Henry, 5th Earl of Monton
| His Lordship
Henry Lindegard | |
|---|---|
| Born | Henry James Lindegard 15 March 1877 Montrose Castle, Monton Kingdom of Vionna |
| Died | 5 October 1933 (aged 56) |
| Title | Earl of Monton |
| Tenure | 9th January 1895 - 5th October 1933 |
| Other titles | Baron Montrose, Baron St Olwins |
| Nationality | Vionnan |
| Residence | Montrose Castle |
| Predecessor | Henry, 4th Earl |
| Successor | Jasper, 6th Earl |
| Occupation | Soldier |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  Vionna-Frankenlisch |
| Branch |  Imperial Army |
| Years of service | 1895 - 1918 |
Lord Henry Lindegard, 5th Earl of Monton, Baron Montrose, Baron St Olwins KCM KGCIH, was a Vionnan nobleman and soldier. The first son of the 4th Earl, both of Lindegard's younger siblings (Lucy, his twin; and Horace) would similarly have military careers. Made Earl of Monton on the death of his father in 1895, Lindegard's military career spanned twenty-three years and several conflicts.
Early Life
Born in 1877 at Montrose Castle, the traditional seat of the lords of Monton, Henry Lindegard was the first son of the Fourth Earl and his wife Matilda de Pentiere. He also had a twin sister, Lucy, who was born after him. He was educated by tutors and his father at Montrose Castle until he was seven, at which point he began attending Lawrenceburgh College and later spent two years at Falscraf before his formal education ended at sixteen. He displayed diligence in his studies and several academic paths were recommended to him, in spite of this he chose not to pursue a degree and returned to Montrose from Falscraf in 1893 with only a general certification.
At the age of fifteen, midway through his education at Falscraf, Lindegard was taken to Gallandia by his father to be presented at the court of King Guillaume IV. The journey was sponsored by Queen Caroline who was eager to end tensions with Gallandia by a bond of marriage. With that goal in mind, Lindegard was introduced to King Guillaume's third daughter Princess Marjorie in October of 1892. Though the pair were officially courting and a betrothal seemed likely, a brief war scare in December of 1892 compelled the Lindegards to return to Vionna-Frankenlisch which ended the hopes for an arrangement. The visit left Lindegard with a lifelong love of Gallandia and he would revisit the country several times throughout his adult life.
For the next two years, Lindegard lived the life of a stereotypical country gentleman. Idle pursuits including hunting, riding, and fishing occupied his copious free time and he became a respected sportsman in the Riverland-Palatinate during this period. In lieu of a job, Lindegard aided his father in the administration of the family estates. In May and June of 1894 he was deputy Bailiff of the parish of Meadcotte and later that year (September and October) went on to hold the position of Bailiff of the parish of Idlemouth temporarily, as the previous Bailiff had died suddenly and a replacement had yet to be appointed. By the end of 1894, Lindegard's father was campaigning for him to be elected to the House of Commons for the constituency of Montrose and North-East Riverland but before a by-election could be held, the 4th Earl died in January of 1895 and Lindegard inherited the Earldom, making him ineligible.
Earl of Monton
Inheritance
On 9th January 1895, the 4th Earl of Monton died and Henry Lindegard succeeded to his father's titles. At the age of eighteen, he was the youngest Earl in Vionna-Frankenlisch and the youngest member in the House of Nobles as he carried on his father's political responsibilities as a Registered Peer for the Imperial Party. He only attended Parliament once before resigning his position in late February and returning to Montrose to take care of his new estates and handle the inheritance of his father's fortune. It was during this time that he discovered quite how rich a man he was to become. The 4th Earl of Monton had invested significantly in a wide range of enterprises across Vionna-Frankenlisch and the Imperial sphere of influence and the returns on those investments are estimated to have been around L400,000 a year. Along with the revenues from his estates, the investments which Lindegard inherited made him a fantastically wealthy man even for an aristocrat of the era.
Lindegard had enjoyed a close relationship with his father and was deeply upset by his death. On 17th January he left Vionna-Frankenlisch to spend the rest of winter in Caledonia. His last action before leaving was to sponsor his sister's entrance into the Imperial Army, securing her a commission as a subaltern in the Royal North Riverland Dragoons - of which he was Colonel-in-Chief. The new Earl spent two months wintering in Laeminster and at the Caledonian royal resort at Loch Neam. During his time in Caledonia, Lord Monton had the opportunity to spectate a review of the Laeminster Guard Horse, the cavalry contingent of the Caledonian royal guards. This event, Monton later stated, kickstarted his interest in military affairs. He made a short-lived attempt to enlist in the Royal Caledonian Army, but the Imperial Government blocked this request - ending in his return to Frankenlisch.