Charles Palmer-Tomkinson
Encyclopedia
Charles Anthony Palmer-Tomkinson (born 4 January 1940) is an English
landowner, a former English skier
, and a close friend of Prince Charles.
in the Giant Slalom and Downhill
events. Other members of his family were also Olympians. His father James
competed in the 1936
and 1948 Winter Olympic Games, and died aged 36 in 1952 after a skiing accident. His brother, Jeremy
, competed in the 1968
, 1972
, 1976
and 1980 Winter Olympics
' in various events.
, Leicestershire
,http://www.birstall.free-online.co.uk/BPback/BP220.html and Wanlip
, Leicestershire, having inherited Wanlip Hall in that county http://www.thornber.net/cheshire/htmlfiles/tomkinson.htmlhttp://www.leicestershireparishcouncils.org/wanlip/. Some of the lands were recently (circa 2001) sold with restrictions and covenants. (see Trivia below) In The Summer of 2010 He Donated 1 Million Pound to Longslade Community College To Build The Palmer-Tomkinson Centre For Post-16 Students
Charles Palmer-Tomkinson owns the 1200 acres (4.9 km²) Dummer Grange estate near Basingstoke
, Hampshire
The late Major Ronald Ferguson
and his younger daughter Sarah, Duchess of York
were very close neighbors at the 220 acre (0.8903092 km²) estate Dummer Down Farm.http://www.countrylife.co.uk/property/newsinternational/article/90590/Hampshire_Now_Englands_Hottest_County.html He was appointed High Sheriff for Hampshire for 1994. He is regarded as a doyen of the country set. As of 2006, he and his wife currently live on their estate in Dummer, Hampshire.
since the Seventies.
According to newspaper reports, Prince Charles even became godfather to the younger daughter Tara
. However, she is not listed as a godchild in other more reliable reports. Charles and Diana visited their home in Birchall in 1986.
Charles was Prince Charles's ski instructor, according to newspaper reports. This connection meant that the Palmer-Tomkinsons steadily accompanied Prince Charles, even after his marriage, on skiing holidays in Switzerland.
In 1988, Patricia Palmer-Tomkinson was severely injured, and almost died, in a skiing accident that claimed the life of one of their close friends (Major Hugh Lindsay
, Royal Equerry), as well as injuring Prince Charles
. Major Lindsay and Mrs Palmer-Tomkinson were helicoptered to Davos, where Lindsay was declared dead and Patti found to have severe leg injuries. Her life was saved by her Swiss guide giving her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. She spent four months in a Swiss hospital.
After Charles and Diana separated, the Palmer-Tomkinsons and their children continued to holiday with Prince Charles and his family three times a year; this royal friendship was responsible for propelling the younger daughter, Tara
, into the public eye in 1994. As of 2004, the older Palmer-Tomkinsons continued to ski with the three princes.
His paternal grandfather James Edward Palmer-Tomkinson, of Wanlip Hall, Leicestershire, changed the family name from Tomkinson to Palmer-Tomkinson in 1933. He was the younger son of the Right Hon. James Tomkinson
, PC, MP for Crewe 1900-1910, and former High Sheriff for Chester in 1887, and his wife Emily Frances Palmer, daughter of Sir George Joseph Palmer, 3rd Baronet
. James Edward Palmer-Tomkinson inherited Wanlip Hall in Leicestershire from his maternal uncle Sir Archdale Robert Palmer, 4th and last Baronet, and thus changed his name in 1933.
The Rt Hon James Tomkinson was a descendant of Lieutenant-Colonel William Tomkinson of Willington Hall
(1790–1872).
James Edward Palmer-Tomkinson (then Tomkinson) married Marion Lindsay Smith, daughter of Lindsay Eric Smith (a second cousin of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
via her Smith paternal grandmother Frances Dora Smith). His father's first cousin is the Dowager Duchess of Grafton, grandmother of the present Duke of Grafton
and Mistress of the Robes
to Queen Elizabeth II
, who was born (Anne) Fortune Smith; through other members of the Smith landed gentry
family, the Palmer-Tomkinsons are well-connected to the British aristocracy.
The Palmer-Tomkinsons appear to have sent their sons to Eton
; certainly his father, and both his younger brothers are listed as having attended Eton although Charles's name is curiously missing from the list.
(the writer Santa Montefiore) (b. 2 February 1970), and Tara
(b. 23 December 1971), a socialite and TV personality.
