Richard Temple-Grenville, 3rd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos

Richard Plantagenet Campbell Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, 3rd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, GCSI, PC (10 September 1823–26 March 1889) was a British statesman of the 19th century, and a close friend and subordinate of Benjamin Disraeli.

He was born the son of Richard, Marquess of Chandos (only son and heir apparent of the 1st Duke of Buckingham and Chandos) and the former Lady Mary Campbell (younger daughter of the 4th Earl of Breadalbane and Holland (later the 1st Marquess of Breadalbane)). As his father's only son and heir apparent he was styled Earl Temple from birth, and from the age of 15 was styled Marquess of Chandos following his paternal grandfather's death and his father's succession as 2nd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos. He attended Eton until 1841, when he matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford. Two years later, he was commissioned a Lieutenant in the Royal Buckinghamshire Yeomanry , and he would eventually become an honorary Colonel of that regiment. In 1846, Lord Chandos entered Parliament as Conservative MP for Buckinghamshire, and would continue to be re-elected for that constituency until 1857.

In 1852, he entered Lord Derby's administration as a Lord of the Treasury, a position he held for exactly ten months. That year, he was also appointed Keeper of the Privy Seal of the Prince of Wales, Deputy Warden of the Stannaries, and chairman of the London and North-Western Railway. In 1857, he resigned as MP for Buckinghamshire; two years later, he contested William Gladstone for the constituency of Oxford University, but lost to the future Prime Minister. In 1861, he succeeded his father as 2nd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos (and in various other titles across four Peerages) and took his seat on the House of Lords; he also resigned as chairman of the London and North-Western Railway.

Buckingham's political career was stagnant until 1866, when he was appointed to the Privy Council and became Lord Derby's Lord President of the Council. He served in the latter capacity (the former was an appointment of indefinite length) until 8 March 1867, when he succeeded Lord Carnarvon as Secretary of State for the Colonies. He remained in that position for a year, receiving the additional appointment of Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire in 1868. In the same year, he established his right to the Lordship of Kinloss. After he was succeeded as Colonial Secretary by Lord Granville, Buckingham's political career once again stagnated, broken by service as Governor of Madras (India) for five years, during which time he was created a Knight Grand Commander of the Star of India. He married, at the age of 62, Alice Graham-Montgomery (his second wife; he had previously married Caroline Harvey in 1851). A year later, in 1886, he became Chairman of Committees in the House of Lords, but died three years later of an unknown illness (possibly diabetes, prostatitis, or cystitis), at Chandos House. With no male issue, the Dukedom of Buckingham and Chandos became extinct (though several of his lesser titles survived due to special remainders). The Buckingham Canal in South India is named after his honour.

References

* [http://www.leighrayment.com/peers/peersB6.htm Leigh Rayment's Peerage]
* [http://www.dukesofbuckingham.org/dukes/third_duke.htm The Dukes of Buckingham]