaissance castle in the town of Colditz near Leipzig, Dresden and Chemnitz in the States of Germany, state of Saxony in Germany. The castle is between the towns o ...

for imprisoned officers who had been members of the club while at Oxford. Former pupils of public schools such as Eton, Harrow, St. Paul's, Stowe,

Radley Radley is a village and civil parish about northeast of the centre of Abingdon, Oxfordshire. The parish includes the hamlet of Lower Radley on the River Thames. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfor ...

Oundle Oundle () is a market town and civil parish on the left bank of the River Nene in North Northamptonshire, England, which had a population of 6,254 at the time of the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census. It is north of London and south-wes ...

Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , ) is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire (district), Shropshire, England. It is sited on the River Severn, northwest of Wolverhampton, west of Telford, southeast of Wrexham and north of Hereford. At the 2021 United ...

, Rugby and

Winchester Winchester (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs N ...

form the bulk of its membership.

2000s

In the 21st century the Bullingdon is primarily a

, although a vestige of the club's sporting links survives in its support of an annual point to point race. The Club President, known as the "General", presents the winner's cup, and the club members meet at the race for a champagne breakfast. The club also meets for an annual Club dinner. Guests may be invited to either of these events. There may also be smaller dinners during the year to mark the initiation of new members or in celebration of other occasions. The club often books private dining rooms under an assumed name, as most restaurateurs are cautious of the club's reputation as being the cause of considerable drunken damage during the course of their dinners. In 2007, a photograph of the Bullingdon Club taken in 1987 was discovered. It made British headlines because two of the posing members,

and

, had gone on to careers in politics and at the time were, respectively, Conservative candidate for

Mayor of London The mayor of London is the chief executive of the Greater London Authority. The role was created in 2000 after the Greater London devolution referendum in 1998, and was the first directly elected mayor in the United Kingdom. The current ...

and Leader of the Conservative party. The copyright owners have since declined to grant permission to use the picture. Following negative media attention and the club's apparent depiction in the play '' Posh'' and its film adaptation '' The Riot Club''—membership has supposedly dwindled. In 2016 it was claimed that only between four and six members were left, all of them postgraduates, and that no new undergraduate members joined the previous year. Many Oxford students cited an unwillingness to be associated with "ostentatious wealth celebration". In June 2017, members of the club attempting to shoot their annual Club Photo on the steps of Christ Church were escorted out by college porters for not securing permission for the shoot. Nearby non-member students heckled the club as they left, with one even playing " Yakety Sax" (the theme song for ''

The Benny Hill Show ''The Benny Hill Show'' is a British comedy television show starring Benny Hill that aired on the BBC and ITV between 15 January 1955 and 1 May 1989. The show consisted mainly of sketch comedy, sketches typified by slapstick, mime, parody, and ...

'').

Reputation

The club has always been noted for its wealthy members, grand banquets, and boisterous rituals, including the vandalisation of restaurants, public houses, and college rooms, complemented by a tradition of on-the-spot payment for damage. Its ostentatious displays of wealth attract controversy, since some former members have subsequently achieved high political positions, notably the former British Prime Minister David Cameron, former Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne and the former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. A number of episodes over many decades have provided anecdotal evidence of the club's behaviour. Infamously on 12 May 1894, after dinner, Bullingdon members smashed almost all the glass of the lights and 468 windows in Peckwater Quad of Christ Church, along with the blinds and doors of the building, and again on 20 February 1927. As a result of such events, the club was banned from convening within of Oxford. While still Prince of Wales,

had a certain amount of difficulty in getting his parents' permission to join the Bullingdon on account of the club's reputation. He eventually obtained it only on the understanding that he would never join in what was then known as a "Bullingdon blind", a euphemistic phrase for an evening of drink and song. On hearing of his eventual attendance at one such evening, Queen Mary sent him a telegram requesting that he remove his name from the club. Andrew Gimson, biographer of Boris Johnson, reported about the club in the 1980s: "I don't think an evening would have ended without a restaurant being trashed and being paid for in full, very often in cash. ..A night in the cells would be regarded as being par for a Buller man and so would debagging anyone who really attracted the irritation of the Buller men." In December 2005, Bullingdon Club members smashed 17 bottles of wine, "every piece of crockery," and a window at the 15th-century White Hart pub in Fyfield, Oxfordshire. The dinner was organised by Alexander Fellowes, son of Baron Fellowes and nephew to

Diana, Princess of Wales Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997), was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William, ...