The two elder children are married, and have issue. Tara is as yet unmarried, but gained control of her trust fund in 2001 when she turned 30.
Charles Palmer-Tomkinson has a younger brother Jeremy
who was also a Winter Olympian between 1968 and 1980. Their father James Tomkinson, later Palmer-Tomkinson
, was also himself a British Winter Olympian.
Another brother Christopher Palmer-Tomkinson (b. 1942), of Little Bentley, Colchester, Essex http://www.littlebentley.net/ is a senior company executive, formerly with Cazenove, and now with other companies.http://www.highlandgold.com/hgm/company/directors/; his wife Virginia Viola Palmer-Tomkinson is a Parish Councillor.http://www.tendringdc.gov.uk/TendringDC/Council/Elections/LittleBentleyParish.htm Christopher's son Dominic is also with the same company as his father, Highland Gold.http://johnhelmer.net/?p=24
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
landowner, a former English skier
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
, and a close friend of Prince Charles.
Olympian
Charles Palmer-Tomkinson was a competitor in the 1964 Winter Olympics1964 Winter Olympics
The 1964 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Innsbruck, Austria, from January 29 to February 9, 1964...
in the Giant Slalom and Downhill
Downhill
Downhill is an alpine skiing discipline. The rules for the Downhill were originally developed by Sir Arnold Lunn for the 1921 British National Ski Championships....
events. Other members of his family were also Olympians. His father James
James Palmer-Tomkinson
James Algernon Palmer-Tomkinson was a British alpine skier who competed in the 1936 Winter Olympics and in the 1948 Winter Olympics....
competed in the 1936
1936 Winter Olympics
The 1936 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1936 in the market town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria, Germany. Germany also hosted the Summer Olympics the same year in Berlin...
and 1948 Winter Olympic Games, and died aged 36 in 1952 after a skiing accident. His brother, Jeremy
Jeremy Palmer-Tomkinson
Jeremy James Palmer-Tomkinson was a British Olympian who competed at the Winter Olympics in 1968, 1972, 1976 and 1980. His father James and brother Charles were also Olympians, while his nieces Santa Montefiore and Tara Palmer-Tomkinson are famous in their own right.-References:...
, competed in the 1968
1968 Winter Olympics
The 1968 Winter Olympics, officially known as the X Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1968 in Grenoble, France and opened on 6 February. Thirty-seven countries participated...
, 1972
1972 Winter Olympics
The 1972 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from February 3 to February 13, 1972 in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan...
, 1976
1976 Winter Olympics
The 1976 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XII Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated February 4–15, 1976 in Innsbruck, Austria...
and 1980 Winter Olympics
1980 Winter Olympics
The 1980 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIII Olympic Winter Games, was a multi-sport event which was celebrated from 13 February through 24 February 1980 in Lake Placid, New York, United States of America. This was the second time the Upstate New York village hosted the Games, after 1932...
' in various events.
Landowner
The Palmer-Tomkinson family own substantial lands in and around BirstallBirstall, Leicestershire
Birstall is a large village and civil parish within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is three miles north of the Leicester city centre and is part of the wider Leicester Urban Area....
, Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
,http://www.birstall.free-online.co.uk/BPback/BP220.html and Wanlip
Wanlip
Wanlip is a small village and civil parish in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire, with 68 properties and a population of about 150. It is a countryside village, north of Birstall, and west of Watermead Country Park and the River Soar. The A46 road runs directly past the village...
, Leicestershire, having inherited Wanlip Hall in that county http://www.thornber.net/cheshire/htmlfiles/tomkinson.htmlhttp://www.leicestershireparishcouncils.org/wanlip/. Some of the lands were recently (circa 2001) sold with restrictions and covenants. (see Trivia below) In The Summer of 2010 He Donated 1 Million Pound to Longslade Community College To Build The Palmer-Tomkinson Centre For Post-16 Students
Charles Palmer-Tomkinson owns the 1200 acres (4.9 km²) Dummer Grange estate near Basingstoke
Basingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
The late Major Ronald Ferguson
Ronald Ferguson
Major Ronald Ivor Ferguson was the father of Sarah, Duchess of York, former wife to The Duke of York. He is the maternal grandfather of Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie of York...
and his younger daughter Sarah, Duchess of York
Sarah, Duchess of York
Sarah, Duchess of York is a British charity patron, spokesperson, writer, film producer, television personality and former member of the British Royal Family. She is the former wife of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, whom she married from 1986 to 1996...
were very close neighbors at the 220 acre (0.8903092 km²) estate Dummer Down Farm.http://www.countrylife.co.uk/property/newsinternational/article/90590/Hampshire_Now_Englands_Hottest_County.html He was appointed High Sheriff for Hampshire for 1994. He is regarded as a doyen of the country set. As of 2006, he and his wife currently live on their estate in Dummer, Hampshire.
