Charles Wyndham, 3rd Baron Leconfield

Charles Henry Wyndham, 3rd Baron Leconfield, was born on 17 February 1872 at Petworth House in Sussex. He was a member of the British peerage and also served as an army officer and a political figure. He succeeded his father as the third Baron Leconfield in 1901.

Early Life and Education:

Wyndham was a direct descendant of Sir John Wyndham. His father was Henry Wyndham, 2nd Baron Leconfield, and his mother was Constance Evelyn Primrose, daughter of Archibald Primrose, Lord Dalmeny. His paternal lineage traced back to the family’s wealth, which originated from George Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont, through Wyndham's grandfather, George Wyndham, 1st Baron Leconfield, the eldest illegitimate son and heir of the 3rd Earl of Egremont. He was educated at Winchester College.

Military Career:

Wyndham served in the 1st Life Guards from 1892 to 1898. He was appointed a lieutenant of the Reserve on 27 January 1900. During the Second Boer War in 1900, he was wounded while serving. In 1901, he became the commanding officer of the Sussex Yeomanry, a unit originally raised at Petworth by the 3rd Earl of Egremont. He also served in the military during World War I, rejoining the 1st Life Guards, and commanded the Royal Sussex Volunteers from 1917 to 1918. Throughout World War II, he held honorary colonel positions for several units, including the 5th Battalion of the Border Regiment, the 98th Surrey and Sussex Yeomanry, and served as Lord Lieutenant of Sussex from 1917 to 1949.

Properties:

He inherited Petworth House, the family estate, and significant lands in Cumberland, including Cockermouth Castle and Scafell Pike, the highest peak in England. In 1919, he transferred custody of Scafell Pike to the National Trust in honor of soldiers from the Lake District who served in World War I. He also opened Petworth House’s state rooms and art collection to the public. In 1947, he donated Petworth House and its 735-acre park to the National Trust.

Later Life:

Wyndham married (Beatrice) Violet Rawson in 1911; she was the daughter of Colonel Richard Hamilton Rawson. They adopted two children, Peter Wyndham and Elizabeth Geraldine Wyndham (born Betty Seymour). He was an avid sportsman, serving as master of foxhounds, and served as president of the Marylebone Cricket Club during the 1927–1928 season. He was also president of Pratt’s Club in London. In 1935, he was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order for his services related to the Duchy of Lancaster and his role as Lord Lieutenant of Sussex.

He died on 16 April 1952 at the age of 80 after a prolonged illness. As he had no biological heirs, his titles were inherited by his younger brother, Hugh Wyndham (1877–1963). His estate was valued at £2,136,439 at the time, equivalent to approximately £77.6 million in 2023.

Elizabeth Wyndham, his adopted daughter, was born on 15 December 1922. She was a socialite and civil servant, working as a linguist at Bletchley Park during World War II. She died on 13 May 2008 in Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire.