Bernard Fitzalan-Howard, 16th Duke of Norfolk

Bernard Marmaduke Fitzalan-Howard, 16th Duke of Norfolk (30 May 1908 – 31 January 1975), styled Earl of Arundel and Surrey until 1917, was a British peer and politician.

He was educated at the Oratory School and was commissioned into the Royal Horse Guards in 1931, but resigned his commission in 1933.

He joined the 4th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment, in the Territorial Army in 1934, and was promoted to Major in 1939.

He served briefly in the Battle of France, during which he was evacuated sick.

The Duke married the Hon Lavinia Mary Strutt, daughter of Algernon Strutt, 3rd Baron Belper, and his wife Eva, on 27 January 1937 at the Brompton Oratory.

They had four daughters, three granddaughters and two great-grandchildren:

In that capacity, the Duke had helped to organise various state ceremonies such as the coronation of King George VI in 1937 and that of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

He subsequently served as Agricultural Secretary in Winston Churchill's Cabinet from February 1941 until June 1945.

As hereditary Earl Marshal, he organised the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, the funeral of Winston Churchill, and the investiture of King Charles III as Prince of Wales.

His mother was Gwendoline Herries, 12th Lady Herries of Terregles, and he inherited her peerage when she died in 1945.

He also helped to organise the state funerals of King George VI in 1952 and of Winston Churchill in 1965.

His father, the 15th Duke, had built the picturesque Arundel Castle Cricket Ground and the Duke hosted matches against touring teams there from 1954, a tradition continued by his widow, Lavinia.

He was not a good cricketer, even at the village green level, and it was customary to let him get off the mark before he returned to the pavilion.

At Arundel the umpire was his own butler, who when he was out would diplomatically announce "His Grace is not in".

The Duke was chosen after a chance remark while having drinks after an MCC Committee meeting.

Billy Griffith was the prime candidate to manage the tour, but he had just been appointed the Secretary of the MCC and needed to remain at Lord's to oversee the change from the old divisions between amateurs and professionals that had been decided that autumn.

The Duke offered his services when it was mentioned that the new captain Ted Dexter would be difficult to control.

Like Dexter, the Duke was a keen follower of horse-racing, and, as President of Sussex County Cricket Club, he was often at Hove and Arundel and had appointed Dexter county captain.

When his appointment was announced it was joked that only a duke could manage "Lord Ted".

In those days the MCC tour was seen as a social event and the team were scheduled to attend many high society events for which the Duke was well suited.

His relationship with Fred Trueman was mixed; he first spoke to him at the Second Test by calling "Trueman! Over here!"

and beckoning him with his finger, to which the fast bowler took exception, but they later became good friends.

Socially, the Duke was a great success, his transparent enjoyment of the game and affability with the players, press and public making him popular.

He was a keen cricketer, who was President of the MCC in 1956–57 and was still a member of its powerful committee.

He had managed his own tour of the West Indies with a Duke of Norfolk's XI in 1956–67, which had included the England players Tom Graveney, John Warr, Doug Wright and Willie Watson, and would organise another in 1969–70.

He was a keen cricket fan and was the manager of the English cricket team in Australia in 1962–63, which excited much press interest.

"His Grace the Duke of Norfolk was appointed as manager of the England tour of Australia in the winter of 1962–63. His appointment astounded just about everyone connected with the game. He was a very pleasant man, a true gentleman and a real cricket enthusiast, but he had no track record or qualifications suited to the job to which he had been appointed ... The very first press conference was overloaded with questions about whether the Duke of Norfolk's horses would be seen on Australian race tracks. I couldn't believe it. We were there to contest the Ashes, and there was our tour manager talking about horse racing and whether the jockey Scobie Breasley was to fly out and ride for him...In no time at all the news in the press concerning the England team centred on where the Duke of Norfolk's horses were running...

The announcement that the Duke would manage the MCC cricket team in Australia in 1962–63 came as a complete surprise.

As Earl Marshal of England, while in Australia he prepared the Queen's 1963 Royal Visit.

He had to return to Great Britain for reasons of state for a month during the tour, which allowed Griffith to fly out and take over in his absence, thus gaining useful experience of touring Australia.

As Duke of Norfolk, he was Earl Marshal and Hereditary Marshal of England.

In 1969, he also took part in the planning for the investiture of Prince Charles as the Prince of Wales.

The 16th Duke died on 31 January 1975, and is buried in the Fitzalan Chapel in the western grounds of Arundel Castle in Sussex.

"It was the first time that most of us had met the portly, florid aristocrat...we hardly knew what to expect: he hadn't exactly sprung to mind as a front-running candidate for the job. It was a black-tie affair, of course, and none of us dared get drunk. Eventually, over the port, the Duke rose, cleared his throat and delivered himself of a sentence I shall treasure till the end of my days: "Gentlemen", he said, "I wish this to be an entirely informal tour.

You will merely address me as 'Sir'". The grand old Duke is dead now, alas, but he loved that tour of Australia more than any other official duty he had ever undertaken in his auspicious public life...I could write a whole volume on the Duke Down Under.

On his death, the dukedom passed to his second cousin once removed Miles Stapleton-Fitzalan-Howard, 12th Baron Beaumont, 4th Baron Howard of Glossop.

The Lordship of Herries of Terregles, being an old Scottish peerage, was inherited by his eldest daughter, Anne (14th Lady Herries of Terregles, Baroness Cowdrey of Tonbridge), who had married English cricketer Colin Cowdrey.

He was the eldest surviving son of Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk, who died when Bernard was only nine years old.