William Herbert, 18th Earl of Pembroke

William Alexander Sidney Herbert, 18th Earl of Pembroke, 15th Earl of Montgomery (born 18 May 1978) is an English peer. He became Earl of Pembroke and Montgomery in 2003 following the death of his father, Henry Herbert, 17th Earl of Pembroke.

Family

Pembroke is the only son of the 17th Earl by his wife, the former Claire Rose Pelly, who is now married to Stuart Wyndham Murray-Threipland. He has three older sisters and three younger half-sisters by his father's second marriage.

He inherited the ancestral titles and estates, centring on Wilton House, the family seat in Wiltshire, when his father died in 2003. In April 2009, he announced his engagement to his long-time girlfriend, Victoria Bullough. The couple were married on 29 May 2010 at the parish church of St Mary and St Nicholas in Wilton, near Salisbury.

Their first child, Lady Alexandra Ekaterina Eloise Herbert, was born at Salisbury District Hospital on 3 April 2011. A son and heir, Reginald Henry Michael, Lord Herbert, was born on 21 October 2012. Their third child, Louis Charles Alexander Herbert, was born at Salisbury District Hospital on 20 September 2014.

The former Victoria Bullough (born 1985) is a daughter of Michael Bullough, owner of McEwens, a department store in Scotland. Her mother, Sandra Lee-Graham Bullough, is a former model. She grew up in Huntingtower, Perth, and was educated at Glenalmond College, then studied interior architecture at Chelsea College of Art and Design, graduating with First Class honours. While at Chelsea, she appeared in Country Life and began dating Pembroke. They lived together at Wilton from 2007. Lady Pembroke is now a Patroness of the Royal Caledonian Ball.

Education and career

Lord Pembroke was educated at Bryanston School, then at the University of Leeds for two years, where he did a foundation course in 3D computer graphics design. He then pursued a course in industrial design at Sheffield Hallam University, being the first Herbert to graduate with a first class honours degree.

He then worked with Sebastian Conran as an industrial designer, being forced to quit that job in October 2004 to assume the responsibilities of the house and estate at Wilton, a year after his father's death from cancer. In a July 2005 interview with The Observer, Herbert spoke frankly of the responsibilities and difficulties in managing a historic home and estate. He wanted to increase the number of celebrity events, such as Madonna's birthday party, at Wilton House to increase revenues; however, opening the property to more tourists does not pay in the long run, he said, as it increases wear-and-tear on the house. He also spoke frankly of the need for him to marry and father a son to secure the succession (for the sake of his immediate family as well as the estate and house and all those who depend on it for a livelihood), but he was not aware at that time who was the heir presumptive. In interviews, he stated that he believed that the heir is "one of the Fitzwilliamses". However, his heir presumptive at that time was the present George Herbert, 8th Earl of Carnarvon (born 1956), who has legitimate male issue.

As of 2006, the Wilton estate had around 140 employees. Its 14,000 acres are divided into 14 farms, one of which is run by the estate, and more than 200 residential properties. Although the house is open to the public, Lord Pembroke and his wife occupy about a third of the house privately. He also maintains a flat in London.

Motoring

A keen car and motor racing enthusiast, Lord Pembroke has raced in the Funcup endurance series since 2009 and, in 2011, had a class win in the Spa 25 hour race against 120 international teams. He also holds an annual Classic and Supercar show in the grounds of Wilton House. He has owned various racing cars, and his road car collection includes a Bugatti Veyron. Pembroke had the car wrapped in a specially-designed form inspired by the Gulf Oil racing colours of the 1960s, designed by Ian Cook who is also known as PopBangColour.

Succession

Since Herbert's father had no brothers, and his grandfather's brothers died unmarried, and other lines of descent from earlier earls have become extinct, the heir presumptive to the earldoms of Pembroke (created 1551 by Edward VI) and Montgomery (created for the brother of the 3rd Earl, who succeeded him as 4th Earl) was the 8th Earl of Carnarvon (born 10 November 1956), holding the earldom created in 1793 for the first son of the second surviving son of the 8th Earl. However, Reginald, Lord Herbert, born in 2012, is now the heir apparent.

Ancestry