; four members of the party were arrested. A further dinner was reported in 2010 after damage to Hartwell House, a

country house image:Blenheim - Blenheim Palace - 20210417125239.jpg, 300px, Blenheim Palace - Oxfordshire An English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a Townhou ...

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (, abbreviated ''Bucks'') is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshir ...

. The Bullingdon has been mentioned in the debates of the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

in order to draw attention to excessive behaviour across the British class spectrum, and to embarrass prominent Conservative Party politicians who are former members of the Bullingdon. Johnson has since tried to distance himself from the club, calling it "a truly shameful vignette of almost superhuman undergraduate arrogance, toffishness and twittishness."

Dress

The club's colours are sky blue and ivory. Members dress for their annual lllClub dinner in bespoke tailored

tailcoat A tailcoat is a knee-length coat (clothing), coat characterised by a rear section of the skirt (known as the ''tails''), with the front of the skirt cut away. The tailcoat shares its historical origins in clothes cut for convenient horse-riding ...

s in dark navy blue, with a matching velvet collar, offset with ivory silk

lapel A lapel ( ) is a folded flap of cloth on the front of a jacket or coat below the collar. It is most commonly found on formal clothing and suit jackets. Usually it is formed by folding over the front edge of the jacket or coat and sewing it to t ...

revers,

brass Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, in proportions which can be varied to achieve different colours and mechanical, electrical, acoustic and chemical properties, but copper typically has the larger proportion, generally copper and zinc. I ...

monogrammed

button A button is a fastener that joins two pieces of fabric together by slipping through a loop or by sliding through a buttonhole. In modern clothing and fashion design, buttons are commonly made of plastic but also may be made of metal, wood, or ...

s, a mustard waistcoat, and a sky blue

bow tie The bow tie or dicky bow is a type of neckwear, distinguishable from a necktie because it does not drape down the shirt placket, but is tied just underneath a winged collar. A modern bow tie is tied using a common shoelace knot, which is also ...

. There is also a Club tie, which is sky blue striped with ivory. These are all provided by the Oxford branch of court tailors Ede and Ravenscroft. In 2007 the full uniform was estimated to cost £3,500. Traditionally when they played cricket, members "were identified by a ribbon of blue and white on their straw hats, and by stripes of the same colours down their flannel trousers". Michael MacDonagh, ''The English king: a study of the monarchy and the royal family'', 1929; p. 94

Relationship with the University

The Bullingdon is not currently registered with the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

, 25 March 2009 but members are drawn from among the members of the University. On several occasions in the past, when the club was registered, the University

proctor Proctor (a variant of ''wikt:procurator, procurator'') is a person who takes charge of, or acts for, another. The title is used in England and some other English-speaking countries in three principal contexts: # In law, a proctor is a historica ...

s suspended it on account of the rowdiness of members' activities, including suspensions in 1927 and 1956. John Betjeman wrote in 1938 that "quite often the Club is suspended for some years after each meeting". John Betjeman, An Oxford University Chest, 1938; p. 30 While under suspension, the club has met in relative secrecy. The club was active in Oxford in 2008/9, although not registered with the University. In his retirement speech as proctor, Professor of Geology Donald Fraser noted an incident which, not being on University premises, was outside their jurisdiction: "some students had taken habitually to the drunken braying of 'We are the Bullingdon' at 3 a.m. from a house not far from the

Phoenix Cinema The Phoenix Cinema is an independent single-screen community cinema in East Finchley, London, England. It was built in 1910 and opened in 1912 as the East Finchley Picturedrome. It is one of the oldest continuously-running cinemas in the ...

