Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset
An English duke whose immense vanity and obsession with court spectacle made him a walking caricature of aristocratic pride in the early 18th century.
1662–1748 (age 86)·English peer·Birthday: August 13
Biography
Charles Seymour, the 6th Duke of Somerset, was less a political force and more a monument to his own self-regard. Inheriting the title in 1678, he navigated the shifting sands of power from the Stuarts to the Hanoverians, but his true passion was the theater of court life. Tall and strikingly handsome, he insisted on a level of ceremonial deference that bordered on the absurd, earning him the enduring nickname 'The Proud Duke.' His lasting physical legacy is Petworth House in Sussex, which he transformed from his wife's inherited estate into a Baroque palace, a fitting stage for his persona. While his political contributions were minor, his character became a fixture of Georgian gossip, a symbol of a nobility obsessed with rank and appearance.
#1 When Charles Was Born
The biggest hits of 1662
Charles's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1662Born
1667Started school
1675Became a teenager
1678Could drive
1680Could vote
1683Turned 21
1692Turned 30
1702Turned 40
1712Turned 50
1722Turned 60
1732Turned 70
1742Turned 80
1748Died at 86
Key Achievements
- Oversaw the grand Baroque reconstruction of Petworth House in Sussex, creating a landmark that survives today.
- Served as Master of the Horse, a prestigious court position, under Queen Anne.
- Successfully navigated the transition from the Stuart to the Hanoverian monarchy, retaining his position and influence.
- Was appointed a Knight of the Garter, the highest order of chivalry in England.
Did You Know?
He reportedly required his daughters to stand in his presence until explicitly given permission to sit.
Historian Thomas Macaulay wrote of his 'insolent and haggard pride.'
His second wife was heiress Charlotte Finch, who brought the vast Percy estates, including Petworth, into the Seymour family.
“The state of my stables is of greater consequence than the state of the treasury.”
