page_title: George Holford
section_title: Early life
hierarchical_section_title: George Holford / Early life
caption_attribution_description: Sir George Holford (far left) with Royal Party of King Edward and Queen Alexandra
context_page_description: Lieutenant-Colonel Sir George Lindsay Holford KCVO CIE CBE was a British Army officer and courtier. The son of Robert Stayner Holford, he inherited his father's considerable fortune, which included the two properties of Westonbirt House and Dorchester House. He continued his father's work in developing the Westonbirt Arboretum, which still exists today and is open to the public.
context_section_description: George was the only son of Mary Ann Holford (née Lindsay) and Robert Stayner Holford. He had three elder sisters, Margaret, Evelyn and Alice. In 1873 George went to Eton and was there for four years. At the age of 20 in 1880 George obtained a commission with the 1st Life Guards, where he remained for almost 30 years. During this time he was closely associated with royalty and court life. From 1888 to 1892 he was equerry to Prince Albert, Duke of Clarence. When the Duke died in 1892 an official Memoir was published in his honour and George's journal was used to outline the Prince's activities when he was in India. An extract from the journal paints a colourful picture of his life in India with Prince Albert.
  His Royal Highness received separate visits from about five-and twenty of the principal chiefs and natives, each coming with his attendants and staying about five minutes. This took up nearly the whole morning....At six o'clock a great fete was given to the Prince by the Calcutta community on the Maidan. It was chiefly a native entertainment. The illuminations were splendid; all the trees on the Maidan were covered with bamboo scaffolding, on which were hung thousands of small lamps. The whole of the ouline of the Fort was also lighted up. The fete took place in an immense group of tents. In the central tent the royalties and the Viceroy were placed on gold chairs while a varied performance took place - juggling, music and nautches. After about an hour there we visited the different booths - a native play in one, some Tibetan dancers with extraordinary masks in another. Last of all two hundred men in white danced the famous kuttak dance round a bonfire. It was very fine.
  From 1892 George was Equerry to Prince Edward. Soon after the Boer War began in 1899, George decided to temporarily relinquish his post of equerry and rejoin his regiment who were at the front in South Africa. George's departure is mentioned in a publication of the time and he is praised for his decision. It said "it certainly speaks much for the patriotic spirit which is so rife in the country at the present time, when men like Captain Holford volunteer for active service." The New York Times made similar comments, saying "Among the latest distinguished men going to South Africa is Captain Holford who is one of the closest friends of the Prince of Wales and his equerry. The Captain sails 6 January to join his regiment, the First Life Guards."
  When King Edward died in 1910, Holford was equerry-in-waiting to Queen Alexandra and extra-equerry to King George. The photograph of the Royal Party of Edward and Alexandra shows George (far left) in uniform.
caption: Sir George Holford (far left) with Royal Party of King Edward and Queen Alexandra in 1908
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