Sir Edward Humphry Tyrrell Wakefield, 2nd Baronet, FRGS is an English baronet and expert on antiques and architecture. Wakefield has made his career a study of antique furniture and historic restoration. He worked for Christie's of London, and subsequently became director and chairman of antique-dealing firms. In 1982 he bought Chillingham Castle, Northumberland, from the Grey family of Northumberland, the family of his third wife Katherine, daughter of Lady Mary Grey. He has since restored the ruined castle to a habitable state to house his wide collection of antiquities, from his own collection and those of his relations.
After leaving Cambridge, Wakefield was commissioned into the 10th Royal Hussars and retired from the army with the rank of captain. He was a director of Mallett & Son Ltd, from 1971 to 1978 and executive vice-president of Mallett America Ltd. from 1970 to 1975. He was then chairman of Tyrrell & Moore Ltd from 1978 to 1992. He joined the New Zealand Everest Team in 1990 and was a member of Norman D. Vaughan's Antarctic Expedition of 1993. He has been a director of the Tree of Life Foundation since 1976 and patron of The Wilderness Foundation since 1999. He is also president of the Northumberland National ParkMountain Rescue Team, the Avison Trust, and the Tibetan Spaniel Association. He was a director of the Spoleto Festival of the Two Worlds from 1973 to 1980 and is a fellow of the Pierpont Morgan Library and the Royal Geographical Society. He is a life member of the Scott Polar Institute and the Harlequins Rugby Football Club. He is also a member of the Standing Council of the Baronetage and of the Society of Dilettanti. He belongs to the Beefsteak, Cavalry and Guards, and Turf Clubs. Wakefield, whose father-in-law, Lord Howick, acted as Governor of Kenya during the Mau Mau crisis, owns a horse called Barack, named after the half-Kenyan American President Barack Obama, 'because the horse is half black and half white'. Wakefield has professed an interest in the heritability of success and intelligence. He has stated that 'in general, to be elitist, I think the quality climbs up the tree of life. In general, high things in the tree of life have quality, have skills, and they get wonderful degrees at university. And they marry each other and that gets them better again. Intelligence and talent is lovely. But I want parents and grandparents who've had hands on success, running their battles well, and proving they're wonderful. Because one is the subject of one's genes, and I like the idea of them being successful genes, and winning through to successful puppies.'
Marriages and children
Wakefield's first wife was Priscilla Bagot, eldest daughter of Oliver Robin Gaskell, later Bagot, whom he married on 17 September 1960 and divorced in 1964. There were no children of this marriage. He married secondly on 1 July 1966 Hon. Elizabeth Sophia Sidney daughter of The 1st Viscount De L'Isle, V.C., and former wife of George Silver Oliver Annesley Colthurst. They had one son, the present heir apparent to the baronetcy. In December 1974 Wakefield married thirdly the Hon. Katherine Mary Alice Baring, elder daughter of The 1st Baron Howick of Glendale and his wife Lady Mary Cecil Grey, elder daughter of The 5th Earl Grey. They have one son and one daughter; another son died shortly after birth. ;Children
Captain Maximilian Edward Vereker Wakefield, a racing driver, married 1994 Lucinda Katharine Elizabeth Pipe, a daughter of Lt-Colonel and Mrs David Pipe, and has two children
