Percy attended Eton College, studied history at the University of Oxford, and then land management at Reading University and worked in the Arundel Castle estate office for seven years, before moving back to Northumberland to manage the Alnwick estate for his elder brother Henry, the 11th Duke.[1]
He succeeded in the dukedom in 1995 on the death of the 11th Duke, who had no offspring. As such, he was a member of the House of Lords until the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999 ended the right of hereditary peers to sit in the House. Hansard records no contributions to House of Lords work by Northumberland.[2]
The Duke assists in managing Northumberland Estates (the corporation holding the ducal assets) which has many venture subsidiaries and associated trusts, which altogether own land and property in Northumberland, Scotland and to a lesser extent London, Surrey and Tyneside.[3] Ralph Percy was ranked at number 248 in the Sunday Times Rich List 2011, with an estimated wealth of £315 million. He or the corporation is the owner of Alnwick Castle, an ancestral ducal seat, as well as Warkworth Castle and Prudhoe Castle in Northumberland; Syon House and Syon Park in London; Hulne Park and Hulne Priory at Alnwick; Albury Park in Surrey, and other listed buildings such as Brizlee Tower.[4] Northumberland Estates manages 100,000 acres (400 km2): directly managing 4,000 acres (16 km2) of forestry and 20,000 acres (81 km2) of farmland, with approximately 100 tenant farmers managing the remaining bulk of the land.[5][6][7]
The 12th Duke's sale on the open market, rather than at a lower price to The National Gallery, of Raphael's Madonna of the Pinks in 2003 was subject to some criticism.[8] At much the same time, in response to a foot-and-mouth disease crisis, the Duke cut the rents of tenant farmers by 10 percent.[9] The Duke has showed opposition to certain wind farms. However, he adopted renewable energy in the restoration of a hydroelectric power generator.[10][11][12] The Duke is a sponsor of the NCEA Duke's Secondary School.
On 8 April 2014, despite the vast wealth of the estate, the estate's management announced the date of a new art sale to raise £15 million to cover the costs of the Newburn flood caused by the failure of a culvert for which it was responsible on 25 September 2012.[13] The sales were completed by Sotheby's in July 2014.
In October 2021, the Duke was unsuccessful in his bid to build houses on the site of 37 allotments on his land, after over 900 people signed a petition to save the allotments, which are over a century old, and the local authority's planning committee voted to block the development. This came after the Duke had written to the allotment holders to tell them that if the development was blocked as a result of press coverage, then he would deny them access to the land.[14]
Lady Melissa Jane Percy (born 20 May 1987); a fashion designer and former professional tennis player, she married Thomas van Straubenzee, an estate agent and schoolfriend of Princes William and Harry, on 22 June 2013.[16] In 2014 the couple were subjects of a painting by Christian Furr.[17] Straubenzee is a godfather of Princess Charlotte of Wales.[18] The couple had no children and were divorced in 2016.[19] Lady Melissa married for a second time on 19 December 2020 to American financier Remy W. Trafelet.[20] The couple have one daughter together,[21] in addition to Trafelet's three children from his previous marriage.[22]
Lord Max Ralph Percy (born 26 May 1990); married Princess Nora of Oettingen-Spielberg, daughter of Prince Albrecht of Oettingen-Spielberg and Angela Jank, on 15 July 2017[23] at the Mariä Himmelfahrt Castle Chapel at Schloss Hirschbrunn. The couple have one daughter:
On a Chapeau Gules turned up Ermine a Lion statant with tail extended Azure
Escutcheon