. But the transcript of what they called the wife of the neighbour who went to ask them to be quiet was written in language that is not usually printed". In October 2018, the Oxford University Conservative Association (OUCA) banned members of the Bullingdon Club from holding office within the Association. OUCA president Ben Etty stated that the club's "values and activities had no place in the modern Conservative Party'". This decision was overturned several weeks later "on a constitutional technicality", although Etty was confident that "that ban will be re-proposed very soon". The ban was later re-implemented on appeal to OUCA's Senior Member and remains in effect.

Photographs of club members

A number of the club's annual photographs have emerged over the years, with each giving insight into its past members. A photograph taken in 1987 depicting

and

among other members of the club, including Jonathan Ford of the ''

Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...

'', and retail CEO

Sebastian James Sebastian Richard Edward Cuthbert James (born 11 March 1966) is a British businessman, who has been the CEO of Veonet since November 2024. He was previously CEO of Boots UK, and before that CEO of Dixons Carphone. Early life The son of Chris ...

is the best-known example. In an interview with the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

's Andrew Marr, David Cameron said that the photograph was an embarrassment. BBC Two's ''

Newsnight ''Newsnight'' is the BBC's news and current affairs programme, providing in-depth investigation and analysis of the stories behind the day's headlines. It is broadcast weeknights at 10:30 on BBC Two and the BBC News channel; it is also avail ...

'' commissioned a painting to recreate the photograph because the photographers who own the copyright objected to its being published on commercial grounds. A photograph taken in 1988, also depicting the future British Prime Minister David Cameron, this time as Club President and standing in the centre of the group, later emerged. It was found by the student newspaper, ''VERSA'', among over a dozen other photographs of the club dated between 1950 and 2010 hanging on the wall of the tailor that is believed to have made the members' suits, and led to a number of other past members being identified. Gillman and Soame, the photographers who own the copyright to the image, withdrew permission for it to be reproduced. ''VERSA'', which discovered the photographs, commissioned sketches to reproduce the scenes depicted in them. A photograph of the club taken in 1992 depicted George Osborne, Nathaniel Rothschild, David Cameron's cousin Harry Mount and '' Ocado'' founder Jason Gissing. In 2013, a new photograph emerged of club members flying by private jet to a hunting expedition in South Africa. Pictured in the photograph are Michael Marks, Cassius Clay, Nicholas Green, Timothy Aldersly, Charles Clegg and George Farmer – the son of the former treasurer of the Conservative Party Michael Farmer, Baron Farmer.

Documentary

David Cameron's and Boris Johnson's period in the Bullingdon Club was examined in the UK

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

docu-drama '' When Boris Met Dave'', broadcast on 7 October 2009 on

More 4 More4 is a British free-to-air television channel, owned by Channel Four Television Corporation. The channel launched on 10 October 2005. Its programming mainly focuses on lifestyle and documentaries, as well as foreign dramas. Content The i ...

. An '' Observer Magazine'' article in October 2011 reviewed George Osborne's membership of the club.

Cultural references

The Bullingdon is satirised as 'the Bollinger Club' (

Bollinger Bollinger () is a French Champagne house, a producer of luxury sparkling wines from the Champagne (wine region), Champagne region. They produce several labels of Champagne (wine), Champagne under the Bollinger name, including the vintage ''Vieil ...

being a notable brand of

champagne Champagne (; ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, which demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...

) in

Evelyn Waugh Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh (; 28 October 1903 – 10 April 1966) was an English writer of novels, biographies, and travel books; he was also a prolific journalist and book reviewer. His most famous works include the early satires ''Decli ...

