Early Life
Robert FitzRoy was born at Ampton Hall, Ampton, Suffolk, England, into the upper echelons of the British aristocracy and a tradition of public service. Through his father, General Lord Charles FitzRoy, Robert was a fourth great-grandson of Charles II of England and his grandfather was Augustus Henry FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton. His mother was the daughter of the first Marquess of Londonderry and the half-sister of Viscount Castlereagh, who became Foreign Secretary. From the age of four Robert FitzRoy lived at Wakefield Lodge in Northamptonshire, the Palladian mansion of the FitzRoy family.
Robert's half-brother Sir Charles FitzRoy was Governor of New South Wales, Governor of Prince Edward Island and Governor of Antigua.
FitzRoy was also the father of a future Senior Officer in Command of the Channel Squadron, Vice-Admiral Sir Robert FitzRoy.
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