Peregrine Cavendish,12th Duke of Devonshire

Peregrine Andrew Morny Cavendish, 12th Duke of Devonshire, KCVO, CBE, DL (also known as "Stoker"; born 27 April 1944) is an English peer. He is the only surviving son Andrew Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire and his wife, the former Deborah Mitford. He succeeded to the dukedom following the death of his father on 3 May 2004. Prior to this succession, he was styled Marquess of Hartington. His immediate family are owner-occupiers of Chatsworth House and are worth an estimated $800 million. Estates landscaped before 1900 by the family (who maintain a luxury business) are parts of Derbyshire and North Yorkshire.

Other capital managed by the Duke includes fine and contemporary art, forestry and farming.

Education

He was educated at Eton College, Exeter College, Oxford, where he read History, and the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester.

Horse Racing

The Duke is well known in the world of horse racing and served as Her Majesty's Representative at Ascot and chairman of Ascot Racecourse Ltd. In 1980 he was elected to the Jockey Club and in 1989 he was appointed its Senior Steward (that is, Chairman). During his five-year term of office, he oversaw a number of changes within the racing industry, in particular the creation of the British Horseracing Board which is now the governing authority for British racing. He was appointed first chairman of the board in June 1993 and retired at the end of his term in 1996. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to racing in 1997 and Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) in the 2009 New Year Honours for his services as Her Majesty's Representative at Ascot.

Other Interest

He was appointed a Trustee of the Wallace Collection in 2007. He is a trustee of Sheffield Galleries and Museums Trust. He is Chairman of the Devonshire Arms Hotel Group, a chain of countryside hotels in North Yorkshire of Derbyshire, and Deputy Chairman of Sotheby's. He collects modern British and contemporary painting and sculpture, as well as works in other areas, many of which are on display at his family seat Chatsworth House. The Duke and Duchess and the house and estate grounds were featured in the BBC documentary series Chatsworth. In December 2012, he sold Auxiliary cartoon for the Head of a Young Apostle by Raphael for $29.7 million at a Sotheby's auction. As of 2016 he is the owner of Heywood Hill, a notable bookstore in London where his aunt Nancy Mitford used to work.

He took up the position as the third Chancellor of the University of Derby at a ceremony on 28 October 2008 in Buxton.

The Duke is a current patron of St Wilfrid's Hospice in Eastbourne.

The range of Cavendish Pianos were named after the family name of the Duke to recognized his supported which was critical to the establishment of the new firm.

He was the third Chancellor of the University of Derby from 2008 to March 2018. He stepped down from the role in 2018 and his son and heir, William Cavendish, Earl of Burlington was nominated and installed as the fourth and current Chancellor of the University in March 2018.

The Duke has provided a Swalesdale Ram as mascot to the Mercian Regiment since the regiment's inception. In 2017 he presented Private Derby to the Regiment.

Chatsworth House

One of the homes of the Duke and Duchess is Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. They are involved in the operation of the house as a tourist attraction. In 2019, the Duke and Duchess visited Sotheby's to view "Treasures From Chatsworth," including art and artifacts from Chatsworth House, that would be displayed in New York.

Titles

He succeeded as the 12th Duke of Devonshire, 12th Marquess of Hartington, 7th Earl of Burlington, 15th Earl of Devonshire, 15th Baron Cavendish of Hardwick, 7th Baron Cavendish of Keighley on 3 May 2004,

In February 2010, the Duke announced his intention to give up his title if hereditary peers were removed from the House of Lords, on the basis that "the aristocracy is dead" and "because then it would be clear-cut what the people wanted, and it would be confusing to maintain hereditary titles."

Honours

-Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (2008)

-Commander of the Order of the British Empire (1997)

-Chancellor of the University of Derby (October 2008-March 2018)

3 May 2004: His Grace The Duke of Devonshire

(https://en.wikipedia.org)