Rufus Keppel, 10th Earl of Albemarle

Rufus Arnold Alexis Keppel, 10th Earl of Albemarle (born 16 July 1965), is a product designer and the founder of the men's-shirt company Albemarle of London. Rufus is a distant cousin of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, because both the Duchess of Cornwall and Rufus are great-great-grandchildren of William Keppel, 7th Earl of Albemarle.

Early life and education

Albemarle is the son of Derek William Charles Keppel, Viscount Bury, and his wife, the former Marina Davidoff, a daughter of Count Serge Orloff-Davidoff.^[1] Since his father predeceased his grandfather, the 9th Earl of Albemarle, Keppel succeeded to the Earldom at the age of fourteen on the death of his paternal grandfather in 1979. He is known professionally as Rufus Albemarle.

Keppel's early life was spent living with his parents successively in England and Italy. He was educated at St. Christopher School in Hertfordshire and Chelsea School of Art in London as well as Central St Martins School of Art & Design.

Marriage and child

The Earl of Albemarle married Sally Claire Tadayon, a sculptor of Danish and Persian ancestry, in 2001 in Havana, Cuba. Tom Ford of Yves St Laurent designed the bride's gown and the wedding was featured in Town & Country^[2] and Vanity Fair.^[3]

The couple have one child, who is heir apparent to the earldom:

• Augustus Sergei Darius Keppel, Viscount Bury, born in 2003.

Succession for Lord Great Chamberlain and its rotation system

Through his grandmother, Lord Albermarle has a one twentieth share in the succession for the office of Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State in England and Wales. His great-grandfather, the 1st Marquess of Lincolnshire (1843–1928), held a quarter share in the Office and was Lord Great Chamberlain from the accession of George V until his death in 1928.

As his only son, Viscount Wendover, had been killed in action in 1915 his share was, according to the rule, equally divided between his five daughters (or in Lady Judith's case, her heir) as follows:

• Lady Marjorie Wynn-Carington (1880–1968) oo Charles Wilson, 2nd Baron Nunburnholme
• Lady Alexandra Wynn-Carington (1881–1955) oo Col. William Llewellen Palmer
• Lady Ruperta Wynn-Carington (1883–1963) oo William Legge, 7th Earl of Dartmouth, who acted as Deputy Lord Great Chamberlain from 1928 until the death of George V in 1936.
• Derek Keppel, Viscount Bury, son of Lady Judith Wynn-Carington (1889–1928) and Walter Keppel, 9th Earl of Albemarle.
• Lady Victoria Wynn-Carington (1892–1966) oo (1) Lt. Nigel Legge-Bourke, (2) Maj. Hon Edric Weld-Forester.

Each of the above held one fifth of Lord Lincolnshire's quarter share in the office i.e. each held one twentieth share.

Derek Keppel, Viscount Bury died in 1968 and the current Lord Albermarle has held his father's one twentieth share since then. The then holder of this share will serve as Lord Great Chamberlain in the thirteenth reign after the current reign.

Titles and styles

• The Honourable Rufus Arnold Alexis Keppel (1965–1968)
• Viscount Bury (1968–1979)
• The Right Honourable The Earl of Albemarle (since 14 July 1979)

Ancestry

References

1. ↑ New York Social Diary: Rufus Albemarle
2. ↑ Gunlocke, Gretchen: "Sally Albemarle," Town & Country, March 2005.
3. ↑ Larocca, Amy: "Home Design 2002: Posh Spice," New York Magazine, 8 April 2002

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Earl of Albemarle
• Albemarle of London
• Pedigree at Genealogics
• Rufus Keppel, 10th Earl of Albemarle