Lord Phillimore — November 25, 1944 - May 14, 2025

LORD Francis Stephen Phillimore, the fifth Baron of Shiplake, died at home in Dorset on May 14, aged 80, after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in January 2021.

The Baron’s Phillimore dynasty has been rooted in Kensington, London, since the 18th century and Shiplake since the early 19th century.

When Francis’s cousin, Robin, the third Lord Phillimore, died unexpectedly in 1990 at the age of 51, Francis took his place at 45 years old.

His father, Claud Stephen Phillimore, was the fourth Baron of Shiplake, and his mother, Anne, was the eldest daughter of Major Arthur Dorrien Smith, the Lord Proprietor of the Isle of Scilly and Tresco.

They welcomed him into the world on November 25, 1944, on Tresco where he remained most at home and happiest.

Taking after his mother, a sailor in the local Sunbeam class of traditional keelboats, he began exploring the archipelago off the Cornish coast meticulously.

Tristan Phillimore, the sixth Baron of Shiplake, said: “The most precious memories are connected to the island where he was born.

“That’s the place in the world where we are most together as a family and often spend the summer, spring and sometimes Christmas.

“Knowing he was happiest on those islands as well is one of the biggest things that I will carry with me. Francis was gentle, kind, humble, thoughtful and a very good listener. He achieved a lot but never sought approval nor recognition.

“A lot of his roles, which he saw as a form of stewardship, were guided by a strong sense of morality to do the right thing at the right time for this generation, in anticipation of there being next generations.

“He was tenacious in his drive to achieve things and had a real strength of character in the things he believed in. These were driven by strong morals and ethics but he would pursue them softly and persistently rather than loudly or with any fanfare. He saw things as a sense of duty and drove that into all of us.” Francis enjoyed travelling, particularly to Venice in Italy, where he was a trustee of the Venice in Peril Fund. For a period, his father owned the Palladian Villa Foscari in Malcontenta on the Brenta canal where Francis often returned.

As a child, he learnt to row a gondola there and later bought one, which he kept downstream in Henley and could be seen rowing during Henley Royal Regatta.

He also participated in the Vogalonga in Venice and, at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012, when he rowed his gondola in the pageant down the Thames.

Off the water, he rose to prominence in British polo, founding Binfield Heath Polo Club in 1994. He also served as the Hurlingham Polo Association’s vice-chairman and became a life member in 2021.

He was educated at Eton and read law and French at the University of Cambridge. Although he aspired to pursue a career in fine art, he worked as a barrister at the Queen Elizabeth Building Chambers in London.

In 1968, he travelled to Paris and met his wife, Nathalie Pequin, through the Schneidau family. December 1969 saw their engagement and, in March 1971, they were married in Paris.

He loved music and was an expert at rock ’n’ roll and jiving with his wife. They would often be seen on the dance floor together.

Francis enthralled himself in community aspects, becoming the chairman of Shiplake and Binfield Heath parish councils. Roger Hudson, clerk to Shiplake Parish Council, said: “Francis was a dedicated and valued member of our community and his contributions to the parish council over many years were immeasurable.

“His commitment to public service, his wisdom and his tireless efforts to enhance the lives of those in Shiplake will always be remembered.

“We are profoundly grateful for the time and dedication he gave to the council, and we acknowledge the lasting impact of his work. His leadership and guidance helped to shape many of the initiatives that have benefited our parish and his presence will be sorely missed.”

Arabella Phillimore aspires to carry on her father’s legacy by adopting the mantra — “Anything is possible if you don’t mind who gets the credit”.

She said: “That’s a powerful phrase in the context of my dad because it reveals how ambitious you can be about the change you want to bring. It also reflects that it’s not about you doing something, it’s about something important being done.

“That has become a mantra for me because he always saw the wider picture and did a lot of brilliant things very quietly. The very last thing he asked for was plaudits for what he did.”

Francis is survived by his three children, Arabella Maroussia Phillimore, Tristan Anthony Stephen Phillimore and Julian Michel Claud Phillimore.