Quarterly: 1st and 4th grandquarters: 1st and 4th counterquartered: 1st and 4th, Or a Lion rampant Azure (Brabant and Lovaine); 2nd and 3rd, Gules three Lucies hauriant Argent (Lucy); 2nd and 3rd, Azure five Fusils conjoined in fess Or (Percy); 2nd and 3rd grandquarters: quarterly: 1st and 4th, Or three Bars wavy Gules (Drummond); 2nd and 3rd, Or a Lion's Head erased within a Double Tressure flory counterflory Gules (Drummond, coat of augmentation)
Supporters
Dexter: a Lion rampant Azure; Sinister: a Lion rampant guardant Or ducally crowned of the last gorged with a Collar company Argent and Azure
Motto
Esperance En Dieu (Hope in God)
References
^Barber, Lynne (3 August 2003). "Gardener's question time". The Observer. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
^"Mr Ralph Percy". Hansard. UK Parliament. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
^"The Northumberland Estates". Alnwick Castle website. The Northumberland Estates. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
^"History and Heritage". The Northumberland Estates. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
^"Farming". The Northumberland Estates. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
^"Sawmill and Forestry". The Northumberland Estates. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
^"Duke's Plans Spark Suspicion". Northumberland Gazette. 7 February 2001. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
^"Duke hits back at £35m art sale critics". Northumberland Gazette. 16 January 2003. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
^"Duke slashes farm rents to ease rural crisis". Northumberland Gazette. 6 November 2002. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
^"Duke joins fight against windfarm". Northumberland Gazette. 11 November 2011. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
^"... while Duke lashes turbines as "ugly and noisy"". Northumberland Gazette. 2 December 2009. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
^"Duke's hydro system taps into the past". Northumberland Estates. 29 October 2009. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
^"Duke of Northumberland plans £15m art sale to cover flood bill". The Journal. 8 April 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
^" 'Peasants revolt' stops duke from bulldozing allotments" by Rachel Burford, in the Evening Standard, 15 October 2021, p. 12
^. Archived from the original on 16 November 2011.
^"Mr T. van Straubenzee and Lady Melissa Percy". The Daily Telegraph. 7 November 2012. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
^"Thomas van Straubenzee and Lady Melissa Percy 2014".
^"Princess Charlotte to be christened at Sandringham". BBC News.
^"Duke of Northumberland's daughter gets divorced". ITV News.
^"Telegraph Marriage Announcements". Telegraph. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
^"Telegraph Birth Announcements". Telegraph. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
^Cope, Rebecca (25 February 2020). "The Duke of Northumberland's daughter, Lady Melissa Percy, has given birth to her first child". Tatler. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
^"Verliebt in Schottland, verheiratet in Dornstadt". Augsburger Allgemeine.
^Gillan, Tony (7 August 2019). "Duke and Duchess of Northumberland celebrate birth of their first grandchild". www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
^"Another royal wedding: Saudi prince marries Englishwoman". CBS News. 30 March 2011. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ralph Percy, 12th Duke of Northumberland.
ralph, percy, 12th, duke, northumberland, ralph, george, algernon, percy, 12th, duke, northumberland, born, november, 1956, styled, lord, ralph, percy, until, 1995, british, hereditary, peer, rural, landowner, current, head, house, percy, gracethe, duke, north. Ralph George Algernon Percy 12th Duke of Northumberland DL born 16 November 1956 styled Lord Ralph Percy until 1995 is a British hereditary peer and rural landowner and current head of the House of Percy His GraceThe Duke of NorthumberlandPortrait by Allan Warren in 1997Tenure31 October 1995 1995 10 31 PredecessorHenry PercyOther titlesLord Ralph PercyBornRalph George Algernon Percy 1956 11 16 