Nicholas Alexander, 7th Earl of Caledon
Encyclopedia
Nicholas James Alexander, 7th Earl of Caledon (born 6 May 1955) is the son of Denis Alexander, 6th Earl of Caledon
and Baroness Anne Louise de Graevenitz (an inheritor through her paternal grandmother to the von Siemens
fortune).
The Earl of Caledon inherited the title from his father in 1980 and is a Justice of the Peace
and has been Lord-Lieutenant of County Armagh
since 1989. He lives at Caledon, County Tyrone
, Northern Ireland
.
in Elgin
, Scotland
. He married, firstly, Wendy Catherine Coumantaros, daughter of Spiro Nicholas Coumantaros, a shipping magnate, on 15 November 1979 (King Constantine II
was the best man). They were divorced in 1985 without any issue; his first wife uses the style of Wendy, Countess of Caledon.
He married, secondly on 19 December 1989, the interior designer Henrietta Mary Alison Newman, daughter of John Francis Newman, himself a son of Sir Cecil Newman, 2nd Bt.
and has issue:
In 1997 the Countess of Caledon obtained a decree nisi on the grounds of her husband's relationship with the artist Emma Sergeant, but the couple were reconciled and the divorce was rescinded. Three years later she petitioned again and Lord and Lady Caledon were divorced in 2000.
In November 2007 the Earl of Caledon announced his engagement to Amanda Cayzer, former wife of the Hon. Charles William Cayzer (b. 1957), second son of Herbert Robin Cayzer, 2nd Baron Rotherwick
, by whom she has two children. They were married on 2 February 2008. His second ex-wife is now known as Henrietta, Countess of Caledon, and his third wife Amanda is now The Countess of Caledon.
James Alexander
who rose in a matter of decades from an East India Company clerk to an Earl in the Peerage of Ireland. (This rise from commoner to Earl or higher is rare in the annals of the British and Irish peerage).
Denis Alexander, 6th Earl of Caledon
Denis James Alexander, 6th Earl of Caledon was a soldier and landownerHe was the son of Lt.-Col. Hon. Herbrand Charles Alexander and Millicent Valla Meredyth and grandson of James Alexander, 4th Earl of Caledon. He was educated at Eton College and at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst...
and Baroness Anne Louise de Graevenitz (an inheritor through her paternal grandmother to the von Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
fortune).
The Earl of Caledon inherited the title from his father in 1980 and is a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
and has been Lord-Lieutenant of County Armagh
County Armagh
-History:Ancient Armagh was the territory of the Ulaid before the fourth century AD. It was ruled by the Red Branch, whose capital was Emain Macha near Armagh. The site, and subsequently the city, were named after the goddess Macha...
since 1989. He lives at Caledon, County Tyrone
Caledon, County Tyrone
Caledon , historically known as Kinnaird , is a small village and townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is in the Clogher Valley on the banks of the River Blackwater, 7 miles from Armagh. It lies in the southeast of Tyrone and near the borders of County Armagh and County Monaghan. In the...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
Marriages and children
Lord Caledon was educated at GordonstounGordonstoun
Gordonstoun School is a co-educational independent school for boarding and day pupils in Moray in North East Scotland. Named after the estate originally owned by Sir Robert Gordon in the 1600s, the school now uses this estate as its campus...
in Elgin
Elgin, Moray
Elgin is a former cathedral city and Royal Burgh in Moray, Scotland. It is the administrative and commercial centre for Moray. The town originated to the south of the River Lossie on the higher ground above the flood plain. Elgin is first documented in the Cartulary of Moray in 1190...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. He married, firstly, Wendy Catherine Coumantaros, daughter of Spiro Nicholas Coumantaros, a shipping magnate, on 15 November 1979 (King Constantine II
Constantine II of Greece
|align=right|Constantine II was King of Greece from 1964 until the abolition of the monarchy in 1973, the sixth and last monarch of the Greek Royal Family....
was the best man). They were divorced in 1985 without any issue; his first wife uses the style of Wendy, Countess of Caledon.
He married, secondly on 19 December 1989, the interior designer Henrietta Mary Alison Newman, daughter of John Francis Newman, himself a son of Sir Cecil Newman, 2nd Bt.
Newman Baronets
There have been three Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Newman, one in the Baronetage of England and two in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. Two of the creations are extant as of 2007....
and has issue:
- Frederick James Alexander, Viscount Alexander (born 15 October 1990)
- Lady Leonora Jane Alexander (b. 26 May 1993)
In 1997 the Countess of Caledon obtained a decree nisi on the grounds of her husband's relationship with the artist Emma Sergeant, but the couple were reconciled and the divorce was rescinded. Three years later she petitioned again and Lord and Lady Caledon were divorced in 2000.
In November 2007 the Earl of Caledon announced his engagement to Amanda Cayzer, former wife of the Hon. Charles William Cayzer (b. 1957), second son of Herbert Robin Cayzer, 2nd Baron Rotherwick
Baron Rotherwick
Baron Rotherwick, of Tylney in the County of Southampton, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 8 June 1939 for the shipping magnate and Conservative Member of Parliament, Sir Herbert Cayzer, 1st Baronet. He had previously represented Portsmouth South in the House of...
, by whom she has two children. They were married on 2 February 2008. His second ex-wife is now known as Henrietta, Countess of Caledon, and his third wife Amanda is now The Countess of Caledon.
Siblings
The Earl has two siblings:- Lady Tana Focke (b. 1945), originally named Cayetana for her godmother Cayetana, Duchess of AlbaCayetana Fitz-James Stuart, 18th Duchess of AlbaDoña María del Rosario Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart y Silva, 18th Duchess of Alba de Tormes, Grandee of Spain is the current head of the House of Alba and the third woman to carry the title in her own right...
. Lady Tana, a successful fund-manager is the Earl's elder half-sister by his father's first marriage to Ghislaine Dresselhuys, later Lady FoleyAdrian Foley, 8th Baron FoleyAdrian Gerald Foley, 8th Baron Foley is a British peer and a former composer and pianist.Upon the death of his father, the 7th Baron Foley, in 1927, Foley succeeded to his title at the age of three. In 1946, he composed music for the film Piccadilly Incident and for Bond Street in 1947...
. Tana is married to His Honour Justice Paul Focke, and has issue. - Lady (Elizabeth) Jane Alexander, his younger sister (b. 1962), who has been twice married. Until recently, Lady Jane Alexander was living on her brother's estate.
Heirs in remainder to the earldom
The Earl's only son Viscount Alexander (b. 1990) is the heir apparent, followed by several elder cousins who are in remainder to the earldom created in 1801 for the Anglo-Irish nabobNabob
A nabob, an English form of "nawab", is a merchant-leader of high social status and wealth.Nabob may also refer to:*Nabob , a brand of coffee in Canada*HMS Nabob , a Bogue-class escort aircraft carrier...
James Alexander
James Alexander, 1st Earl of Caledon
James Alexander, 1st Earl of Caledon was an Irish landlord, merchant, politician and peer of the realm. The second son of Alderman Nathaniel Alexander of Derry, he was the effective founder of the Caledon family, and certainly the founder of its fortune.-An Irish 'nabob':Alexander began his career...
who rose in a matter of decades from an East India Company clerk to an Earl in the Peerage of Ireland. (This rise from commoner to Earl or higher is rare in the annals of the British and Irish peerage).
Sources
- Richard Kay. 'Third time lucky for Nicky', Daily Mail 13 November 2007.
- Richard Kay. 'Hetty's in tune with Oliver', Daily Mail, 22 January 2008.