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Royalty
The Resume
(May 24, 1917-October 25, 2002)
Born in London, England, United Kingdom
John Robert Russell, 13th Duke of Bedford
Author of 'A Silver-Plated Spoon' (1959), 'The Duke of Bedford's Book of Snobs' (1965), 'The Flying Duchess' (1968), and 'How to Run a Stately Home' (1971)
Why he might be annoying
His first job was as a rent collector.
He had a strained relationship with his father, mainly over the family fortune.
He once joked that his family 'thought themselves slightly grander than God.'
He converted his familial estate (Woburn Abbey) into a tourist attraction to pay off his debts, mortifying his peers.
This extended to installing an amusement park, souvenir shop and safari park on the grounds, and even allowing a nudist film to be shot on the property.
He was a tax exile, leaving the United Kingdom with his third wife in 1974, settling first in Monaco and later in New Mexico.
Why he might not be annoying
He was named to the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1985.
He briefly served with the Coldstream Guards during the Second World War, before being discharged for infirmity.
His father was so notoriously stingy that he tied up the Bedford fortune in a trust to prevent his own son from borrowing against it.
His first wife died of a drug overdose six years into their marriage.
He was famous for his sharp wit, often directed at his elite aristocratic peers.
He said: 'I do not relish the scorn of the peerage, but it is better to be looked down on than overlooked.'
His business savvy enabled his family to keep and restore Woburn Abbey, which now receives more than 1.5 million visitors a year.
Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair
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