Sir Charles John Darling Country Life Magazine Portrait September 19 1925

Sir Charles John Darling Country Life Magazine Portrait, Frontispiece, September 19 1925. LVIII No. 1498

The featured frontispiece this week is a portrait of Lord Darling, one of the wittiest and most popular judges of the century, who still appears in the King's Bench Division when there is a shortage of judges, despite the fact that he retired in 1923. Lord Darling was born in 1849, called to the Bar in 1874, took silk in 1885, and received his peerage last year. He sat as a Conservative for Deptford from 1888 to 1897.

• Judicial Career: Sir Charles John Darling (1849–1936) was appointed a judge of the King’s Bench Division in 1897, where he became widely known for his wit, personality, and popularity both within the legal profession and among the public.
• Political Career: Prior to his judicial appointment, he served as a Conservative Member of Parliament for Deptford from 1888 to 1897.
• Retirement & Peerage: He retired from the bench in November 1923 and was elevated to the peerage shortly after, becoming Baron Darling of Langham in January 1924.
• Continued Service: Despite his retirement, Lord Darling continued to sit in the King’s Bench Division when required, helping to alleviate shortages of judges.
• Marriage: He married Mary Caroline Greathed on September 16, 1885, daughter of Major-General William Wilberforce Harris Greathed.
• Children: The couple had three children:
  • Major John Clive Darling (1887–1933): Served in the 20th Hussars and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.). He predeceased his father.
  • Frances Diana Darling: One of his two daughters.
  • Lucia Mary Darling: His younger daughter.
• Family Legacy: Following the early death of his son, the title later passed to his grandson, Robert Charles Henry Darling, who became the 2nd Baron Darling.
• Personal Life: His wife, Mary Caroline, died in 1913, many years before his elevation to the peerage.

This is an authentic original page from Country Life magazine, part of the iconic series often affectionately referred to as the “Girls in Pearls” portraits — elegant society images that captured a distinctive era of British publishing and portraiture.

Size: Approximately 13.75 x 9 inches (35 x 23 cm)

Condition: Very good for its age. As with all vintage magazine pages, light signs of handling or minor age-related blemishes may be present. Please review the large photo carefully for full condition details.

This original Country Life Magazine frontispiece portrait forms part of The Old Map Shop’s curated archive of society portraits published between 1897 and 2026.