16 November 1956 age 66 United KingdomNationalityBritishSpouse s Jane Richard m 1979 wbr IssueLady Catherine Percy George Percy Earl Percy Lady Melissa Trafelet Lord Max PercyHeirGeorge Percy Earl PercyParentsHugh Percy 10th Duke of NorthumberlandLady Elizabeth Montagu Douglas Scott Contents 1 Biography 2 Marriage and children 2 1 Relations 3 Arms 4 References 5 External linksBiography EditRalph Percy was born the second son and one of seven children of Hugh Percy 10th Duke of Northumberland and his wife Elizabeth nee Lady Elizabeth Montagu Douglas Scott Percy attended Eton College studied history at the University of Oxford and then land management at Reading University and worked in the Arundel Castle estate office for seven years before moving back to Northumberland to manage the Alnwick estate for his elder brother Henry the 11th Duke 1 He succeeded in the dukedom in 1995 on the death of the 11th Duke who had no offspring As such he was a member of the House of Lords until the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999 ended the right of hereditary peers to sit in the House Hansard records no contributions to House of Lords work by Northumberland 2 The Duke assists in managing Northumberland Estates the corporation holding the ducal assets which has many venture subsidiaries and associated trusts which altogether own land and property in Northumberland Scotland and to a lesser extent London Surrey and Tyneside 3 Ralph Percy was ranked at number 248 in the Sunday Times Rich List 2011 with an estimated wealth of 315 million He or the corporation is the owner of Alnwick Castle an ancestral ducal seat as well as Warkworth Castle and Prudhoe Castle in Northumberland Syon House and Syon Park in London Hulne Park and Hulne Priory at Alnwick Albury Park in Surrey and other listed buildings such as Brizlee Tower 4 Northumberland Estates manages 100 000 acres 400 km2 directly managing 4 000 acres 16 km2 of forestry and 20 000 acres 81 km2 of farmland with approximately 100 tenant farmers managing the remaining bulk of the land 5 6 7 The 12th Duke s sale on the open market rather than at a lower price to The National Gallery of Raphael s Madonna of the Pinks in 2003 was subject to some criticism 8 At much the same time in response to a foot and mouth disease crisis the Duke cut the rents of tenant farmers by 10 percent 9 The Duke has showed opposition to certain wind farms However he adopted renewable energy in the restoration of a hydroelectric power generator 10 11 12 The Duke is a sponsor of the NCEA Duke s Secondary School On 8 April 2014 despite the vast wealth of the estate the estate s management announced the date of a new art sale to raise 15 million to cover the costs of the Newburn flood caused by the failure of a culvert for which it was responsible on 25 September 2012 13 The sales were completed by Sotheby s in July 2014 In October 2021 the Duke was unsuccessful in his bid to build houses on the site of 37 allotments on his land after over 900 people signed a petition to save the allotments which are over a century old and the local authority s planning committee voted to block the development This came after the Duke had written to the allotment holders to tell them that if the development was blocked as a result of press coverage then he would deny them access to the land 14 Marriage and children EditNorthumberland married Jane Richard on 21 July 1979 at Traquair Parish Church They have four children citation needed Lady Catherine Sarah Katie Percy born 23 June 1982 a gunsmith and mechanic she married Patrick Valentine on 26 February 2011 The couple had no children and separated in late 2013 citation needed George Dominic Percy Earl Percy born 4 May 1984 heir apparent to the dukedom and managing director of energy company Cluff Geothermal with Professor Paul Younger 15 Lady Melissa Jane Percy born 20 May 1987 a fashion designer and former professional tennis player she married Thomas van Straubenzee an estate agent and schoolfriend of Princes William and Harry on 