William Leveson-Gower, 4th Earl Granville
William Spencer Leveson-Gower, 4th Earl Granville, , styled The Honourable William Leveson-Gower until 1939, was a British naval commander and governor from the Leveson-Gower family.Background
Leveson-Gower was the younger son of Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville, by his second wife :File:Castalia Rosalind, Countess Granville, by circle of Charles Edward Perugini.jpg|Castila Rosalind Campbell.Career
After Wixenford School, William Leveson-Gower joined the Royal Navy in 1894. He was promoted to Sub Lieutenant in 1900, and lieutenant on 26 June 1902, when he was re-appointed to the torpedo cruiser HMS Scout. In August 1902 he was posted to HMS Hood, serving with the Mediterranean Fleet.
Promotion to commander followed in 1913. He served in First World War and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in 1919.
He was appointed Chief of Staff to the Commander-in-Chief, The Nore in 1924, aide-de-camp to the King in 1929 and Commander-in-Chief, Coast of Scotland in 1931. He was made a Companion of the Bath in 1930 and retired in 1935.
Leveson-Gower became Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man in 1937. In 1939 he succeeded his elder brother in the earldom. Granville was appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 1945 and became Governor of Northern Ireland in 1945, serving until 1952. He was made a Knight of the Garter that same year.Family
In 1916, Lord Granville married Lady Rose Bowes-Lyon, the second surviving daughter of the 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and elder sister of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. They had two children, five grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren:
- Lady Mary Cecilia Leveson-Gower, who married Sir Samuel Clayton on 7 July 1956. They have two children and have one grandson:
- *Gilbert Falkingham Clayton, who married Rosalind Mullen in 1994. They have one son:
- **Samuel Wittewronge Kit Clayton
- *Rose Cecilia Clayton, who married William Wordie Stancer on 9 July 1993.
- Granville James Leveson-Gower, 5th Earl Granville, who married Doon Aileen Plunket on 9 October 1958. They have three children and nine grandchildren:
- *Granville George Fergus Leveson-Gower, 6th Earl Granville, who married Anne Topping on 23 May 1997. They have three children:
- **Lady Rose Alice Leveson-Gower
- **George James Leveson-Gower, Lord Leveson
- **Lady Violet May Leveson-Gower
- *Lady Marcia Rose Aileen Leveson-Gower, who married Jonathan Charles Bulmer in 1986. They have four children:
- **Hesper Rose Constance Bulmer
- **James Alexander Howard Bulmer
- **Hector Charles Marcus Bulmer
- **Lara Bulmer
- *Hon. Niall James Leveson-Gower, who married Amanda Blaxell in 1996. They have one set of twins:
- **Charlie Leveson-Gower
- **Honor Leveson-Gower
Lord Granville died in June 1953, aged 72. He was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium. The Countess Granville died in 1967.
