Lord Patrick Beresford

Lord Patrick Beresford
Born(1934-06-16)16 June 1934
London, England
Died18 March 2020(2020-03-18) (aged 85)
Berkshire, England
EducationRoyal Military Academy Sandhurst
FatherJohn Beresford
RelativesJohn Beresford (brother)
Military career
ServiceBritish Army
Special Air Service
RankMajor
UnitRoyal Horse Guards
No 1 (Guards) Independent Parachute Company
CommandsR Squadron 22 SAS
AwardsGeneral Service Medal

Major Lord Patrick Tristam de la Poer Beresford (16 June 1934 – 18 March 2020)[1] was a British Army officer and equestrian.[2]

Biography

Born into Anglo-Irish aristocracy in London, his father was the 7th Marquess of Waterford and died, several months after Beresford was born, in a shooting accident.[3][4] He was educated at Eton College and Sandhurst. He was commissioned into the Royal Horse Guards in 1952.[5][6] In 1957, Beresford enjoyed a close relationship with Princess Margaret, so much so that the pair were rumoured to have been engaged.[7][8][9]

Beresford served with his regiment in Germany, Cyprus, and Borneo, receiving a General Service Medal for the latter in which he had been transferred to the No 1 (Guards) Independent Parachute Company. In 1966, he joined the Special Air Service (SAS), commanding R Squadron 22 SAS in the Middle East. Ultimately gaining the rank of Major, he retired from the SAS in 1975.[8][10] In Saudi Arabia, he was headhunted to be commander of the bodyguard of Sheikh Yamani.[7][11]

Beresford was a senior member of the Guards Polo Club, serving as its first manager. He had earlier represented Windsor Park with Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and for many years was on his polo team. Winning the Queen's and Royal Windsor cups,[12][13] he was appointed chef d'équipe of the British Eventing team in 1985, and led the team to success in European and World Championships throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s.[14][15]

He died in March 2020 at his residence in Berkshire, England.[12][16]

References

  1. ^ "NEWS: Death of Lord Patrick Beresford". www.theirishfield.ie. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  2. ^ "Lord Patrick Beresford, soldier, polo player and internationally successful equestrian – obituary". The Telegraph. 21 May 2020. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  3. ^ Mosley, Charles, ed. (2003). Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage. Burke's Peerage. p. 4092. doi:10.5118/bpbk.2003. ISBN 978-0-9711966-2-9.
  4. ^ Shaw, Karl (2017). Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know: The Extraordinary Exploits of the British and European Aristocracy. Robinson. ISBN 978-1-4721-3670-1.
  5. ^ Time. Vol. 7. Time Incorporated. 1957. pp. 30–32.
  6. ^ Laffaye, Horace A. (3 June 2014). Polo in Argentina: A History. McFarland. p. 328. ISBN 978-0-7864-7568-1.
  7. ^ a b "The Guards Magazine". guardsmagazine.com. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Lord Patrick Beresford obituary". The Times. 30 August 2023. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  9. ^ "Obituary: Lord Patrick Beresford". www.independent.ie. 29 March 2020. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  10. ^ "Lord Patrick T D Beresford | ParaData". www.paradata.org.uk. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  11. ^ Beard, Madeleine (1989). Acres and Heirlooms: The Survival of Britain's Historical Estates. Routledge. p. 137. ISBN 978-0-415-03264-3.
  12. ^ a b "Man, Myth, Legend" (PDF). Hurlingham Polo Magazine. 24 June 2020.
  13. ^ Laffaye, Horace A. (6 March 2015). The Polo Encyclopedia, 2d ed. McFarland. ISBN 978-1-4766-1956-9.
  14. ^ "In memoriam: Lord Patrick Tristam de la Poer Beresford". www.britisheventing.com. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  15. ^ "Lord Patrick Beresford". Amber Trust. 4 May 2020. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  16. ^ Country Life. Vol. 118. Country Life, Limited. 1994. p. 69.