Harry Legge-Bourke
Encyclopedia
Major
Sir Edward Alexander Henry Legge-Bourke KBE
(16 May 1914 – 21 May 1973) was a British
politician.
He served alongside Jock Colville as a Page of Honour
from 1926. Educated at Eton College
and Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
, Legge-Bourke was commissioned into the Royal Horse Guards
in 1934. He served there throughout World War II
, rising to the rank of major
. In 1941, he was liaison officer, GHQ, British Forces in Greece
and served with the 7th Armoured Division at El Alamein
.
Legge-Bourke was elected member of Parliament
for Isle of Ely
in 1945 as a member of the Conservative Party
. His gain from the Liberal
James A. de Rothschild
was one of the few Conservative gains of the election. Legge-Bourke was prominent as a chairman of the 1922 Committee
of Conservative backbenchers. In 1960 he was invested as a KBE
. As an East Anglia
n representative, he was particularly interested in land drainage and was vice-President of the Association of Drainage Authorities. A popular local MP, he did instruct Prime Minister Clement Attlee
to "Change the bloody record" as he threw a coin at him — an incident which had him briefly debarred from the Commons.
Legge-Bourke died in 1973 whilst still a Member of Parliament. The by-election to replace him was won by Liberal Clement Freud
. Legge-Bourke and his wife were cremated and their ashes buried in Ely Cathedral
.
Legge-Bourke inherited a fraction of the Lord Great Chamberlain
ship of England
, succeeded by his son, William. His daughter-in-law (The Hon Mrs Legge-Bourke
, Lord Lieutenant of Powys
) was made a lady-in-waiting
to Elizabeth II. His granddaughter, Tiggy Legge-Bourke
(now Pettifer) was nanny
to Princes William and Harry
. Another granddaughter, Eleanor Legge-Bourke
, is a television personality in France
.
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Sir Edward Alexander Henry Legge-Bourke KBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(16 May 1914 – 21 May 1973) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
politician.
He served alongside Jock Colville as a Page of Honour
Page of Honour
While a page is a comparatively low-ranking servant, a Page of Honour is a ceremonial position in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. It requires attendance on state occasions, but does not now involve the daily duties which were once attached to the office of page...
from 1926. Educated at Eton College
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"....
and Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
, Legge-Bourke was commissioned into the Royal Horse Guards
Royal Horse Guards
The Royal Horse Guards was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry.Founded August 1650 in Newcastle Upon Tyne by Sir Arthur Haselrig on the orders of Oliver Cromwell as the Regiment of Cuirassiers, the regiment became the Earl of Oxford's Regiment during the reign of...
in 1934. He served there throughout World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, rising to the rank of major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
. In 1941, he was liaison officer, GHQ, British Forces in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and served with the 7th Armoured Division at El Alamein
El Alamein
El Alamein is a town in the northern Matrouh Governorate of Egypt. Located on the Mediterranean Sea, it lies west of Alexandria and northwest of Cairo. As of 2007, it has a local population of 7,397 inhabitants.- Climate :...
.
Legge-Bourke was elected member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Isle of Ely
Isle of Ely (UK Parliament constituency)
Isle of Ely was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, centred on the Isle of Ely in Cambridgeshire...
in 1945 as a member of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
. His gain from the Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
James A. de Rothschild
James Armand de Rothschild
James Armand Edmond de Rothschild, DCM, DL, was a French-born British politician and philanthropist, from the wealthy Rothschild international banking dynasty....
was one of the few Conservative gains of the election. Legge-Bourke was prominent as a chairman of the 1922 Committee
1922 Committee
In British politics, the 1922 Committee is a committee of Conservative Members of Parliament. Voting membership is limited to backbench MPs although frontbench Conservative MPs have an open invitation to attend meetings. While the party was in opposition, frontbench MPs other than the party leader...
of Conservative backbenchers. In 1960 he was invested as a KBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
. As an East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
n representative, he was particularly interested in land drainage and was vice-President of the Association of Drainage Authorities. A popular local MP, he did instruct Prime Minister Clement Attlee
Clement Attlee
Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC, FRS was a British Labour politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951, and as the Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955...
to "Change the bloody record" as he threw a coin at him — an incident which had him briefly debarred from the Commons.
Legge-Bourke died in 1973 whilst still a Member of Parliament. The by-election to replace him was won by Liberal Clement Freud
Clement Freud
Sir Clement Raphael Freud was an English broadcaster, writer, politician and chef.-Early life:Freud was born in Berlin, the son of Jewish parents Ernst Ludwig Freud and Lucie née Brasch. He was the grandson of psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud and the brother of artist Lucian Freud...
. Legge-Bourke and his wife were cremated and their ashes buried in Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral is the principal church of the Diocese of Ely, in Cambridgeshire, England, and is the seat of the Bishop of Ely and a suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Huntingdon...
.
Legge-Bourke inherited a fraction of the Lord Great Chamberlain
Lord Great Chamberlain
The Lord Great Chamberlain of England is the sixth of the Great Officers of State, ranking beneath the Lord Privy Seal and above the Lord High Constable...
ship of England
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...
, succeeded by his son, William. His daughter-in-law (The Hon Mrs Legge-Bourke
Shân Legge-Bourke
Elizabeth Shân Josephine Legge-Bourke LVO is a Welsh landowner....
, Lord Lieutenant of Powys
Lord Lieutenant of Powys
This is an incomplete list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant for Powys. Prior to 1974, the Monarch was represented in the area by the Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire, the Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire and the Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire....
) was made a lady-in-waiting
Lady-in-waiting
A lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at a royal court, attending on a queen, a princess, or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman from a family highly thought of in good society, but was of lower rank than the woman on whom she...
to Elizabeth II. His granddaughter, Tiggy Legge-Bourke
Tiggy Legge-Bourke
Alexandra Shân "Tiggy" Legge-Bourke MVO was nanny, later companion, to Prince William of Wales and his brother Prince Harry, and a personal assistant to Charles, Prince of Wales, between 1993 and 1999...
(now Pettifer) was nanny
Nanny
A nanny, childminder or child care provider, is an individual who provides care for one or more children in a family as a service...
to Princes William and Harry
Prince Harry of Wales
Prince Henry of Wales , commonly known as Prince Harry, is the younger son of Charles, Prince of Wales and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and fourth grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
. Another granddaughter, Eleanor Legge-Bourke
Eleanor Legge-Bourke
Eleanor Jean Maria Legge-Bourke is a British public relations executive and television personality.-Background:Half English and half Portuguese, Eleanor Legge-Bourke is the daughter of Heneage Legge-Bourke and Maria Clara de Sá-Carneiro....
, is a television personality in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.