George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood

George Henry Hubert Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood (7 February 1923 – 11 July 2011), styled The Honourable George Lascelles before 1929 and Viscount Lascelles between 1929 and 1947, was a British classical music administrator and author, and a member of the extended British royal family. He served as director of the Royal Opera House (1951–1953; 1969–1972), chairman of the board of the English National Opera (ENO) (1986–1995); managing director of the ENO (1972–1985), managing director of the English National Opera North (1978–81), governor of the BBC (1985–1987), and president of the British Board of Film Classification (1985–1996).

Harewood was the elder son of the 6th Earl of Harewood and Princess Mary, Princess Royal, the only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary. At his birth, he was sixth in the line of succession; at his death, he was 46th. Lord Harewood was the eldest grandchild of King George V and Queen Mary, nephew of both King Edward VIII and King George VI and first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. He was the director of the Edinburgh Festival from 1961 to 1965

Early life Lascelles at Chesterfield House, 1923George Henry Hubert Lascelles was born on 7 February 1923 at his parents' London home Chesterfield House. He was the first child of Henry, Viscount Lascelles, and Princess Mary, Viscountess Lascelles, and first grandchild of King George V and Queen Mary, who stood as sponsors at his christening. The ceremony took place on 25 March at St Mary's Church in the village of Goldsborough, near Knaresborough adjoining the family home, Goldsborough Hall. After his paternal grandfather's death in 1929, he was styled Viscount Lascelles when his father succeeded to the earldom. He served as a Page of Honour at the coronation of his uncle, King George VI in May 1937.

He was raised at Harewood House in Yorkshire and educated at Ludgrove School, Eton College, and King's College, Cambridge. His time at university was interrupted by the Second World War.

Military service Lascelles with fellow Prominente after his release: John Alexander Elphinstone (his aunt by-marriage, Queen Elizabeth's nephew), Churchill's cousin Max de Hamel, Michael Alexander and John Winant Jr. among them. Lascelles joined the British Army and was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Grenadier Guards, his father's regiment, in 1942. He attained the rank of captain. Serving with the regiment's 3rd Battalion, part of the 1st Guards Brigade of the 78th Infantry Division (later transferred to the 6th Armoured Division), he saw action in North Africa and Italy. He was wounded and captured at Monte Corno on 18 June 1944, the anniversary of both his father's injury in the First World War and the Battle of Waterloo, in which his great-great-grandfather had been injured.

In 1945–46, he served as aide-de-camp to his great-uncle, Lord Athlone, then Governor General of Canada. Lascelles served as a Counsellor of State in 1947, 1953–54, and 1956.

House of Lords Lascelles succeeded his father in 1947. On 7 February 1956, he took his seat in the House of Lords. He lost his seat following the House of Lords Act 1999, which removed most hereditary peers from membership.

Career

Opera A music enthusiast, Lascelles devoted most of his career to opera, with his Yorkshire heritage fostering his interest. In March 1949, as a young single man, he was among the audience at Leeds Town Hall for a performance of operatic works by the Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra. By 1950, he had become patron of the orchestra's concerts. He served as editor of Opera magazine from 1950 to 1953. In February 1950, it was reported that he had launched the magazine at a large party at the London home of Richard Buckle, attended by many music lovers.

He was director of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, from 1951 to 1953 and again from 1969 to 1972. He served as chairman of the board of the English National Opera (ENO) from 1986 to 1995, and as Managing Director of the ENO from 1972 to 1985. He was Artistic Director of both the Edinburgh and Adelaide Festivals. From 1958 to 1974, he was General/Artistic Director of the Leeds Triennial Musical Festival. He was Managing Director of the ENO offshoot English National Opera North from 1978 to 1981. Lascelles served as a governor of the BBC from 1985 to 1987 and as the president of the British Board of Film Classification from 1985 to 1996.

He was the author or editor of three books: Kobbé's Complete Opera Book (ed. 1954, later The New Kobbé's Opera Book, edited with Antony Peattie, latest ed. 1997; and The New Pocket Kobbé's Opera Book, edited with his stepson Michael Shmith, 2000), The Tongs and the Bones (an autobiography, 1981), and Kobbé's Illustrated Opera Book (ed. 1989). He was chairman of Historic Masters, an unusual vinyl record label dedicated to high-quality issues of rare historic 78 rpm recordings of opera singers. A friend and colleague of Maria Callas, he appeared in the 1968 EMI documentary The Callas Conversations Vol. I, in which he interviewed Callas at length about her career and views on opera.

Football His other interests included football. He served as president of Leeds United Football Club from 1961 until his death and was president of the Football Association from 1963 to 1972.

Public life Lascelles was the only person to serve as Counsellor of State without being a Prince of the United Kingdom, holding the role from 1945 to 1951 and again from 1952 to 1956. He served as chancellor of the University of York from 1963 to 1967.

Personal life Marriages and children On 29 September 1949 at St. Mark's Church, London, Lascelles married Marion Stein, a concert pianist and daughter of the Viennese music publisher Erwin Stein. Because of Lascelles's position in the line of succession, the marriage required the sovereign's approval under the Royal Marriages Act 1772. Queen Mary, mother of George VI, objected to the match, but permission was eventually granted. Benjamin Britten, a friend of the Stein family, composed an anthem, "Amo Ergo Sum", for the ceremony.

Lascelles and Stein had three sons:

David Henry George Lascelles, 8th Earl of Harewood, born 21 October 1950. He married Margaret Messenger on 12 February 1979; they divorced in 1989. They have four children and seven grandchildren. He married Diane Howse on 11 March 1990. The Hon. James Edward Lascelles, born 5 October 1953. He married Frederica Ann Duhrssen on 4 April 1973; they divorced in 1985. They have two children and one granddaughter. He married Lori Lee on 4 May 1985; they divorced in 1996. They have two children and one grandson. He married Joy Elias-Rilwan on 30 January 1999. The Hon. Robert Jeremy Hugh Lascelles, born 14 February 1955. He married Julie Bayliss on 4 July 1981; they later divorced. They have three children and five grandchildren. He married Catherine Bell on 7 January 1999, and they have a daughter.

Lascelles and Stein divorced in 1967, after his mistress, Patricia "Bambi" Tuckwell – an Australian violinist and sister of the musician Barry Tuckwell – gave birth to his son. The affair caused a major scandal at the time and led to the couple being ostracised for several years, even after the relationship was formalised. Stein later married the politician Jeremy Thorpe.

Lascelles married Tuckwell (24 November 1926 – 4 May 2018) on 31 July 1967. The wedding took place at Waveny Park in New Canaan, Connecticut. They were obliged to marry abroad because, in England, registry office marriages were barred for those covered by the Royal Marriages Act, and divorcees could not marry in the Church of England. They had one son, Mark Lascelles.

Death Lascelles died at his home, Harewood House, on 11 July 2011, aged 88.

Honours Queen Elizabeth II created him a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the Queen's Birthday Honours List on 13 June 1986. On 1 July 2010 he was appointed an Honorary Member of the Order of Australia (AM), "for service to the arts in Australia and to supporting Australia's artists in the United Kingdom".

In 1959, Harewood received the Grand Decoration in Silver with Sash for Services to the Republic of Austria. Country Date Appointment Ribbon Post-nominal letters