Charles Harbord, 5th Baron Suffield GCVO KCB PC JP DL (2 January 1830 – 9 April 1914), was a British peer, courtier and Liberal politician. A close friend of Edward VII, he served as a Lord of the Bedchamber and Lord-in-waiting to the King. He also held political office as Master of the Buckhounds under William Gladstone between February and July 1886.
Harbord was a son of Edward Harbord, 3rd Baron Suffield. He was educated at King's College School. His father died in 1835 and in 1853, his childless, elder half-brother (his father's successor) died and Harbord inherited the title.[1] He served for a few years as an officer in the 7th Hussars.[2]
Lord Suffield was appointed a Lord-in-waiting in 1868 in William Gladstone's first administration,[3] a post he held until 1872.[4] The latter year he was appointed Lord of the Bedchamber to the Prince of Wales,[5] to whom he was a close friend. He was chief of staff to the Prince of Wales during the Prince's expedition to India in 1875–1876.[6] He did not serve in Gladstone's second administration but was briefly Master of the Buckhounds from February[7] to July 1886 in Gladstone's third administration.[8] He was sworn of the Privy Council in February 1886.[9] He remained Lord of the Bedchamber until 1901, when on the Prince of Wales's accession to the throne, Suffield was made a Lord-in-Waiting-in-Ordinary to the King.[10] He was Master of the Robes at the coronation of Edward VII and Alexandra in 1902.[11]
Harbord served as President of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in 1863.[12] On 9 May 1866 he was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant of the Norfolk Artillery Militia in which two of his younger brothers were already serving. In 1872 the Prince of Wales became the unit's Honorary Colonel and three years later it became the 'Prince of Wales's Own Norfolk Artillery Militia'. It became a socially exclusive unit in which a number of the prince's connections served.[13]
Lord Suffield married firstly Cecilia Annetta Baring, daughter of Henry Baring, on 4 May 1854. They had two sons and nine daughters:
Lady Suffield died in 1911. Lord Suffield married secondly, aged 81, Frances Amelia Jessie Eliot Gabbett, daughter of Major Robert Pool Gabbett, in August 1911. Lord Suffield was also President of the Royal Cromer golf club in 1887 (in fact Suffield was the landlord of the golf club' land). His son and grandsons were also members of the club and land owners.[14] A substantial landowner, he owned 12,000 acres and had seats at Gunton Park, Norwich, and Harbord House, Cromer. His London residence was at 129 St George's Road.[6] Lord Suffield died in April 1914, aged 84, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Charles.