Henry Herbert, 7th Earl of Carnarvon Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth and Family

The Earl of Carnarvon died on 11 September 2001 aged 77, after a heart attack. Earlier in the day he had watched television coverage of the September 11 attacks on the United States. Carnarvon was succeeded as the Queen’s racing manager by his son-in-law John Warren, a former stable boy who had worked at the Highclere Stud and married his daughter Carolyn.

He succeeded as Earl of Carnarvon in 1987, and sat in the House of Lords as a crossbencher, using his position to promote the interests of horseracing. He also inherited the family seat, Highclere Castle.

He was invested as a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the 1976 Birthday Honours and Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) in the 1982 Birthday Honours.

A member of Hampshire County Council for 24 years, he was its chairman from 1973 to 1977 and also served on other public bodies, including the Sports Council and the Agricultural Research Council.

Carnarvon was an independent member of the Hampshire County Council for 24 years and served as its chairman from 1973 to 1977. He also served on a number of public bodies, including the Sports Council (1965–1970), Agricultural Research Council (1978–1982) and was Chairman of the South East Economic Planning Council (1971–1979). He served as President of Hampshire County Cricket Club (1966–1968) and became Honorary Colonel of the 115th (Hampshire Fortress) Engineer Regiment (Territorial Army) in 1963.

Carnarvon was a personal friend of Princess Elizabeth, later Queen Elizabeth II, from their teenage years. She often visited Highclere Castle and – like his other friends – called him ‘Porchey’, after his courtesy title. In 1969 Carnarvon was appointed the Queen’s racing manager, a position he held until his death in 2001. His son the 8th Earl, who is the Queen’s godson, observed that

As Lord Porchester, Carnarvon became an influential figure in British horseracing, establishing a reputation as a successful breeder at the Highclere Stud. He played a leading role in the administration and restructuring of the racing industry. In 1964 he was elected to the Jockey Club and was Chairman of the club’s race planning committee (1967–1985) and, as well as being the Queen’s racing manager, he was an active member of several other racing committees. He was appointed President of Newbury Racecourse in 1985.

On 7 January 1956, Carnarvon (then known by his courtesy title Lord Porchester) married Jean Margaret Wallop (1935–2019) of Big Horn, Wyoming, in St. James’ Episcopal Church in New York City. She was a granddaughter of Oliver Wallop, 8th Earl of Portsmouth. Carnarvon’s father, the 6th Earl had also married an Anglo-American.

Carnarvon was born in Lancaster Gate, west London, the only son of Catherine Herbert, Countess of Carnarvon, from New York, and Henry Herbert, 6th Earl of Carnarvon, who had recently inherited the family peerages. He was educated at Eton College, and during the Second World War was commissioned into the Royal Horse Guards, serving in Egypt and Italy. He left the army as a lieutenant in 1947, after which he studied at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, with a view to farming and managing the stud on his father’s Highclere estate.

Henry George Reginald Molyneux Herbert, 7th Earl of Carnarvon, KCVO, KBE, DL (19 January 1924 – 11 September 2001), was a British peer and racing manager to Queen Elizabeth II from 1969. From his birth until September 1987, he was known by the courtesy title Lord Porchester.