's novel '' Decline and Fall'' (1928), where it has a pivotal role in the plot: the mild-mannered hero is blamed for the Bollinger Club's destructive rampage through his college and is sent down. Tom Driberg claimed that the description of the Bollinger Club was a "mild account of the night of any Bullingdon Club dinner in Christ Church. Such a profusion of glass I never saw until the height of the Blitz. On such nights, any

undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education, usually in a college or university. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, ...

who was believed to have 'artistic' talents was an automatic target." Carpenter, Humphrey. ''The Brideshead Generation: Evelyn Waugh and his Friends'', London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1989. Waugh mentions the Bullingdon by name in ''

Brideshead Revisited ''Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred & Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder'' is a novel by the English writer Evelyn Waugh, first published in 1945. It follows, from the 1920s to the early 1940s, the life and romances of Charles Ryder, esp ...

''.

, ''Brideshead Revisited'', "Et in Arcadia ego": Chapter Two; Chapman and Hall, 1945. In talking to Charles Ryder, Anthony Blanche relates that the Bullingdon attempted to "put him in Mercury" in Tom Quad one evening, Mercury being a large fountain in the centre of the Quad. Blanche describes the members in their tails as looking "like a lot of most disorderly footmen", and goes on to say: "Do you know, I went round to call on Sebastian next day? I thought the tale of my evening's adventures might amuse him." This could indicate that Sebastian was not a member of the Bullingdon, although in the 1981 TV adaptation, Lord Sebastian Flyte vomits through the window of Charles Ryder's college room while wearing the famous Bullingdon tails.YouTube – Brideshead Revisited – Lord Sebastian is sick
at youtube.com The 2008 film adaptation of ''Brideshead Revisited'' likewise clothes Flyte in the club tails during this scene, as his fellow revellers chant "Buller, Buller, Buller!" behind him. A fictional Oxford dining society inspired by clubs like the Bullingdon forms the basis of the play '' Posh'' by Laura Wade, staged in April 2010 at the

Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a West End theatre#London's non-commercial theatres, non-commercial theatre in Sloane Square, London, England, opene ...

, London. Membership of the club while still a student is depicted in the play as giving a student admission to a secret and corrupt network of influence within the Tory Party later in life. The play was later adapted into the 2014 film '' The Riot Club''. The TV series '' Peep Show'' referenced the Bullingdon Club in the first episode of its final series. The 2022

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

series '' Anatomy of a Scandal'', based on a novel of the same name by

Sarah Vaughan Sarah Lois Vaughan (, March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer and pianist. Nicknamed "Sassy" and "List of nicknames of jazz musicians, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, ...

, used the Bullingdon Club as inspiration for the fictional club featured within the story. The fictional club is known as 'the Libertines'. In one episode of

Frasier ''Frasier'' () is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey (screenwriter), Peter Casey, and David Lee (scr ...

, characters Frasier Crane and Alan Cornwall talk about how they tried to join the Bullingdon Club during their Oxford days, but their plans were cut short when after getting blackout drunk, they snuck into the library and tried to steal

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish author, poet, and playwright. After writing in different literary styles throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular and influential playwright ...

's walking stick, only to end up getting tackled by a group of librarians and forever banned from the club.

Known members

Past members of the club include:

Royalty

Frederick VII of Denmark Frederick VII (Frederik Carl Christian; 6 October 1808 – 15 November 1863) was King of Denmark from 1848 to 1863. He was the last Danish monarch of the older Royal branch of the House of Oldenburg and the last monarch, king of Denmark to r ...

(1808–1863) *

of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1841–1910) *

Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany (Leopold George Duncan Albert; 7 April 185328 March 1884) was the eighth child and youngest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Leopold was later created Duke of Albany, Earl of Clarence, and Baron Arklow. He ...

