2nd Life Guards


Marquess of Londonderry



There is a statue in the square in Durham of a Hussar General on horseback; this is Charles William Stewart Vane. Born in 1778, his military career began at the age of 16 in 106th Foot. He was wounded in the right eye whilst on detachment to the Austrian Army in 1795. He achieved fame during the Napoleonic Wars as a light cavalry commander under Lord Paget. His poor eyesight and hearing prevented him from being granted an independant command. After the Peninsula War he became involved in politics, working as a diplomat in the treaty of alliance between Britain, Russia and Prussia. He also fought in several battles, leading the Brandenburg Hussars at Leipzig in 1813 and the French campaign of 1814.
When his brother, Lord Castlereagh died in 1822, he became Marquess of Londonderry. He was Colonel of the 10th Hussars from 1820-1843, a regiment that he regarded with great affection and took over from Earl Cathcart as Gold Stick, Colonel of the 2nd Life Guards in 1843. He was appointed as a Knight of the Garter in 1852 but died two years later.



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by Stephen Luscombe