Last week, Earl of Cardigan, today 9th Marquess of Ailesbury

Following the sad death of Michael Brudenell-Bruce, 8th Marquess of Ailesbury on Sunday 12th May, Lord Cardigan, the Earl of Cardigan, David Brudenell-Bruce acceded to the title of 9th Marquess of Ailesbury.

“How do I now address you?” was the question asked when expressing condolences for the loss of his father, and also the congratulations at the accession. ‘Good question” was the immediate answer, followed by the explanation that he wasn’t quite sure, as yet, but this will undoubtedly follow once the hereditary protocols and procedures step into action.

David Brudenell-Bruce, now 9th Marquess of Ailesbury told marlborough.news when asked what this now meant to both him and his family: “As his death remains wholly unexplained – and there is no evidence whatsoever to support the weird theory that the tabloids ran that a cat was involved – the family feels a profound sense of shock. My 10-year-old daughter and I had tea with him the other day and he was in good health and excellent spirits.

“He was 98, and showed every sign of happily making it to 100.   It’s all so very sad”. 

For Marlborough this is important as Savernake, the ancestral domain of the Marquess of Ailesbury is indelibly associated with the town. Although not within the town’s boundaries to many it is Marlborough and the words ‘Marlborough’ and ‘Savernake’ are almost synonymous. But that doesn’t mean that the Marquess of Ailesbury, or the Earl of Cardigan is the Duke of Marlborough. No, he is someone else, entirely…. And nothing to do with Marlborough.

‘Ailesbury’ and ‘Marlborough’, are similarly closely linked. Once, opposite the Town Hall in the High Street ‘The Ailesbury Arms’, built and originally owned by the Brudenell-Bruce family was Marlborough’s main (and most prestigious) hotel. Years later, back in the sixties, enter the splendour of the revolving front door and turn left if you were a serious and entitled guest, and turn right if you weren’t. In many respects it reflected the disparity of Marlborough’s societal divide of half a century ago and more. But, like many things, that has changed.

Wikipedia states that the heir apparent to the Marquessate bears the courtesy title Earl of Cardigan, and his heir apparent bears the title Viscount Savernake.  We understand that Thomas, David’s son is yet to decide whether to take on the title of Earl of Cardigan, and as a subsidiary title it is a choice that he, the next in line can make.

As a bit of history, the title ‘Marquess of Ailesbury’ dates back to the early nineteenth century (1821) with Charles Brudenell-Bruce being the first of that title. But the role extends further back, to the first Earl of Ailesbury, Robert Bruce (no, not Robert the Bruce, he was four hundred years earlier and the King of Scotland) who was awarded the title back in 1664.

So we congratulate David Brudenell-Bruce on his accession to the Marquessate which, whilst not endowing with the power and influence of old, it represents a link to history, and underlines once more the standing of Marlborough as a centre of influence and importance in the ‘England’ of yore….