Friend of Prince Charles
Charles and Patricia (Patti) Palmer-Tomkinson have been close friends of Prince CharlesCharles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
since the Seventies.
According to newspaper reports, Prince Charles even became godfather to the younger daughter Tara
Tara Palmer-Tomkinson
Tara Palmer-Tomkinson also known as T P-T, is an English socialite, "it girl", television presenter, columnist and model...
. However, she is not listed as a godchild in other more reliable reports. Charles and Diana visited their home in Birchall in 1986.
Charles was Prince Charles's ski instructor, according to newspaper reports. This connection meant that the Palmer-Tomkinsons steadily accompanied Prince Charles, even after his marriage, on skiing holidays in Switzerland.
In 1988, Patricia Palmer-Tomkinson was severely injured, and almost died, in a skiing accident that claimed the life of one of their close friends (Major Hugh Lindsay
Hugh Lindsay (equerry)
Major Hugh Lindsay, LVO , was Equerry to Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom from 1983 to 1986.Lindsay was educated at the Millfield. He was a career soldier who served in the 9th/12th Royal Lancers...
, Royal Equerry), as well as injuring Prince Charles
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
. Major Lindsay and Mrs Palmer-Tomkinson were helicoptered to Davos, where Lindsay was declared dead and Patti found to have severe leg injuries. Her life was saved by her Swiss guide giving her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. She spent four months in a Swiss hospital.
After Charles and Diana separated, the Palmer-Tomkinsons and their children continued to holiday with Prince Charles and his family three times a year; this royal friendship was responsible for propelling the younger daughter, Tara
Tara Palmer-Tomkinson
Tara Palmer-Tomkinson also known as T P-T, is an English socialite, "it girl", television presenter, columnist and model...
, into the public eye in 1994. As of 2004, the older Palmer-Tomkinsons continued to ski with the three princes.
Family background
Charles Anthony Palmer-Tomkinson (b. 1940) is the eldest son and child of James Algernon Palmer-Tomkinson and Doris Palmer-Tomkinson (formerly Doris Freidrich, of Basle, Switzerland)). The father was a landowner, who was able to provide a separate house and estate for his elder daughter Jane, Lady Ingram, upon her marriage to a baronet.http://www.berkshirehistory.com/castles/hurst_lodge.htmlHis paternal grandfather James Edward Palmer-Tomkinson, of Wanlip Hall, Leicestershire, changed the family name from Tomkinson to Palmer-Tomkinson in 1933. He was the younger son of the Right Hon. James Tomkinson
James Tomkinson
James Tomkinson PC was an English landowner and Liberal Party politician.Born in 1840, Tomkinson lived at Willington Hall, Chester, and was High Sheriff of Cheshire in 1887...
, PC, MP for Crewe 1900-1910, and former High Sheriff for Chester in 1887, and his wife Emily Frances Palmer, daughter of Sir George Joseph Palmer, 3rd Baronet
Palmer Baronets
There have been seven Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Palmer, two in the Baronetage of England, one in the Baronetage of Ireland, one in the Baronetage of Great Britain and three in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom...
. James Edward Palmer-Tomkinson inherited Wanlip Hall in Leicestershire from his maternal uncle Sir Archdale Robert Palmer, 4th and last Baronet, and thus changed his name in 1933.
The Rt Hon James Tomkinson was a descendant of Lieutenant-Colonel William Tomkinson of Willington Hall
Willington Hall
Willington Hall is a former country house in the parish of Willington, Cheshire, England. It was extended in 1878, but reduced in size in the 1950s, and has since been in use as a hotel.-History:...
(1790–1872).
