Emile Beaumont d'Erlanger
Emile Beaumont D'Erlanger | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date France |
| Died | July 24, 1939 (aged 73) |
| Nationality | French, British |
| Occupation | Merchant banker |
| Known for | Chairman of the Channel Tunnel Company; president of the New General Traction Company (UK) |
Baron Emile Beaumont D'Erlanger (born 4 June 1866, died 24 July 1939) was a merchant banker of French origin who later became a British national.
Life
As the second oldest son of Frédéric Emile d'Erlanger, a banker affiliated with the French division of Emile Erlanger and Company, and Marguerite Mathilde Slidell, Emile pursued a career in finance. His older brother, Baron Raphael Slidell d'Erlanger, was dedicated to scientific endeavors, whereas Emile assumed control over banking operations. He held leadership positions in various railway and tramway firms, notably serving as president of the New General Traction Company in the United Kingdom.
After acquiring British citizenship in 1891, Emile became chairman of the Channel Tunnel Company starting in 1911, playing a key role in funding its design phase. Under his guidance, the company also invested in railway projects across Rhodesia, Angola, and the Congo.
Family
In 1895, Emile married Rose Marie Antoinette Katherine (Kate) Robert d'Aqueria de Rochegude (1874–1959), whose family owned land and shipping interests in Le Havre. Their residences included Falconwood in Woolwich and later 139 Piccadilly in London, before eventually relocating to Beverly Hills. The Baroness gained recognition as an influential patron of the arts, supporting artists such as Cecil Beaton, Romaine Brooks, and Sergei Diaghilev.
The couple had five children:
- Robert Emile Frédéric Regis d'Erlanger (1896–1934)
- Mary Liliane Matilda, known as Baba (1901–1945)
- Maria Bianca Muriel Iris d'Erlanger (1904–1905)
- Gerard John Regis Leo Baron d'Erlanger (1905–1962), who served as director of British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) and led the Air Transport Auxiliary during the Second World War; his daughter Mary Caroline d'Erlanger married Winston Churchill, grandson of Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill
- Bianca, Baroness d'Erlanger