(1853–1884)Charlotte Zeepvat, ''Prince Leopold: the untold story of Queen Victoria's youngest son'', 1998; p. 101. * Rama VI, King of Siam (1881–1925)Rong Syamananda, ''A history of Thailand'', 1986; p. 146. * Prince Paul of Yugoslavia (1893–1976)Neil Balfour and Sally Mackay, ''Paul of Yugoslavia: Britain's maligned friend'', 1980; p. 28. *

of Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the British Dominions Beyond the Seas (1894–1972) *

Frederik IX of Denmark Frederik IX (Christian Frederik Franz Michael Carl Valdemar Georg; 11 March 1899 – 14 January 1972) was King of Denmark from 1947 to 1972. Frederik was born into the House of Glücksburg during the reign of his great-grandfather King Chr ...

(1899–1972)

Nobility

* Charles Douglas-Home, 12th Earl of Home (1834–1918), Lord Lieutenant of Lanarkshire (1890–1915) and

Lord Lieutenant of Berwickshire This is a list of people who have served as lord-lieutenant for Berwickshire. List of officeholders * Alexander Home, 10th Earl of Home 17 March 1794 – 20 October 1841 * James Maitland, 9th Earl of Lauderdale 2 November 1841 – 22 August 1860 ...

(1879–1880) * Henry Chaplin, 1st Viscount Chaplin (1840–1923) *

,(1847–1929),

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister Advice (constitutional law), advises the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, sovereign on the exercise of much of the Royal prerogative ...

(1894-95) * Walter Long, 1st Viscount Long (1854–1924) * William Grenfell, 1st Baron Desborough (1855–1945) *

George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston George Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston (11 January 1859 – 20 March 1925), known as Lord Curzon (), was a British statesman, Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician, explorer and writer who served as Viceroy of India ...

(1859–1925) * George Gibbs, 1st Baron Wraxall (1873–1931)James Miller, Fertile Fortune: The Story of Tyntesfield, 2006; p. 142 * Prince Felix Yussupov (1887–1967) * Prince Serge Obolensky (1890–1978) * Walter Montagu Douglas Scott, 8th Duke of Buccleuch (1894–1973) Serge Obolensky, One man in his time: the memoirs of Serge Obolensky, 1958; p. 86 *

Frank Pakenham, 7th Earl of Longford Francis Aungier Pakenham, 7th Earl of Longford (5 December 1905 – 3 August 2001), known to his family as Frank Longford and styled Lord Pakenham from 1945 to 1961, was a British politician and social reformer. A member of the Labour Party (U ...

(1905–2001)

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

.
''The Earl of Longford''
", 6 August 2001. * Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild (1936–2024), British peer, investment banker and member of the Rothschild banking family. * Arthur Valerian Wellesley, 8th Duke of Wellington (1915–2014) *

John Scott, 9th Duke of Buccleuch Walter Francis John Montagu Douglas Scott, 9th Duke of Buccleuch and 11th Duke of Queensberry, (28 September 1923 – 4 September 2007) was a Scottish peerage, peer, politician and landowner. He served in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in the ...

(1923–2007)Obituary
, ''

'', 6 September 2007 * Lord Montagu of Beaulieu (1926–2015) *

Christopher James, 5th Baron Northbourne Christopher George Walter James, 5th Baron Northbourne, 6th Baronet (18 February 1926 – 8 September 2019), was a British farmer and aristocrat. He was one of the ninety hereditary peers elected to remain in the House of Lords after the passi ...

(1926–2019) * Timothy Beaumont, Baron Beaumont of Whitley (1928–2008) * Alexander Thynn, 7th Marquess of Bath (1932–2020) * Peter Palumbo, Baron Palumbo (1935–) * Michael Kerr, 13th Marquess of Lothian (1945–2024), Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party (2001–2005) and

Chairman of the Conservative Party The chairman of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom is responsible for party administration and overseeing the Conservative Campaign Headquarters, formerly Conservative Central Office. When the Conservative Party (UK), Conservatives are ...

