Charles Gordon-Lennox, 11th Duke of Richmond

Birthday January 8, 1955

Birth Sign Capricorn

Age 69 years old

#22712 Most Popular

1948

Motorsport at Goodwood was started by his grandfather, Freddie Richmond, who opened the Goodwood Motor Circuit in 1948.

1955

Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox, 11th Duke of Richmond, 11th Duke of Lennox, 11th Duke of Aubigny, 6th Duke of Gordon, (born 8 January 1955), styled Lord Settrington until 1989 and then Earl of March and Kinrara until 2017, is a British aristocrat and owner of Goodwood Estate in Sussex.

He is the founder of the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Goodwood Revival.

The Duke of Richmond serves as President of the British Automobile Racing Club, Patron of the TT Riders Association, and is an honorary member of the British Racing Drivers Club, the Guild of Motoring Writers and the 500 Owners Club.

Having a passion for film and photography since the age of 10, Lord Settrington left Eton College at the first possible opportunity and at 17 worked for the film director Stanley Kubrick on the film Barry Lyndon.

1966

He then brought motor racing back to the circuit, which had closed in 1966, with the creation of the Goodwood Revival in 1998.

Both events have since become recognised as some of the most unusual, exciting and creative events in the world.

The Goodwood Estate covers 12,000 acres to the north of Chichester.

The Goodwood Estate Company is a diverse portfolio of businesses which includes: Goodwood Racecourse, a 4,000-acre organic farm, two eighteen-hole golf courses, Goodwood Aerodrome and Flying School, and a 91-bedroom hotel.

The Group employs over 550 people and attracts 800,000 visitors to the estate each year.

Also on the estate are Goodwood Cricket Club and the headquarters of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

1976

Marrying firstly in 1976 to Sally Clayton, daughter of Maurice Clayton, he and Lady Settrington had one daughter:

1991

Divorced from his first wife in 1989, on 30 November 1991 Lord March married secondly the Hon. Janet Elizabeth Astor (born 1 December 1961), daughter of William, 3rd Viscount Astor, by whom he has one daughter and three sons:

1993

March established the Festival of Speed at Goodwood House in 1993.

1995

In 1995, the Earl of March, as he was then styled, moved from London to the family seat Goodwood to take over management of the estate, following family tradition of the estate management devolving upon the heir apparent when the latter turns forty.

2006

A Deputy Lieutenant (DL) for West Sussex since 2006, Richmond was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2024 New Year Honours for services to heritage, sport and charity.

The duke has been married twice and has three sons and two daughters.

2016

In January 2016, he and the Duchess (then Earl and Countess of March) were attacked and tied up in a major jewel robbery at Goodwood House.

March's name appears in the video game Gran Turismo 6, when he sends players an invitation related to the Goodwood Festival of Speed.