Walter Keppel, 9th Earl of Albemarle

Walter Egerton George Lucian Keppel, 9th Earl of Albemarle MC (28 February 1882 – 14 July 1979) was a British nobleman and soldier, styled Viscount Bury from 1894 to 1942. [edit] Life

Keppel was the eldest son of Arnold Keppel, 8th Earl of Albemarle, and his wife, Lady Gertrude Egerton. He was educated at Eton from 1895 to 1899, and then served as a lieutenant in the Scots Guards. In 1901, he transferred as a second lieutenant from the Prince of Wales's Own Norfolk Artillery to the Scots Guards.[1] He was seconded for staff service at the end of 1904[2] and appointed aide-de-camp (ADC) to Earl Grey, Governor-General of Canada[3] He was again seconded for staff service in May 1907[4] and appointed extra ADC to Sir H.J. Goold-Adams, Lieutenant-Governor Orange River Colony.[5]

On 9 June 1909, he married Lady Judith Sydney Myee Wynn Carrington, daughter of Robert Wynn Carrington, 1st Marquess of Lincolnshire, at St. Margaret's Church, Westminster. They had five children before her death in 1928:

   Lady Cecilia Elizabeth Keppel (born 12 April 1910), married Lt-Col. David McKenna, son of Reginald McKenna, and has issue

   Derek Keppel, Viscount Bury (18 December 1911 – 8 November 1968)

   Lt-Cdr. Hon. Walter Arnold Crispin Keppel (6 December 1914 – 1986), father of Judith Keppel, the first person to win one million pounds on the UK version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?.

   Lady Cynthia Rosalie Keppel (born 25 June 1918), married Sir Michael Postan, and has issue

   Hon. Richard Edward Harry Keppel (3 November 1924 – 2 March 1953)

Bury was promoted captain in May 1910[6] and retired to the Special Reserve in 1912.[7]

Bury fought with the Scots Guards during World War I. He was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Norfolk in January 1916.[8] He was awarded the Military Cross in June 1916.[9] He was promoted temporary Major while commanding a Guards machine gun company[10] and later served as a Machine Gun Corps instructor.[11] After the war, Bury was a member of the London County Council in 1919.

In 1924, he was made brevet colonel of 108th Field Brigade, Norfolk and Suffolk Yeomanry.[12] He married Diana Cicely Grove on February 24, 1931 at Scots Church, Chelsea. They had one daughter:

   Lady Anne-Louise Mary Keppel (b. 17 March 1932), married Sir Hew Hamilton-Dalrymple, 10th Baronet.

He succeeded his father as Earl of Albemarle in 1942. Albemarle was Vice-Lieutenant of Norfolk from 1940 to 1944, and a member of Norfolk County Council in 1943. He died in 1979 and was succeeded as Earl of Albemarle by his grandson Rufus.