by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2014
The Honourable Gerald Lascelles; Credit – www.thepeerage.com
The Honourable Gerald David Lascelles was born on August 21, 1924, at Goldsborough Hall, near Knaresborough in North Yorkshire, England. He was the younger son of Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood and Mary, Princess Royal, the only daughter of King George V of the United Kingdom. Gerald had one older brother, George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood. He was a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.
Hon. Gerald David Lascelles; Princess Mary, Countess of Harewood by Speaight Ltd, published by J. Beagles & Co, postcard print, 1924 NPG x17403 © National Portrait Gallery, London
Gerald attended Eton College. During World War II, he served as a Captain in The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort’s Own), an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army.
Gerald married twice. His first married actress Angela Dowding on July 15, 1952, at St. Margaret’s Church, Westminster in London, England. Members of the British Royal Family attended the wedding except for Gerald’s first cousin Queen Elizabeth II, who had a last-minute cold. The Queen’s absence was seen as a snub to her cousin. The wedding reception was held at St. James’ Palace with Queen Mary, the groom’s grandmother, in attendance. Gerald and his family moved to Fort Belvedere in Surrey, England, the former country home of Gerald’s uncle, King Edward VIII (the Duke of Windsor).
Gerald and Angela had one son:
- Henry Ulick Lascelles (born 1953), married (1) Alexandra Morton, had one son, divorced (2) Fiona Wilmott, no children
Angela and Gerald divorced in 1978. Their marriage had collapsed when Gerald left Angela to live with another former actress Elizabeth Collingwood, whom he had known for 20 years and with whom he already had a son. After the divorce, Angela continued living in Windsor Great Park and remained on friendly terms with the Royal Family. Queen Elizabeth II often invited her to the Royal Enclosure at Ascot. Angela died in 2007 at the age of 87.
On November 17, 1978, in Vienna, Austria, Gerald married Elizabeth Collingwood (1924 – 2006). The couple had one child, a son Martin, but because Martin was born before his parents’ marriage, neither he nor his descendants are in the line of succession to the British throne.
- Martin David Lascelles (born 1962), married Charmaine Eccleston, had one son. Martin also has an illegitimate daughter with singer Carol Anne Douet.
Gerald was a race car driver, a director of the Silverstone Circuit, a car race track in Northamptonshire, England, and served as president of the British Racing Drivers’ Club from 1964 to 1991. Like his brother, Gerald was interested in music. While his brother George was an opera enthusiast, Gerald preferred jazz. In the 1950s, he collaborated with jazz music critic Sinclair Traill in compiling the Just Jazz yearbooks.
Gerald Lascelles died on February 27, 1998, in Bergerac, France at the age of 73. He was buried at All Saint’s Church in Harewood, West Yorkshire, England where his parents and brother are also buried.
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