MARCH 2, 1998

The Honourable Gerald Lascelles

IT is with great regret that we must announce the death of The Honourable Gerald Lascelles who, as President of the British Racing Drivers' Club, played an important role in building up Silverstone circuit between 1964 and 1991.

IT is with great regret that we must announce the death of The Honourable Gerald Lascelles who, as President of the BritishÊRacingÊDrivers'ÊClub, played an important role in building up Silverstone circuit between 1964 and 1991. He wasÊ73.

A grandson of King George V, Lascelles was a cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, and after the abdication of Edward VIII in 1936 was briefly eighth in line to the British throne. After his elder brother Lord Harewood became a prisoner during World War II, Gerald was not allowed to serve abroad and was also stopped from racing in the immediate post-war era. He was not allowed to race until the early 1950s, by which time he was a long way down the order of succession.

After a brief career as a driver Gerald was drawn into the administration of the sport and when Earl Howe died in 1964 he was asked to replaced him as President of the BRDC.

He held the job for 27 years until he retired to France in 1991. A great lover of jazz, Gerald remained an avid fan of Grand Prix racing in his retirement, always keen to keep up with the latest Formula 1 gossip.