Simon Isaacs, 4th Marquess of Reading
Simon Rufus Isaacs, 4th Marquess of Reading | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 18, 1942 |
| Occupation(s) | Nobleman, financier, philanthropist |
| Known for | British nobility, charitable work |
Simon Rufus Isaacs, 4th Marquess of Reading (born 18 May 1942), is a British nobleman, financier, and charitable figure.
Early life
Simon Rufus Isaacs was born on 18 May 1942 to Michael Isaacs, 3rd Marquess of Reading, and Margot Irene (née Duke). He inherited the title of fourth Marquess of Reading in 1980. His ancestry features prominent individuals such as his paternal great-grandfather Rufus Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading, alongside maternal great-grandparents Alfred Moritz Mond, 1st Baron Melchett, and Violet Mond. The family heritage also includes Ludwig Mond, an industrial chemist renowned for creating the Mond process used in nickel extraction.
Career
Between 1961 and 1964, Isaacs held the rank of lieutenant in the 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards. Following his military service, he pursued a career as a stockbroker from 1964 until 1974 and was affiliated with the London Stock Exchange from 1970 to 1974. He then occupied the position of marketing director at Brahmco International between 1975 and 1980. His subsequent professional roles included work with Ralph Lauren Cosmetics (1979–1983) and Abbey Lubbock/Abbey Sports and Events (1984–1992). Additionally, he has collaborated in business ventures with Prince Michael of Kent.
Philanthropy
Lord Reading chaired the Land's End John o' Groats Club from 1992 to 1996 and held a directorship at Global Flying Hospitals between 1996 and 2000. He served as president of Dean Close School in Cheltenham from 1990 through 2000. Since 2004, he has been a member of the Board of Directors for CURE International, and starting in 2008, he joined the board of Mertens House located in Saint Petersburg, Russia. His involvement also extended to serving on the Council of the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem from 2002 until 2008.
He has been a patron for both the Nelson Recovery Trust and the Barnabas Fund since 1998.
In 2003, Lord Reading publicly challenged the University of Sussex’s decision to sell Swanborough Manor, a property originally gifted by his step-great-grandmother Stella Isaacs, Marchioness of Reading.
In May 2022, he acted as patron for The Royal Versailles Ball, a philanthropic event held at the Palace of Versailles. That same year, he was honored with the Order of Menelik II (Grand Cross) by the Crown Council of Ethiopia in recognition of his charitable work.
Personal life
On 12 May 1979, Lord Reading wed Melinda Dewar. Their family includes three children:
- Lady Sybilla Alice Rufus Isaacs (born 1980), who married Charles B. B. Hart in 2005; they have four children.
- Lady Natasha Rufus Isaacs (born 1983), married Rupert Finch in 2013; they have three daughters.
- Julian Rufus Isaacs, Viscount Erleigh (born 1986).
In May 2021, he declared his intention to pursue Israeli citizenship.
External links
- 1942 births
- Living people
- English Jews
- English people of Portuguese-Jewish descent
- English people of German-Jewish descent
- People from Bisley, Gloucestershire
- English bankers
- English philanthropists
- Marquesses of Reading
- Hereditary peers removed under the House of Lords Act 1999
- Recipients of orders, decorations, and medals of Ethiopia
- Isaacs family