Clifton Hugh Lancelot de Verdon Wrottesley, 6th Baron Wrottesley (born 10 August 1968) is an Irish and British peer and
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
member of the
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...
.
He represented Ireland in
men's skeleton at the 2002 Winter Olympics, finishing fourth.
Early life and education
Wrottesley was born at Hatch Street,
Dublin
Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
, in 1968 to Hon. Richard Francis Gerard Wrottesley, eldest surviving son of
5th Baron Wrottesley. His mother was Georgina Anne Clifton, daughter of Lt.-Col. Peter Thomas Clifton, late
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards (GREN GDS) is the most senior infantry regiment of the British Army, being at the top of the Infantry Order of Precedence. It can trace its lineage back to 1656 when Lord Wentworth's Regiment was raised in Bruges to protect ...
, of Dummer House, Hampshire, and Patricia Mary Adela, sister of
David Gibson-Watt, Baron Gibson-Watt. Through his paternal grandmother, he is a descendant of the
Stratford family
The House of Stratford () is a British aristocratic family, originating in Stratford-on-Avon between the eleventh and thirteenth centuries. The family has produced multiple titles, including Earl of Aldborough, Viscount Amiens, Baron Baltin ...
,
and through his maternal grandfather the
Bruce baronets of
Downhill.
His first two years were spent in
Abbyknockmoy,
County Galway
County Galway ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Northern and Western Region, taking up the south of the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht. The county population was 276,451 at the 20 ...
. After his father's death, he moved to Spain with his mother.
He was educated at
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 ...
, the
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...
and
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS or RMA Sandhurst), commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is one of several military academy, military academies of the United Kingdom and is the British Army's initial Commissioned officer, officer train ...
before serving in the
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards (GREN GDS) is the most senior infantry regiment of the British Army, being at the top of the Infantry Order of Precedence. It can trace its lineage back to 1656 when Lord Wentworth's Regiment was raised in Bruges to protect ...
.
He inherited the Wrottesley titles in 1977 on the death of his grandfather, his father having died when he was two. He became eligible to sit in the
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...
on his 21st birthday.
Career
Wrottesley works in property and fine wine.
Wrottesley was Chair of British Skeleton from 2012 to 2017, was a board member of the
British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association (BBSA) from 2012 to 2019, and Chair from 2012 to 2014. He continues to be involved in overseeing the British Skeleton World Class Programme, and Chairs the Selection Committee.
In March 2021, Wrottesley was appointed Chair of
Ice Hockey UK (IHUK), and in January 2022 was appointed to the
International Ice Hockey Federation
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF; ; ) is a worldwide governing body for ice hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 84 member countries.
The IIHF maintains the IIHF World Ranking based on international ice hockey to ...
(IIHF) Finance Committee for a period of five years.
Sporting career
Skeleton
Wrottesley competed as an Irish
skeleton racer on the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing (FIBT, now the
International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation
The International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) is the international sports federation for the sliding sports of Bobsleigh and skeleton (sport), Skeleton. It was founded on 23 November 1923 by the delegates of Great Britain, France, Sw ...
or IBSF) Skeleton Continental circuits in the 2000–01 season and the FIBT World Cup circuit in the 2001–02 season. He finished fourth in the
men's skeleton at the 2002 Winter Olympics. As of 2022, this remains the best result of any Irish athlete at the Olympic Winter Games.
Wrottesley and his father both competed in
bobsleigh
Bobsleigh or bobsled is a winter sport in which teams of 2 to 4 athletes make timed speed runs down narrow, twisting, banked, iced tracks in a gravity-powered sleigh. International bobsleigh competitions are governed by the International Bobslei ...
for
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...
before competing for Ireland.
During the
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics (), officially the XX Olympic Winter Games () and also known as Torino 2006, were a winter multi-sport event held from 10 to 26 February in Turin, Italy. This marked the second time Italy had hosted the Winter O ...
in Turin, he served as Chef de Mission for the Irish team.
Cresta Run
Wrottesley is also a rider of the
Cresta Run
The Cresta Run is a natural ice track in eastern-Switzerland used for skeleton-toboggan racing. Located in the winter sports town of St. Moritz, the run is one of the few in the world dedicated entirely to skeleton. It was built in 1884 nea ...