(1998–2001) * Maharaja Gaj Singh Ji of Jodhpur (1948–) * Richard Scott, 10th Duke of Buccleuch (1954–) * Count Gottfried von Bismarck (1962–2007) * Shivraj Singh of Jodhpur (1975–) * Arthur Wellesley, Earl of Mornington (1978–) * Edward Windsor, Lord Downpatrick (1988–)

Politicians

* Thomas Assheton Smith the Younger (1776–1858), High Sheriff of Wiltshire (1838) and MP (1821–1831, 1832–1837) * Sir Frederick Johnstone, 8th Baronet (1841–1913), MP (1874–1885) *

(1849–1895),

Frank Harris Frank Harris (14 February 1856 – 26 August 1931) was an Irish-American editor, novelist, short story writer, journalist and publisher, who was friendly with many well-known figures of his day. Born in Ireland, he emigrated to the United State ...

, My Life and Loves, 1922–27; p. 483 Chancellor of the Exchequer (1886), father of

Sir Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...

Cecil Rhodes Cecil John Rhodes ( ; 5 July 185326 March 1902) was an English-South African mining magnate and politician in southern Africa who served as Prime Minister of the Cape Colony from 1890 to 1896. He and his British South Africa Company founded th ...

(1853–1902), Prime Minister of the Cape Colony (1890–1896), endower of the

Rhodes Scholarship The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford in Oxford, United Kingdom. The scholarship is open to people from all backgrounds around the world. Established in 1902, it is ...

Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon (25 April 1862 – 7 September 1933), better known as Sir Edward Grey, was a British statesman and Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party politician who was the main force behind British foreign policy i ...

(1862–1933), Foreign Secretary (1905–1916) * Thomas Agar-Robartes (1880–1915), MP (1906, 1908–1915) *

Edward Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax (16 April 1881 – 23 December 1959), known as the Lord Irwin from 1925 until 1934 and the Viscount Halifax from 1934 until 1944, was a British Conservative politician of the 1930s. He h ...

(1881–1959), Chancellor of the University of Oxford (1933–1959), Ambassador to the United States (1940–1946) Foreign Secretary (1938–1940), Leader of the House of Lords (1935–1938, 1940),

Secretary of State for War The secretary of state for war, commonly called the war secretary, was a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, which existed from 1794 to 1801 and from 1854 to 1964. The secretary of state for war headed the War Offic ...

(1935) and 20th Viceroy and Governor-General of India (1926–1931) * Sir Philip Sassoon, 3rd Baronet (1888–1939), MP (1912–1939) * Sir Hugh Munro-Lucas-Tooth, 1st Baronet (1903–1985), MP (1924–1929, 1945–1970) *

John Profumo John Dennis Profumo ( ; 30 January 1915 – 9 March 2006) was a British politician whose career ended in 1963 after a sexual relationship with the 19-year-old model Christine Keeler in 1961. The scandal, which became known as the Profumo affai ...

, CBE (1915–2006),

(1960–1963) *

Alan Clark Alan Kenneth Mackenzie Clark (13 April 1928 – 5 September 1999) was a British Conservative Member of Parliament (MP), author and diarist. He served as a junior minister in Margaret Thatcher's governments at the Departments of Employment, Tr ...

(1928–1999), Minister for Defence Procurement (1989–1992) * Ewen Alexander Nicholas Fergusson (1962–), member of the

Committee on Standards in Public Life The Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL) is an advisory non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom Government, established by John Major in 1994 to advise the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Prime Minister on ethical standard ...

Tim Rathbone John Rankin "Tim" Rathbone (17 March 1933 – 12 July 2002) was a British businessman and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician who was the Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for the seat of Lewes (UK Pa ...

(1933–2002), MP (1974–1997) * David Faber (1961–), headmaster of Summer Fields School (2009–), MP (1992–2001) and grandson of

Harold Macmillan Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton (10 February 1894 – 29 December 1986), was a British statesman and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1957 to 1963. Nickn ...

