George Lascelles, 7th Earl Of Harewood

George Henry Hubert Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood, was born on 7 February 1923 at Chesterfield House in London. He was the first child of Henry Lascelles, Viscount Lascelles, and Princess Mary, Princess Royal, the only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary. His christening took place on 25 March 1923 at St Mary's Church in Goldsborough, near Knaresborough. After his paternal grandfather's death in 1929, he was styled as Viscount Lascelles until he succeeded to his father's earldom in 1947.

Lascelles was raised at Harewood House in Yorkshire and received education at Ludgrove School, Eton College, and King's College, Cambridge. His education was interrupted by the Second World War. During the war, he joined the British Army, being commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Grenadier Guards in 1942, where he achieved the rank of captain. He served with the 3rd Battalion of the Grenadier Guards in North Africa and Italy, was wounded, and captured at Monte Corno on 18 June 1944. As a prisoner of war, he was held at Oflag IV-C (Colditz) until May 1945 and was among the prisoners labeled as Prominente due to his relation to the British royal family.

In March 1945, Adolf Hitler signed his death warrant; however, the order was not carried out, and Lascelles was released to the Swiss when the camp's SS commander refused to execute the order, recognizing Germany's imminent defeat. He later served as aide-de-camp to Lord Athlone, then Governor General of Canada, during 1945–46, and served as a Counsellor of State in 1947, 1953–54, and 1956.

He succeeded his father as Earl of Harewood on 24 May 1947 and took his seat in the House of Lords on 7 February 1956. Following the House of Lords Act 1999, he lost his hereditary seat.

Lascelles had a notable career in the arts, particularly in opera. He was director of the Royal Opera House from 1951 to 1953 and from 1969 to 1972. He served as chairman of the board of the English National Opera from 1986 to 1995, and as managing director from 1972 to 1985. He was general/artistic director of the Leeds Triennial Musical Festival between 1958 and 1974 and managed English National Opera North from 1978 to 1981. He also held roles as a governor of the BBC (1985–1987) and president of the British Board of Film Classification (1985–1996). He authored or edited several publications, including "Kobbé's Complete Opera Book" and his autobiography, "The Tongs and the Bones."

In addition to his musical pursuits, Lascelles was involved in football, serving as president of Leeds United Football Club from 1961 until his death and as president of the Football Association from 1963 to 1972.

His public service roles included serving as a Counsellor of State, Chancellor of the University of York from 1962 to 1967, and he was recognized with various honours. Queen Elizabeth II appointed him a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in 1986. He also received the Grand Decoration in Silver with Sash of the Republic of Austria in 1959 and was made an Honorary Member of the Order of Australia in 2010.

Lascelles married Marion Stein, a concert pianist, on 29 September 1949, with the marriage initially requiring the approval of the sovereign under the Royal Marriages Act 1772. They had three sons: David, James, and Robert. The marriage ended in divorce in 1967. Subsequently, he married Patricia "Bambi" Tuckwell, an Australian violinist, on 31 July 1967, with whom he had one son.

He died peacefully at his home on 11 July 2011 at the age of 88. A private funeral was held on 15 July 2011.