Duke of Richard Plantagenet Temple Nugent Brydges Chandos Grenville Buckingham and Chandos

Born on February 11, 1797, Richard Plantagenet Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville became the 2nd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos in 1839. Before inheriting the dukedom, he was known by several courtesy titles, including Earl Temple and Marquess of Chandos, and he built a public career as a Tory politician.

He served in Parliament for Buckinghamshire and later held office as Lord Privy Seal in Sir Robert Peel's government in 1841–1842. He is also remembered for the grand world of Stowe and for the financial collapse that forced the sale of much of the family's famous estate, making his life a striking mix of political prominence and personal reversals.

As an author, he is best known for his memoirs, which give readers a first-hand glimpse of elite British society and politics in the early Victorian period. That combination of public office, private drama, and reflective writing makes him an especially interesting figure for listeners drawn to history, biography, and the inner life of Britain's old ruling class.