22 June 2013 16 In 2014 the couple were subjects of a painting by Christian Furr 17 Straubenzee is a godfather of Princess Charlotte of Wales 18 The couple had no children and were divorced in 2016 19 Lady Melissa married for a second time on 19 December 2020 to American financier Remy W Trafelet 20 The couple have one daughter together 21 in addition to Trafelet s three children from his previous marriage 22 Lord Max Ralph Percy born 26 May 1990 married Princess Nora of Oettingen Spielberg daughter of Prince Albrecht of Oettingen Spielberg and Angela Jank on 15 July 2017 23 at the Maria Himmelfahrt Castle Chapel at Schloss Hirschbrunn The couple have one daughter Romy Jane Percy born 31 July 2019 Munich 24 Relations Edit One of the Duke s nieces Lucy Cuthbert married Saudi Prince Khalid bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud in 2011 25 Richard Scott 10th Duke of Buccleuch is a cousin on the Duke s mother s side Prince Richard Duke of Gloucester son of his mother s aunt Princess Alice Duchess of Gloucester is the duke s first cousin once removed vteFamily tree of the Earls and Dukes of Northumberland and Earls of BeverleyEARL OF NORTHUMBERLAND 1st creation 1377Henry Percy 1341 1408 1st Earl of NorthumberlandJohn of Gaunt 1340 1399 Duke of Lancaster attainted 1405 Henry PercyHotspur c 1365 1403 Joan Beaufort c 1379 1440 Countess of WestmorlandJohn Beaufort c 1370 1410 Earl of SomersetEARL OF NORTHUMBERLAND 2nd creation 1416Henry Percy 1394 1455 2nd Earl of NorthumberlandEleanor Neville c 1398 1472 Countess of NorthumberlandRichard Neville 1400 1460 Earl of SalisburyJohn Beaufort 1404 1444 Duke of SomersetEARL OF NORTHUMBERLAND 3rd creation 1464Henry Percy 1421 1461 3rd Earl of NorthumberlandJohn Neville c 1431 1471 Earl of NorthumberlandLady Margaret Beaufort 1401 1403 1449 forfeit 1461 released 1470 restored 1470 Henry Percy 1449 1489 4th Earl of NorthumberlandKing Henry VII 1457 1509 Henry Algernon Percy 1478 1527 5th Earl of NorthumberlandMary Tudor Queen of France 1496 1533 m 2 Charles BrandonDuke of SuffolkMargaret Tudor 1489 1541 DUKE OF NORTHUMBERLAND 1st creation 1551Henry Percy 1502 1537 6th Earl of NorthumberlandThomas Percy c 1504 1537 John Dudley 1504 1553 1st Duke of NorthumberlandLady Frances Brandon 1517 1559 m Henry GreyDuke of SuffolkJames V of Scotland 1512 1542 attainted 1537 extinct 1553 EARL OF NORTHUMBERLAND 2nd creation restored 1557Thomas Percy 1528 1572 7th Earl of NorthumberlandHenry Percy 1532 1585 8th Earl of NorthumberlandLord Guildford Dudley c 1535 1554 Lady Jane Grey c 1537 1554 Lady Katherine Grey 1540 1568 m Edward SeymourEarl of HertfordMary Queen of Scots 1542 1587 Henry Percy 1564 1632 9th Earl of NorthumberlandEdward Seymour 1561 1612 Viscount BeauchampKing James VI and I 1566 1625 Algernon Percy 1602 1668 10th Earl of NorthumberlandFrancis Seymour c 1590 1664 Baron Seymour of TrowbridgeKing Charles I 1600 1649 Josceline Percy 1644 1670 11th Earl of NorthumberlandCharles Seymour c 1621 1665 Baron Seymour of TrowbridgeKing Charles II 1630 1685 Earldom extinct 1670EARL OF NORTHUMBERLAND 4th creation 1674DUKE OF NORTHUMBERLAND 2nd creation 1683Elizabeth Seymour 1667 1722 Baroness PercyCharles Seymour 1662 1748 Duke of SomersetGeorge FitzRoy 1665 1716 Earl of NorthumberlandDuke of NorthumberlandEarldom and Dukedom extinct 1716EARL OF NORTHUMBERLAND 5th creation 1749Algernon SeymourDuke of Somerset 1684 1750 1st Earl of NorthumberlandDUKE OF NORTHUMBERLAND 3rd creation 1766Hugh Percyformerly Hugh Smithson 1714 1786 2nd Earl of Northumberland1st Duke of NorthumberlandElizabeth Seymour 1716 1776 Baroness PercyEARL OF BEVERLY 1790Hugh Percy 1742 1817 2nd Duke of NorthumberlandAlgernon Percy 1750 1830 1st Earl of BeverleyHugh Percy 1785 1847 3rd Duke of NorthumberlandAlgernon Percy 1792 1865 4th Duke of NorthumberlandGeorge Percy 1778 1867 2nd Earl of Beverley5th Duke of NorthumberlandAlgernon George Percy 1810 1899 6th Duke of NorthumberlandHenry George Percy 1846 1918 7th Duke of NorthumberlandAlan Ian Percy 1880 1930 8th Duke of