Nick Hurd Nicholas Richard Hurd (born 13 May 1962) is a British politician who served as Minister for London from 2018 to 2019 and Minister of State for Policing and the Fire Service from 2017 to 2019. A member of the Conservative Party (UK), Conservative ...

(1962–), government minister (2010–2019) * Radosław Sikorski (1963–),

Minister of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and foreign relations, relations, diplomacy, bilateralism, ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

(2007–2014, 2023–) *

(1964–),

(2019–2022), Foreign Secretary (2016–2018) and Mayor of London (2008–2016) *

(1966–), Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (2010–2016) *

Jo Johnson Joseph Edmund Johnson, Baron Johnson of Marylebone, (born 23 December 1971) is a British politician and peer who was Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation ...

(1971–), government minister (2015–2019) and Director of the

Number 10 Policy Unit The Number 10 Policy Unit is a body of policymakers based in 10 Downing Street, providing policy advice directly to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, British Prime Minister. Originally set up to support Harold Wilson in 1974, it has gone ...

(2013–2015) * George Osborne (1971–),

First Secretary of State First Secretary of State is an office that is sometimes held by a minister of the Crown Minister of the Crown is a formal constitutional term used in Commonwealth realms to describe a minister of the reigning sovereign or viceroy. The term ...

(2015–2016) and Chancellor of the Exchequer (2010–2016)

Business

* Rupert Soames (1959–),

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...

's grandson and CEO of

Serco Serco Group plc is a British multinational corporation, multinational military, defence, Healthcare, health, Space industry, space, private prison, justice, Human migration, migration, customer service, customer services, and transport company ...

* Roddie Fleming (1953–), former chairman of Fleming Family & Partners, and nephew of James Bond creator

Ian Fleming Ian Lancaster Fleming (28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964) was a British writer, best known for his postwar ''James Bond'' series of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., and his ...

. * Darius Guppy (1964–), businessman *

(1966–), Former CEO of Dixons Carphone, current CEO of

Boots UK Boots UK Limited (formerly Boots the Chemists Limited) is a British health and beauty retailer and pharmacy chain that operates in the United Kingdom. It also operates internationally, including Ireland, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, Thailand ...

Peter Holmes à Court Peter Holmes à Court (born 1968) is an Australian businessman. He is the eldest son of the late billionaire businessman Robert Holmes à Court and Janet Holmes à Court. He was joint owner of the National Rugby League team South Sydney Rabb ...

(1968–), businessman * Jason Gissing (1970–), co-founder of Ocado * Nathaniel Rothschild (1971–), chairman of JNR Limited

Other

* Antony Acland (1930–2021), former British

diplomat A diplomat (from ; romanization, romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one ...

and Provost of

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

* David Bowes-Lyon (1902–1961), president of the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr ...

, uncle of

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

* Peter Fleming (1907–1971), writer and brother of

, creator of

James Bond The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...

. * Sir Ludovic Kennedy (1919–2009),

journalist A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...

* David Dimbleby (1938–), journalist * Sir Thomas Hughes-Hallett (1954–),

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include arguing cases in courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, jurisprud ...

* Sebastian Roberts (1954–2023), Senior Army Representative at the

Royal College of Defence Studies The Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) instructs the most promising senior officers of the British Armed Forces, His Majesty's Diplomatic Service and Civil Service in national defence and international security matters at the highest leve ...

(1971–), author and journalist who is editor of ''

The Oldie ''The Oldie'' is a British monthly magazine written for older people "as a light-hearted alternative to a press obsessed with youth and celebrity", according to its website. The magazine was launched in 1992 by Richard Ingrams, who was its edit ...

'' magazine and a frequent contributor to the ''

Daily Mail The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily Middle-market newspaper, middle-market Tabloid journalism, tabloid conservative newspaper founded in 1896 and published in London. , it has the List of newspapers in the United Kingdom by circulation, h ...

'' and ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...

''.