James Edward Palmer-Tomkinson (then Tomkinson) married Marion Lindsay Smith, daughter of Lindsay Eric Smith (a second cousin of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
via her Smith paternal grandmother Frances Dora Smith). His father's first cousin is the Dowager Duchess of Grafton, grandmother of the present Duke of Grafton
Duke of Grafton
Duke of Grafton is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1675 by Charles II of England for his 2nd illegitimate son by the Duchess of Cleveland, Henry FitzRoy...
and Mistress of the Robes
Mistress of the Robes
The Mistress of the Robes is the senior lady of the British Royal Household. Formerly responsible for the Queen's clothes and jewellery, the post now has the responsibility for arranging the rota of attendance of the Ladies in Waiting on the Queen, along with various duties at State ceremonies...
to Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
, who was born (Anne) Fortune Smith; through other members of the Smith landed gentry
Landed gentry
Landed gentry is a traditional British social class, consisting of land owners who could live entirely off rental income. Often they worked only in an administrative capacity looking after the management of their own lands....
family, the Palmer-Tomkinsons are well-connected to the British aristocracy.
The Palmer-Tomkinsons appear to have sent their sons to Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
; certainly his father, and both his younger brothers are listed as having attended Eton although Charles's name is curiously missing from the list.
Family
Charles Palmer-Tomkinson is married to Patti, or the former Patricia Dawson. They have three children: James, SantaSanta Montefiore
Santa Montefiore, born Santa Palmer-Tomkinson, is a British author.Santa is the sister of Tara Palmer-Tomkinson. Her parents are Charles Palmer-Tomkinson and Patricia Palmer-Tomkinson, of Anglo-Argentine background. Her father represented his country in skiing at Olympic level...
(the writer Santa Montefiore) (b. 2 February 1970), and Tara
Tara Palmer-Tomkinson
Tara Palmer-Tomkinson also known as T P-T, is an English socialite, "it girl", television presenter, columnist and model...
(b. 23 December 1971), a socialite and TV personality.
The two elder children are married, and have issue. Tara is as yet unmarried, but gained control of her trust fund in 2001 when she turned 30.
Charles Palmer-Tomkinson has a younger brother Jeremy
Jeremy Palmer-Tomkinson
Jeremy James Palmer-Tomkinson was a British Olympian who competed at the Winter Olympics in 1968, 1972, 1976 and 1980. His father James and brother Charles were also Olympians, while his nieces Santa Montefiore and Tara Palmer-Tomkinson are famous in their own right.-References:...
who was also a Winter Olympian between 1968 and 1980. Their father James Tomkinson, later Palmer-Tomkinson
James Palmer-Tomkinson
James Algernon Palmer-Tomkinson was a British alpine skier who competed in the 1936 Winter Olympics and in the 1948 Winter Olympics....
, was also himself a British Winter Olympian.
Another brother Christopher Palmer-Tomkinson (b. 1942), of Little Bentley, Colchester, Essex http://www.littlebentley.net/ is a senior company executive, formerly with Cazenove, and now with other companies.http://www.highlandgold.com/hgm/company/directors/; his wife Virginia Viola Palmer-Tomkinson is a Parish Councillor.http://www.tendringdc.gov.uk/TendringDC/Council/Elections/LittleBentleyParish.htm Christopher's son Dominic is also with the same company as his father, Highland Gold.http://johnhelmer.net/?p=24
Trivia
- Charles Palmer-Tomkinson was one of the two trustees for the last will and testament of the late Earl of ShaftesburyEarl of ShaftesburyEarl of Shaftesbury is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1672 for Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 1st Baron Ashley, a prominent politician in the Cabal then dominating the policies of King Charles II...
who was murdered by his third wife and her brother. The will named that wife the main heir, but the fortune was to be overseen by two trustees. Since a French court has convicted the widow, it is unlikely that she would benefit under British law.
- Palmer-Tomkinson recently sold some land (circa 2001) at Hallam Fields, Birstall, Leicestershire to Jelston Builders for development as homes, schools, and community buildings over the next ten years.http://72.14.235.104/search?q=cache:u1_Xk8bY0tkJ:www.artscouncil.org.uk/documents/newsletters/phpeUPcRd.pdf+%22Charles+Palmer-Tomkinson%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=21. According to the Birstall Post, in April 2004, Palmer-Tomkinson continues to be a major local notable.http://www.birstall.free-online.co.uk/BPback/BP249.htmlhttp://www.birstall.free-online.co.uk/BPback/BP220.html
External links
- Photograph of Patti Palmer-Tomkinson at the 11 September 2006 memorial service for Bruce ShandBruce ShandMajor Bruce Middleton Hope Shand, MC and bar, DL, was an officer in the British Army. He is best known as the father of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, the second wife of Charles, Prince of Wales.-Early life:...
, father-in-law of Prince Charles.http://www.wireimage.com/GalleryListing.asp?navtyp=SRH&str=Bruce%20Shand&sfld=C&sevntI=1982, Retrieved 5 June 2007.