James F. Howard-Burton

**James Francis Howard-Burton** is a registered character. He was created in May 2018. He is a British business magnate, aristocrat and professor.

## Biography

James Francis Howard-Burton was born on the 13th of August, 1942 at his family’s ancestral home, Kingswood Palace. On his father’s side, he was in line to be the Duke of Brightwater, as the only son of David J. Howard-Burton. His mother, Alice Anna Maria di Porticello was of Italian nobility. They were at the time, the Viscount and Viscountess Richmond. James had an interesting childhood, being born during the Second World War. His grandfather, Albert Howard-Burton had welcomed a local colleges' students as evacuees for the remainder of the war. He also allowed the Intelligence Corps to use the Palace as a base.

Albert was a veteran Captain from the First World War, but was made an Admiral in 1938. His flagship was the Tribal-class destroyer, HMS Manderley, and he commanded Task Force 3 during Operation Torch, under the Mediterranean Fleet. After the war, he was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath and was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal. James’ Father, David, volunteered for the Royal Army, where he served as a Lieutenant and later, Captain. In 1940, he was assigned to the V Corps under the British First Army. In 1943, they became part of the Eighth Army. He participated in the Invasion of Sicily, and later, the Battle of Monte Cassino. He was awarded the Military Cross.

After the war, James studied and graduated from Eton College. He wasn’t very academic and his behaviour was poor, but he still managed to become fluent in Italian and French. Growing up, James didn’t have a good relationship with his father, but became very close to his grandfather, who encouraged him to join the Armed Forces.

In 1960, right after graduating, James joined the Royal Marines. After 32 weeks of rigorous training, he finally got his green beret with the higher rank of Lance Corporal, and was assigned to 45 Commando in Aden, Federation of South Arabia. In 1963, the Aden Emergency broke out. James, having specialised in Combat Intelligence, saw action in the Radfan region. He first saw action in December 1963. In January 1964, part of the Tanzanian Army mutinied. 45 Commando sailed to East Africa aboard the HMS Bulwark. His company was sent by helicopter to Dar es Salaam, assaulting and capturing the barracks that held the mutinied 1st Battalion. During the confrontation, James was hit by a 7.62mm fired by an AKM. After recovering, he decided to retire from the army.

Upon returning home, he and his father got into a massive fight, after which James was disinherited and banned from all of his family's properties. He had already applied and was accepted into Oxford University. With no money and no place to go, James was forced to live with his girlfriend at the time, Evelyn. After a couple of months, she left him, which broke James’ heart, and he lived with his friend, Charles Clifford until the Summer of 1965, when, thanks to a terminally ill Albert, James and his father reconciled, months before the first’s death on the 17th of September. James had lost his closest person in the family aside from his mother, Alice. Surprisingly, Albert left his grandson around £600,000, his townhouse in Chelsea and the renowned Ville Sainte-Marguerite in Cap-Ferrat. James’ studies began in late 1965, and he graduated in 1969 with an MSc in Earth Sciences, Metals and Energy Finance. During his time at the Imperial College, he became conversational in Russian. His love for the classics also led him to gain reading proficiency in Ancient Greek and Latin. He also became close to Alexander Trent, a famed professor of Astrophysics in Oxford, who, in 1988 was revealed to be the leader of a Soviet spy ring, for which James was questioned by the Special Branch.

Since 1964, he had been spending a lot of time in the South of France, and became one of the notable playboys of the jet set.Some of his girlfriends were Italian actress Patrizia Adelardi and French heiress Anastasie Evreux. James also the owned Eros, a renowned gentlemen's club in Nice from 1965 to 1970. His friends included celebrities, businessmen, and one Themistoklis Mavromichalis, a Greek shipping tycoon. He helped James in his early businesses and made some important connections, including Augusto Pinochet. With his help. James privatised two Chilean copper mines, which he bought below market price in a controversial deal. In 1976, he bought the Brazilian state-owned mining company CAM Minas Gerais. This deal was also deemed controversial, despite the then President of Brazil, Ernesto Geisel’s economic policy. These two mining companies marked the beginning of Howard Holding Ltd.

In personal life, James met Magdalena Patricia Spencer, a Spanish-British actress in 1968. The two quickly fell in love and began going out, for which James ended his rakish lifestyle. In 1971, James’ father, David, died in a plane crash in the English Channel. This meant that James would now become the Duke of Brightwater and would formally receive all subsidiary titles beneath it. James and Magdalena married on the 30th of August 1972, in a ceremony in Kingswood Palace. Magdalena was 24, while James was 30. Their first child, Alexander, was born on the 23rd of December, 1974. In the 70’s, Howard Holding Ltd. expanded into an international mining conglomerate on two continents. James’ second child, Theodore, was born on the 9th of March 1977. James and Magdalena’s third and last child, Emilia, was born on the 24th of July, 1985.

