Edmund Leopold de Rothschild
Major Edmund Leopold de Rothschild CBE, TD (2 January 1916 – 17 January 2009) was an English financier, a member of the prominent Rothschild banking family of England, and a recipient of the Victoria Medal of Honour (VMH), given by the Royal Horticultural Society.
Life and career
Born in Westminster,[1] London, he was the second child and first son of Lionel Nathan de Rothschild and Marie Louise Eugénie de Rothschild née Beer (1892–1975). Known as Eddy de Rothschild, he was educated at Lockers Park School in Hertfordshire,[2] Harrow School[3] and Trinity College, Cambridge.[4] Having travelled the world after university, he worked at N M Rothschild & Sons before joining the British Army at the outbreak of World War II. As an artillery officer in the Buckinghamshire Yeomanry, he served with the British Expeditionary Force in France, the North African Campaign and in Italy with the 77th Field (Highland) Regiment before becoming a major in the newly formed Jewish Infantry Brigade.[5]
In May 1946 Rothschild was demobilised and once back home in England he returned to work at N M Rothschild & Sons. He became a partner, his father having died in 1942, but then had very little experience. Tutored by his uncle Anthony Gustav de Rothschild, he played a key role in the continuing success of the bank, and became its chairman from 1970 to 1975.[6] An aggressive business developer, during his career Rothschild flew the Atlantic Ocean more than four hundred times playing a key role in developing British interests in postwar Japan and was a significant part of the Rothschild syndicate that formed the British Newfoundland Development Corporation to undertake mineral exploration in Labrador, Canada and to develop the Churchill Falls hydro-electric dam.
Over the years he was involved in a number of philanthropic causes and in recognition of his services, the New Year Honours 1997 made Rothschild a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Still active into his nineties, he was President of the Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women (AJEX). In 1998, he appeared in the Chuck Olin documentary film titled In Our Own Hands that told the story of the only all-Jewish fighting force in World War II.
Like other members of the Rothschild family, he was an art collector, but the maintenance and development of the Exbury gardens was his most important pastime. From his father, Rothschild inherited Exbury Gardens in Hampshire which had fallen into severe disrepair as a result of the War, and he set about restoring the 200-acre (0.81 km2) gardens. Edmund's expertise became such that in the 1950s and 1960s he served on the Council of the Royal Horticultural Society. In 2001, the American Rhododendron Society in Eugene, Oregon awarded him a citation in appreciation of his many services to the horticultural world. In 2005, the Royal Horticultural Society bestowed on him the Victoria Medal of Honour, the highest accolade in the British gardening world. Rothschild established a charitable trust to manage Exbury Gardens with which his children are involved.
In 1949 he published Window on the World, an account of his world tour of 1937–39.[7] His autobiography was published in 1998.[8]
Private life
On 22 June 1948 Rothschild married Elizabeth Edith Lentner (1923–1980). The couple had the following children:
- Katherine Juliette (b. 1949), who married Marcus Agius
- Nicholas David (b. 1951)
- David Lionel (b. 1955) (twin)
- Charlotte Henriette (b. 1955) (twin)
Elizabeth Lentner de Rothschild died in 1980 and Edmund remarried in 1982 to Anne Kitching (1921-2012).
He died in 2009 at the age of 93.[9]
References
- ^ Births England and Wales 1837-1983
- ^ Obituary: Edmund Leopold de Rothschild, The Independent, 7 February 2009.
- ^ Obituary: Edmund Leopold de Rothschild, The Independent, 7 February 2009.
- ^ Obituary: Edmund Leopold de Rothschild, The Independent, 7 February 2009.
- ^ Obituary: Daily Telegraph
- ^ Obituary: Daily Telegraph
- ^ Window on the World. London: Peter Davies, 1949.
