George Coventry and King George V Country Life Magazine Portrait January 31 1925

George Coventry, 9th Earl of Coventry and King George V Country Life Magazine Portrait, Frontispiece, January 31 1925. LVII No. 1465

The featured frontispiece this week is a portrait of The Earl of Coventry, who has just celebrated his diamond wedding, photographed with His Majesty the King at an Epsom Race Meeting. Probably no other man has enjoyed such continuous popularity on the racecourse, in the hunting field and last, but not least, in his own parish. He is eighty-six years of age.

• Marriage: He married Lady Blanche Craven on January 25, 1865, daughter of the 2nd Earl of Craven. The couple celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary (60 years) in 1925.
• Children: The Earl and Countess had a large family of nine children—six sons and three daughters:
  • George William, Viscount Deerhurst (1865–1927): Eldest son and heir, who predeceased his father.
  • Hon. Charles John Coventry (1867–1929): A soldier and notable first-class cricketer.
  • Hon. Henry Thomas Coventry (1868–1934): Also a first-class cricketer.
  • Hon. Sir Reginald William Coventry (1869–1940): A prominent barrister and judge.
  • Lady Barbara Elizabeth Coventry (1870–1946): Married Gerald Dudley Smith in 1894.
  • Lady Dorothy Coventry (1872–1965): Married Sir Keith Fraser, 5th Baronet.
  • Lady Anne Blanche Alice Coventry (1874–1956): Married Prince Victor Duleep Singh, linking the family to the former Sikh royal dynasty.
  • Hon. William Francis Coventry (1875–1937): Died unmarried.
  • Hon. Thomas George Coventry (1885–1972): Served in the military and later emigrated to Canada.
• Family Life: The Earl and Countess were known for their close family life and remarkably died within three days of each other in March 1930.
• Succession: As his eldest son predeceased him, the title passed to his grandson, who became the 10th Earl of Coventry upon his death in 1930.
• Sporting Legacy: A lifelong sportsman, he was Master of the Buckhounds and a dedicated patron of horse racing, attending more than 70 Epsom Derbies.
• Reputation: Often described as a classic “fine old English gentleman,” he enjoyed enduring popularity both in society and within his local community.

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.