George Cholmondeley, Earl of Rocksavage

George Horatio Charles Cholmondeley was born in Berkeley Square on 19 May 1883, the son of George Henry Hugh Cholmondeley, 4th Marquess of Cholmondeley. His mother was Winifred Ida Kingscote, granddaughter of 1st Earl Howe. From birth he was the Earl of Rocksavage, inheriting the title of 5th Marquess of Cholmondeley in 1923. The family seat, Cholmondeley Castle is in Cheshire, having 7,500 acres of land. The family also has Houghton Hall in Norfolk. He was educated at Eton.
He entered the army as an officer in the Royal Sussex Regiment, serving as railway officer in the Boer War. He transferred to the 9th Lancers on 19 Oct 1901 as a 2nd lieutenant, and a lieutenant on 5 July 1905. He was ADC to the Viceroy of India and later served in WW1, gaining the rank of major in 1920. He was an accomplished tennis player and polo player. He was a member of the English polo team that won the Open Championship of America in 1910 along with Lieutenant Francis Grenfell, the only time that this competition had been won by an English team.
The Marquesses of Cholmondeley had, since 1779, the right to be Lord Great Chamberlain in certain monarchs’ reigns, so he became Lord Great Chamberlain in 1936 when Edward VIII became King, and again in 1952 when Elizabeth II became Queen, holding the office until 1966.
In 1913 the Earl of Rocksavage, as he was then, married Sybil Rachel Betty Cecile Sassoon, a wealthy heiress. They had two sons and a daughter; Lady Aline Caroline Cholmondeley (1916-2015), George Henry Hugh, 6th Marquess of Cholmondeley (1919-1990) and Lord John George Cholmondeley (1920-1986). George, 5th Marquess of Cholmondeley died on 16 Sep 1968. The photo shows him as a lieutenant in the dress uniform of the 9th Lancers c1910.

Regimental Details | Soldiers