Charles Culling Smith ( - 26 May 1853) was a British politician and courtier, most noted as the brother-in-law of the Duke of Wellington.[1]
Culling Smith was born in . He was the son of Charles Smith, Governor of Madras, and nephew of Sir Culling Smith, 1st Baronet.[2] His grandfather, Thomas Smith, Esq. of Hadley, Middlesex, was a prosperous London merchant.[3]
Culling Smith's brother-in-law, the Marquess Wellesley, became Foreign Secretary in the Tory government of Spencer Perceval in 1809, and Culling Smith was appointed Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on 13 December that year,[4] serving until 27 February 1812.[5] On 1 June 1812 he was one of the Esquires to his brother-in-law the Earl of Wellington at the latter's installation (by proxy) as a Knight Companion of the Order of the Bath.
Culling Smith served as an equerry to the Duke of York, and was present in that capacity at the funeral of Queen Charlotte on 8 December 1818, while his son was there as Page of Honour. On 14 August 1820 Culling Smith and his wife, son, daughter and step-daughters were among the mourners at the funeral of the Duchess of York. His last service as equerry was at the Duke of York's funeral on 20 January 1827.
On 13 March 1827 Culling Smith was made one of the Commissioners of the Board of Customs,[6] but he continued to attend state occasions including the funeral of the Duke of Gloucester on 11 December 1834 and the Duke of Wellington on 18 November 1852.
On 2 August 1799 he married Lady Anne FitzRoy (1768[7] - 1844), widow of the Hon. Henry FitzRoy (fourth son of Charles FitzRoy, 1st Baron Southampton) and only daughter of Garret Wesley, 1st Earl of Mornington.[8] By this marriage he gained two stepdaughters:
His marriage to Lady Anne produced a further two children, a daughter and a son:
Culling Smith and Lady Anne lived in a grace-and-favour residence at Apartment 8, Hampton Court Palace.[11]