Charles Greville, 7th Earl Of Warwick

Charles Guy Fulke Greville, 7th Earl of Warwick, also known as the 7th Earl Brooke, was born on 4 March 1911 in London, England. He was the eldest son of Leopold Greville, 6th Earl of Warwick (born 1882), and Elfrida Marjorie Eden (born 1887). His paternal grandparents were Francis Greville, 5th Earl of Warwick, and Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick. His maternal grandfather was Sir William Eden, 7th Baronet.

Greville was educated at Eton College and Chillon College in Lake Geneva, Switzerland. He inherited the earldom at age 16 in January 1928 following the death of his father, who had become the 6th Earl of Warwick in 1924. Following his succession, he joined the Grenadier Guards.

In the 1930s, Greville became notable for his involvement in the film industry. In 1936, he signed a contract with MGM in Hollywood, becoming the first British aristocrat to receive a Hollywood contract. He was paid £200 annually and employed a valet and secretary. Under the stage name Michael Brooke, he sought to distinguish his acting career from his aristocratic background. After six months, MGM dropped him, leading to a prolonged legal dispute. He then signed with Paramount in 1938 and appeared in the film "The Dawn Patrol," alongside David Niven and Errol Flynn, which remained his only leading role in a feature film.

During the Second World War, Greville returned to the United Kingdom. His family estate was near Coventry, which experienced extensive aerial bombing. He opened Warwick Castle to evacuees and the Ministry of Supply. Rumors circulated that Rudolf Hess, a Nazi war criminal, was held at Warwick Castle for one night during transportation from Scotland to London. Greville served as Mayor of Warwick from 1951 to 1952 and was a member of the House of Lords as a Conservative peer. His political activities included opposing certain agricultural policies and supporting his uncle, Anthony Eden, who succeeded Winston Churchill as Prime Minister in 1955.

In his later years, Greville expanded his property holdings abroad, acquiring homes in Switzerland, Italy, and France. He helped establish the Eagle Ski Club in Gstaad, Switzerland, in 1957, serving as its first honorary president. During the 1960s, he sold many family possessions, including estates, heirlooms, and armor collections from Warwick Castle. In 1969, he transferred control of his estates to his son, David Greville, Lord Brooke. Greville left England in 1969 to avoid UK income taxes. The family sold Warwick Castle in 1978 to Madame Tussauds, which led to conflict with his son.

Greville was married three times. His first marriage was on 11 July 1933 to Rose Bingham, his second cousin, with whom he had one son, David Robin Francis Guy Greville (born 1934), who later became the 8th Earl of Warwick. The couple divorced before 1938. His second marriage took place on 19 February 1942 to Mary Kathleen Hopkinson, with whom he divorced in 1949. His third marriage was in November 1963 to Janine Joséphine Detry de Marès.

He was engaged to Margaret Whigham, later Duchess of Argyll, but the engagement was broken off in March 1932. Charles Guy Fulke Greville died in Rome on 20 January 1984. His son succeeded him as the 8th Earl of Warwick. Greville was buried at St. Mary's Church, Warwick.