, St Moritz, Switzerland. He has ridden on the Run since the 1988–89 season, won his Cresta colours in 1996, and has won many of the Open races since his first victory in 1997 (although he did not compete on the Run in the 2000–01 and 2001–02 seasons, due to commitments on the
IBSF Skeleton circuits).
Of the four Classic Races on the Cresta Run, Wrottesley has won The Curzon Cup (the Blue Riband event of the season from Junction) a record 14 times (beating
Nino Bibbia
Nino Bibbia (15 March 1922 – 28 May 2013) was an Italian skeleton racer and bobsledder who competed in the late 1940s. Born in Bianzone, Lombardy, he won the gold medal in the men's skeleton event at the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Mor ...
's record of 8), The Morgan Cup a record 17 times (beating Franco Gansser's record of 10), The Brabazon Trophy a record 16 times and the Grand National (the Blue Riband event of the season from Top) a record 17 times (beating
Nino Bibbia
Nino Bibbia (15 March 1922 – 28 May 2013) was an Italian skeleton racer and bobsledder who competed in the late 1940s. Born in Bianzone, Lombardy, he won the gold medal in the men's skeleton event at the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Mor ...
and Franco Gansser's record of 8).
Wrottesley has also won The Grand Slam a record six times (all 4 Classic races in the one season), in 2003, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2012 and 2023.
Wrottesley holds the record for the number of Classic races won with a total of 64 to date, was the first person to break the 50 second barrier (on 1 February 2015) and in doing so holds the World Record from Top (49.92 seconds). Wrottesley also holds the Flying Junction Record (31.44 seconds).
Personal life
He lives in
St Moritz
St. Moritz ( , , ; ; ; ; ) is a high Alpine resort town in the Engadine in Switzerland, at an elevation of about above sea level. It is Upper Engadine's major town and a municipality in the administrative region of Maloja in the Swiss ...
, Switzerland, and
Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames ( ) is a town status in the United Kingdom, town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish on the River Thames, in the South Oxfordshire district, in Oxfordshire, England, northeast of Reading, Berkshire, Reading, west of M ...
, England. He is married to Sascha Wrottesley (née Schwarzenbach), the daughter of
Urs Schwarzenbach, the Swiss billionaire financier. The couple have four children: three sons and a daughter.
After voluntary declarations by Wrottesley to
HM Revenue and Customs
His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (commonly HM Revenue and Customs, or HMRC, and formerly Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs) is a department of the UK government responsible for the collection of taxes, the payment of some forms of stat ...
, HMRC issued tax demands for 2000 to 2008 on the basis that Wrottesley was domiciled in the UK. Wrottesley has appealed, contending that his domicile of origin is in the Republic of Ireland. The first-tier tribunal issued a preliminary ruling but had not issued a final decision in the case, so the matter is effectively in abeyance.
Political career
Removed from the
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...
in 1999 under the provisions of the
House of Lords Act which abolished hereditary peers' automatic memberships, Baron Wrottesley won a
by-election
A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, or a bypoll in India, is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections.
A vacancy may arise as a result of an incumben ...
to the House of Lords in 2022, taking the place of
Roger Swinfen Eady, 3rd Baron Swinfen
Roger Mynors Swinfen Eady, 3rd Baron Swinfen, (14 December 1938 – 5 June 2022) was a British politician and philanthropist, who was one of the ninety two hereditary peers elected to remain in the House of Lords following the passing of the H ...
.
References
External links
2002 men's skeleton resultsBBC.co.uk profile during the 2002 Winter Olympics
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wrotteseley, Clifton
1968 births
Living people
People educated at Eton College
Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
British male skeleton racers
Irish male skeleton racers
Skeleton racers at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Olympic skeleton racers for Ireland
Wrottesley, Clifton Wrottesley, 6th Baron
Grenadier Guards officers
Conservative Party (UK) hereditary peers
Wrottesley
Wrottesley
20th-century British Army personnel
Military personnel from Dublin (city)
Graduates of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
20th-century Irish sportsmen