Reginald Brabazon, 12th Earl of Meath

Who was Reginald Brabazon, 12th Earl of Meath?

Reginald Brabazon, 12th Earl of Meath KP GCVO GBE PC was a British politician and philanthropist.

The Honourable Reginald Brabazon was born in London, second son of Lord Brabazon. When his father succeeded as 11th Earl of Meath in 1851, Reginald, now heir, was styled Lord Brabazon. He was educated at Eton College and in 1863 joined the Foreign Office as a clerk, and later became a diplomat.

In 1868 he married Lady Mary Jane Maitland, daughter of Thomas Maitland, 11th Earl of Lauderdale. On the insistence of his in-laws, Brabazon refused to accept a posting to Athens in 1873 and was effectively suspended without pay, finally resigning from the Diplomatic Service in 1877. He and his wife decided to devote their considerable energies to "the consideration of social problems and the relief of human suffering". Both were subsequently involved in many charitable organisations. The Earl and his wife leased Ottershaw Park from 1882 to November 1883 from Sir Thomas Colebrooke.

In May 1887, Brabazon succeeded his father as 12th Earl of Meath. Lord Meath was also a prominent Conservative politician in the House of Lords and an ardent imperialist, and was responsible for the introduction in England of Empire Day, which was officially recognised by the British Government in 1916. He was a member of the London County Council, the Privy Council of Ireland and the Senate of Southern Ireland. He was also Chief Scout Commissioner for Ireland.