In 1990, after the collapse of the communist regime in Bulgaria, James acquired state-owned mining company BulMetStroy. In 1993, James acquired a large number of shares of RusOil, which had recently transformed from a state company, to a private one. With the help of then CEO, Timur Kadyrov, he also got a seat on the board. Later that year, in a controversial deal, RusOil bought and then sold Russian mining company RMK to James for a price, believed to be way under the market value of the company.

In 1994, James bought a small bioengineering merger company, SynTech. He bought it after it filed for Chapter 11 protection.

On the 18th of January, 2002, James’ wife, Magdalena, passed away in a car accident in Gstaad. James, devastated, took a step back from his official positions in Howard Holding Plc. and lived in Ville Sainte-Marguerite until September 2003, when he returned as the CEO and Chairman of his company.

In the following years, James solidified Howard Holding’s position as the world’s largest mining company with CAM International. He mostly spends his time between his townhouse in Hyde Park Gate, Kingswood Palace and Ville Sainte-Marguerite.

## Personality

A mining magnate, James will do anything to protect his companies and family, even through bribery and corruption. He often uses his influence to perpetuate his interests. James is emotional, and his deep love for his family caused a low point in his life after his wife passed away.

Very charismatic and humorous, he is often noted to be direct in the things he says, and has no problem with insulting people for a joke, being very nonchalant about everything.

People often describe him as an extravagant playboy, which was true in the 60’s, but this ended after he married. In recent years, he got over the passing of his wife and has again begun going out with different women.

He speaks with a distinctive received pronunciation accent. As well as his native English, James is fluent in French, Italian and Russian. He can get by in German and has reading proficiency in Ancient Greek and Latin.

## Hobbies and Interests

Despite his background, James has always hated some aristocratic customs, notably etiquette, golf and horse riding.

He is an avid car collector and owns some of the most significant cars ever made, including a Benefactor Stirling GT Blumenthal Coupe, a Grotti GT500 SWB Competizione, a Grotti Stinger GTO, a Pfister 711 Kurzheck, a Truffade A-Type and the Truffade “Sangreal Atlantic” Z-Type.

His love for sailing has led him to own many yachts over the years. Most recently, he commissioned a 60 metre yacht called “Carina”. It reportedly cost him £55M

James also owns two planes, one Nimbus business jet for short flights and small runways, and a large corporate jet called “Apus”, which cost him over £50M.

He owns properties all over the globe, several of which are some of the most desirable in the world. Notable examples are Kingswood Palace, Villa Riano, Ville Sainte-Marguerite and Turner Estate.

His art collection is also one of the most significant in the world. It includes work by artists such as Renoir, Cézanne, Van Gogh, Rembrandt and Caravaggio. He is also a collector of all sorts of antiquities, artefacts, relics and even fossils.

## Appearance

James is famous for his fashion sense. His style is elegant and sartorial, but often, he tries to bring a certain nonchalance to it. Fernsby & Co. has been James’ tailor of choice in Savile Row, while his favourite Italian tailor is Branciforte. James has grey hair and green eyes.

## Family

James is the only child of David Howard-Burton (1910-1971), 10th Duke of Brightwater and Alice Anna Maria di Porticello (1916-2008). He met Spanish and British actress Magdalena Patricia Spencer (1948-2002), commonly known as Maggie, in 1969. They married three years later in 1972. Together, they have three children:

Alexander, born on the 23rd of December, 1974. He is the Chief Executive Officer of CAM and a Member of the Board of Howard Holding Plc.

Theodore, born on the 9th of March, 1977. He is a businessman, Member of the Board of Howard Holding Plc. and the Honorary Consul of Uzbekistan in London.

Emilia, born on the 24th of July, 1985. She has enjoyed independent success in the clean energy market, owning several solar parks. She is also a Member of the Board of Howard Holding Plc.

He also has 6 grandchildren. Samuel, Alexandra, Amelia, Stephen, James and Daphne.

## Ancestry

James hails from the aristocratic Howard-Burton family. His ancestors have been the Earls of Manderley for 20 generations.

Originally known as the Kontoromanos, an Achaian noble family of the Byzantine Empire, they fled to the Kingdom of Sicily with all the riches they could gather after Boniface of Montferrat’s crusaders advanced into Greece in 1204. They took the name of Bencivenni, and over the years, they were granted the titles Count of Fosse and Count of Cantarelle.