NorthumberlandHenry George Alan Percy 1912 1940 9th Duke of NorthumberlandHugh Algernon Percy 1914 1988 10th Duke of NorthumberlandHenry Alan Walter Richard Percy 1953 1995 11th Duke of NorthumberlandRalph George Algernon Percy b 1956 12th Duke of NorthumberlandGeorge Percy b 1984 Earl PercyArms EditCoat of arms of Ralph Percy 12th Duke of Northumberland Coronet A Coronet of a Duke Crest On a Chapeau Gules turned up Ermine a Lion statant with tail extended Azure Escutcheon Quarterly 1st and 4th grandquarters 1st and 4th counterquartered 1st and 4th Or a Lion rampant Azure Brabant and Lovaine 2nd and 3rd Gules three Lucies hauriant Argent Lucy 2nd and 3rd Azure five Fusils conjoined in fess Or Percy 2nd and 3rd grandquarters quarterly 1st and 4th Or three Bars wavy Gules Drummond 2nd and 3rd Or a Lion s Head erased within a Double Tressure flory counterflory Gules Drummond coat of augmentation Supporters Dexter a Lion rampant Azure Sinister a Lion rampant guardant Or ducally crowned of the last gorged with a Collar company Argent and Azure Motto Esperance En Dieu Hope in God References Edit Barber Lynne 3 August 2003 Gardener s question time The Observer Retrieved 4 October 2012 Mr Ralph Percy Hansard UK Parliament Retrieved 4 October 2012 The Northumberland Estates Alnwick Castle website The Northumberland Estates Retrieved 4 October 2012 History and Heritage The Northumberland Estates Archived from the original on 21 April 2013 Retrieved 10 October 2012 Farming The Northumberland Estates Archived from the original on 21 April 2013 Retrieved 10 October 2012 Sawmill and Forestry The Northumberland Estates Archived from the original on 21 April 2013 Retrieved 10 October 2012 Duke s Plans Spark Suspicion Northumberland Gazette 7 February 2001 Retrieved 10 October 2012 Duke hits back at 35m art sale critics Northumberland Gazette 16 January 2003 Retrieved 10 October 2012 Duke slashes farm rents to ease rural crisis Northumberland Gazette 6 November 2002 Retrieved 10 October 2012 Duke joins fight against windfarm Northumberland Gazette 11 November 2011 Retrieved 10 October 2012 while Duke lashes turbines as ugly and noisy Northumberland Gazette 2 December 2009 Retrieved 10 October 2012 Duke s hydro system taps into the past Northumberland Estates 29 October 2009 Retrieved 10 October 2012 Duke of Northumberland plans 15m art sale to cover flood bill The Journal 8 April 2014 Retrieved 9 October 2015 Peasants revolt stops duke from bulldozing allotments by Rachel Burford in the Evening Standard 15 October 2021 p 12 Cluff Geothermal the team Archived from the original on 16 November 2011 Mr T van Straubenzee and Lady Melissa Percy The Daily Telegraph 7 November 2012 Retrieved 7 November 2012 Thomas van Straubenzee and Lady Melissa Percy 2014 Princess Charlotte to be christened at Sandringham BBC News Duke of Northumberland s daughter gets divorced ITV News Telegraph Marriage Announcements Telegraph Retrieved 6 March 2020 Telegraph Birth Announcements Telegraph Retrieved 6 March 2020 Cope Rebecca 25 February 2020 The Duke of Northumberland s daughter Lady Melissa Percy has given birth to her first child Tatler Retrieved 12 March 2021 Verliebt in Schottland verheiratet in Dornstadt Augsburger Allgemeine Gillan Tony 7 August 2019 Duke and Duchess of Northumberland celebrate birth of their first grandchild www northumberlandgazette co uk Retrieved 12 March 2021 Another royal wedding Saudi prince marries Englishwoman CBS News 30 March 2011 Retrieved 19 December 2012 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ralph Percy 12th Duke of Northumberland The Northumberland Estates Alnwick Castle Syon ParkPeerage of Great BritainPreceded byHenry Percy Duke of Northumberland1995 present IncumbentOrders of precedence in the United KingdomPreceded byThe Duke of Manchester GentlemenThe Duke of Northumberland Succeeded byThe Duke of Leinster Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ralph Percy 12th Duke of Northumberland amp oldid 1131600364, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