- ^ A Gilt-Edged Life. Memoir. London: John Murray Publishers, 1998. ISBN 978-0-7195-5471-1
- ^ Bloomberg: Edmund de Rothschild, Ex-NM Rothschild Chairman, Dies at Age 93
External links
- Official site of the Rothschild Archive
- N M Rothschild & Sons
- Exbury Gardens
- v
- t
- e
companies
- Rothschild & Co
- RIT Capital Partners
- Edmond de Rothschild Group
- de Rothschild Frères
- S. M. von Rothschild
- Imerys
- Eramet
- Club Med
- Libération
- Economist Group (The Economist)
- Mouton Cadet
- Opus One Winery
- Chemins de Fer du Nord
- Vítkovice Mining and Iron Corporation
- Palestine Jewish Colonization Association
- Yad Hanadiv
- Creditanstalt
- British South Africa Company
- Rio Tinto
- De Beers
- Caspian and Black Sea Oil Company
- Emperor Ferdinand Northern Railway
- Asia Resource Minerals
- Genel Energy
- Alliance Assurance
- Rothschild properties in the Home counties
- Ascott House
- Aston Clinton House
- Champneys
- Eythrope
- Exbury Gardens
- Gunnersbury Park
- Halton House
- Mentmore Towers
- Tring Park Mansion
- Waddesdon Manor
- Spencer House
- Palais Rothschild
- Château Mouton Rothschild
- Abbaye des Vaux de Cernay
- Château Clarke
- Château de Ferrières
- Château Lafite
- Château de Laversine
- Château des Laurets
- Château de la Muette
- Château Rothschild, Boulogne-Billancourt
- Haras de Meautry
- Hôtel Lambert
- Hôtel de Marigny
- Hôtel de Pontalba
- Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild
- Talleyrand Building
- Salomon Mayer von Rothschild
- Anselm Salomon von Rothschild
- Mathilde Hannah von Rothschild
- Nathaniel Mayer Anselm von Rothschild
- Ferdinand de Rothschild
- Salomon Albert Anmselm von Rothschild
- Ludwig (Louis) von Rothschild
- Eugéne Daniel von Rothschild
- Jeanne Stuart von Rothschild
- Alice Charlotte von Rothschild
- Alfred de Rothschild
- Amschel Mayor James Rothschild
- Sir Anthony de Rothschild, 1st Baronet
- Anthony Gustav de Rothschild
- Anthony James de Rothschild
- Charles Rothschild
- Charlotte Henriette de Rothschild
- David Mayer de Rothschild
- Dorothy de Rothschild
- Edmund Leopold de Rothschild
- Emma Georgina Rothschild
- Evelina de Rothschild
- Evelyn Achille de Rothschild
- Sir Evelyn de Rothschild
- Ferdinand de Rothschild
- Hannah de Rothschild, Countess of Rosebery
- Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild
- Kathleen (Nica de Koenigswarter) Rothschild
- Leopold de Rothschild
- Leopold David de Rothschild
- Lionel de Rothschild
- Lionel Nathan de Rothschild
- Lynn Forester de Rothschild
- Mayer Amschel de Rothschild
- Miriam Louisa Rothschild
- Nathaniel de Rothschild
- Nathan Mayer Rothschild
- Nathan Rothschild, 1st Baron Rothschild
- Nathaniel Rothschild, 5th Baron Rothschild
- Nicky Hilton Rothschild
- Serena Rothschild
- Victor Rothschild, 3rd Baron Rothschild
- Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild
- Alphonse James de Rothschild
- Aline Caroline de Rothschild
- Ariane de Rothschild
- Arthur de Rothschild
- Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild
- Benjamin de Rothschild
- Betty von Rothschild
- Charlotte de Rothschild
- Bethsabée de Rothschild
- David René de Rothschild
- Edmond Adolphe de Rothschild
- Edmond James de Rothschild
- Édouard Etienne de Rothschild
- Edouard Alphonse de Rothschild
- Élie de Rothschild
- Elisabeth de Rothschild
- Guy de Rothschild
- Hélène de Rothschild
- Henri de Rothschild
- Jacqueline Rebecca de Rothschild
- James Armand de Rothschild
- James Mayer de Rothschild
- Marie-Hélène de Rothschild
- Nadine de Rothschild
- Nathaniel Robert de Rothschild
- Nicole de Rothschild
- Pauline de Rothschild
- Philippe de Rothschild
- Philippine de Rothschild
- Salomon James de Rothschild
- Maurice de Rothschild
- Gustave de Rothschild
- Robert de Rothschild
- Alain de Rothschild
- Éric de Rothschild
- Marie Angliviel de la Beaumelle
- Category: Rothschild family