Lord Charles FitzRoy

Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Charles FitzRoy was born on 28 February 1791. He was the second son of George FitzRoy, 4th Duke of Grafton, and Lady Charlotte Maria Waldegrave, daughter of James Waldegrave, 2nd Earl Waldegrave. His elder brother was Henry FitzRoy, 5th Duke of Grafton.

FitzRoy commenced his military career in 1807, when he was commissioned into the British Army. During the Peninsular War, he participated in the Battle of Corunna in 1809 and was involved in the Walcheren Campaign the same year. Subsequently, he joined Lord Hill's staff in Spain and served in several key engagements, including the capture of Badajoz in 1812, and the battles of Vittoria, the Pyrenees, Nivelle, the Nive, Orthez, and Toulouse. During these campaigns, he held the position of Deputy Assistant Adjutant General (DAAG).

At the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, FitzRoy served on the staff of the Duke of Wellington. He held the rank of captain in the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards and served as an Assistant Adjutant General (AAG). Following the battle, he remained with Wellington's staff during the occupation of Paris. In 1818, a portrait of FitzRoy was painted by Edouard Pingret, depicting him wearing the Waterloo medal on his AAG uniform.

FitzRoy retired from active military service in 1821, with the rank of major and brevet lieutenant-colonel of the 27th Regiment of Foot. In retirement, he held the position of chairman of the Finance Committee and was an honorary member of the 43rd Middlesex Rifle Volunteers.

In the realm of politics, FitzRoy was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Thetford in the 1818 general election, a seat he held until 1830. He did not contest the subsequent election. The following year, he was elected as MP for Bury St Edmunds in the 1831 general election, serving until 1847, when he chose not to stand for re-election.

In 1835, under the Whig government of Lord Melbourne, FitzRoy was sworn into the Privy Council and appointed Vice-Chamberlain of the Household, a position he held until 1838.

FitzRoy married Lady Anne Cavendish on 25 October 1825. She was the daughter of George Cavendish, 1st Earl of Burlington, and Lady Elizabeth Compton. The couple had two sons and two daughters.

He died on 17 June 1865 at Hampton, aged 74. Lady Anne Cavendish FitzRoy died in May 1871 at the age of 83.