Family
The Dukes of Portland originally were a Dutch family. Hans Willem (or William) Bentinck came to Britain from Holland with William of Orange in 1670, and was created Earl of Portland in 1689. His son, Henry, 2nd Earl, was created Duke of Portland in 1716.
As there were no male heirs when Lady Anne's father died in March 1977, he was succeeded in the dukedom by a distant relative, his third cousin Ferdinand Cavendish-Bentinck. However, the family seat of Welbeck Abbey and the family fortune passed to his daughter. This was due to the legal arrangements made by Anne's grandfather (6th Duke of Portland). Her grandfather was also the younger half-brother of the Countess of Strathmore, who was the mother of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, who went on to be the Queen Mother.
Eventually the dukedom died out due to a lack of male heirs in 1990. However the earldom continues on presently. The 12th Earl of Portland is actor Tim Bentinck, also known as David Archer to the listeners of the BBC Radio 4 soap opera The Archers. Her sole heir is her nephew, William Parente, who is married with two children. He is the beneficiary to her £158 million estate.
As a débutante, she refused to marry a Belgian nobleman, destined to be Prince Charles of the Belgians. When he came to ask for her hand in marriage she reportedly refused to get out of bed. Instead she wished to marry John Osborne, 11th Duke of Leeds. However her family refused to allow the marriage. She never married.
Read more about this topic: Lady Anne Cavendish-Bentinck
Famous quotes containing the word family:
“Freud is all nonsense; the secret of neurosis is to be found in the family battle of wills to see who can refuse longest to help with the dishes. The sink is the great symbol of the bloodiness of family life.”
—Julian Mitchell (20th century)
“If a family lives in harmony, all its affairs will prosper.”
—Chinese proverb.
“The touchstone for family life is still the legendary “and so they were married and lived happily ever after.” It is no wonder that any family falls short of this ideal.”
—Salvador Minuchin (20th century)