Born 1767, the 10th Duke of Hamilton and 7th Duke of Brandon, Alexander Hamilton, was an art collector, politician, Egyptology enthusiast, and dandy. The Scottish lord spent most of his time in London, or during his formative years at Harrow and Oxford.
An obituary characterized him thus: “timidity and variableness of temperament prevented his rendering much service to, or being much relied on by his party … With a great predisposition to over-estimate the importance of ancient birth … he well deserved to be considered the proudest man in England.” On top of his immense pride, he supported Napoleon…so maybe not a shining example of real life sexy Duke?
Lord Lamington, in The Days of the Dandies was reported to say: “Never was such a magnifico as the 10th Duke” (https://www.nms.ac.uk/explore-our-collections/stories/art-and-design/the-rise-and-fall-of-hamilton-palace/). He was known to cover all his fingers in gold rings, dress in military laced undress coat, tights and Hessians with a long Queue. A bit eccentric for some who ascended to their titles in 1819, but his was a belief of birthright and superiority. Its reported that he believed, as a descendant of James Hamilton, regent to Mary, Queen of Scotts, he was the true heir to the Scottish throne (https://www.nms.ac.uk/explore-our-collections/stories/art-and-design/the-rise-and-fall-of-hamilton-palace/).
Hamilton also loved mummies, and was so fan-boyed over Thomas Pettigrew’s expertise on the subject that he commissioned Pettigrew to mummify him after death in 1852. His mummified corpse was placed in a sarcophagus he had acquired in Paris, reportedly snagging out from under the British Museum. He was interred in the Hamilton Mausoleum he built until his sarcophagus was later moved and buried in the Bent cemetery in Hamilton.
His art collect fetched nearly 400,000 pounds in 1882, with a portion of the collection purchased by the British government for the British Museum. He also convinced his son and heir to marry the adopted daughter of Napolean, Princess Marie of Baden.
“….prevented his rendering much service to, or being much relied on by his party..”
Always politics, even in the obituary!
Deliciously snarky!