In 1422, two brothers were at the head of the family - Giovanni and Alberto. Alberto was arrested in the same year by Alfonso V, due to his support for Louis III of Anjou for the Sicilian Throne. Alberto managed to escape from jail and with help and funds from his brother, he fled on a ship to the Kingdom of England and took the name Albert Burton.

His descendants were received into English nobility in 1548 after Edmund Burton’s success under the Duke of Somerset in the Battle of Pinkie. He was granted the title of Earl of Manderley. The line of direct descendants would become extinct after the 5th Earl’s only son died. He was given the unordinary option to give the title to his daughter Evelyn. Despite this, her child also died before her and the title was inherited by her younger sister Clara’s eldest son, Charles Howard in 1683.

In 1747, Philip Howard, an Admiral in the war of Jenkin’s Ear died childless, leaving his younger brother, Thomas Howard to become the 10th Earl. He legally changed his name to Howard-Burton in 1749. Thomas gained fame in the War of Austrian Succession and was made the Duke of Brightwater in 1759 after his success in the Seven Years’ War. His heir, Harold Howard-Burton became a renowned explorer, navigator and cartographer. He famously mapped the mysterious Isla de la Calavera in 1778. The 3rd Duke, William was a famed general during the Napoleonic Wars. He was given the subsidiary title of Viscount Richmond in 1814. Notable Dukes of Brightwater after him are Charles Howard-Burton, 8th Duke, a Lieutenant General during the First World War and Albert Howard-Burton, 9th Duke, an Admiral during the Second World War.

The Italian branch of the family is extant to this day. The head of the family is Alessio Bencivenni. He holds the original titles of Count of Fosse and Cantarelle, but also Prince of Ventotene.

## Honours

James has several honours. He has been a member in the Order of the Companions of Honour since 1993, a member in the Order of Merit since 1995 and a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order since 2001. Additionally, he is an Honorary Fellow in the Society of Antiquaries of London, the Royal Society and the Geological Society of London.

James is the 11th Duke of Brightwater, 20th Earl of Manderley and 9th Viscount Richmond. Due to him being a Duke, his full formal style is “The Most High, Noble and Potent Prince His Grace James, Duke of Brightwater”.

## Known affiliations

#### Relationships

James has been with many women throughout his life. In the 60's, his girlfriends included Italian actress Patrizia Adelardi and French heiress Anastasie Evreux. Since the death of his wife, he's been with British singer Catherine Harris, Italian model and actress Vittoria Ciangottini and former Russian model Polina Selezneva

#### United Kingdom

James is one of the most important figures in the upper echelons of British society and the aristocracy. His oldest and closest friend is media proprietor Charles Clifford. They met and studied together in Eton College and have been friends ever since. James is also friends with several members of the Royal Family and other members of aristocratic families.

#### Russia

Since the fall of communism, James has made some very important connections in Russia and the former Soviet Republics. This includes Timur Usmanov Kadyrov, an Uzbek businessman and former Chairman of RusOil. He is also an investor in Howard Holding Plc. Another one of James' connections is chemicals billionaire Leonid Yulyevich Silayev.

#### Italy

James was introduced to the Italian upper classes during the 60's. Later, he became close friends with former Prime Minister and media tycoon Sergio Carceroni. Fashion designer and businessman Rodolfo Delneri is also a friend of his.

#### Others

James met and was mentored by Greek shipping tycoon Themistoklis Mavromichalis in the 1960's. The Von Starnberg family, mainly Laurenz and his father, Herrmann are also close to James. Another one of his close friends is Austrian Prince Oskar Von Hirschberg. James' Butler since 1974 is Bruce Coleman, or simply, Coleman.

## NCA Database record

 **Status:** | Not a Threat

* Charles Clifford
* TImur Kadyrov
* Laurenz Von Starnberg
 **Criminal Record**: | * 1967: Street Racing, Bribery; Acquitted (France)
* 1979: Tax Fraud; Acquitted
* 1981: Money Laundering; Acquitted
* 1984: False Accounting on Houghton IF Ltd.; Acquitted
* 1986: Embezzlement, False Accounting on Osani Invest SARL; Acquitted (Italy)
* 1990: Money Laundering, Bribery of a Foreign Public Official; Acquitted
* 1993: Money Laundering, Bribery of a Foreign Public Official; Acquitted
* 2008: Bribery of a Judge; Acquitted

* Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Howard Holding plc
* Has connections and power in multiple governments including that of the United Kingdom, Russia, Italy, Brazil and others
* Professor of Mining Engineering at the Oxford University
* Chairman of the International Mining Association
* Is thought to be involved in illicit activities
* Extensive list of felonies including Street Racing, Bribery, Tax Fraud, Money Laundering, False Accounting and Embezzlement; Acquitted in all trials