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  • The Unlikely Duke

  • Memoirs of an Eclectic Life - from Rock 'n' Roll to Badminton House
  • By: Harry Beaufort
  • Narrated by: Harry Beaufort
  • Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (19 ratings)

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The Unlikely Duke cover art

The Unlikely Duke

By: Harry Beaufort
Narrated by: Harry Beaufort
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Summary

The 12th Duke of Beaufort, known to his friends as 'Bunter', inherited his Dukedom and Badminton House in 2017, at the age of sixty-five. But he is also a singer and songwriter with the rock group The Listening Device. Now he combines his responsibilities as Duke with his life as a rock performer.

In this lively and anecdote-filled memoir, Harry Beaufort takes us behind the scenes of his varied life: from playing poker with politicians, to partying on Ibiza with film stars to people watching with The Queen from a balcony at Windsor Castle. He offers an intimate portrait of aristocratic privilege and a lifetime filled with rock stars, royalty, eccentrics and jaw-droppingly unbelievable stories.

But Harry also offers a sensitive and perceptive insight into the worlds he has inhabited and the friendships and laughter that he has experienced along the way. This is the story of an ordinary man facing up to his extraordinary inheritance-the story of The Unlikely Duke.

©2023 Harry Beaufort (P)2023 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Critic reviews

'Beaufort chronicles his unusual and rarified world with flashes of Wodehousian genius'. --- Jools Holland

'So funny ... bristling with glamorous but eccentric characters'. --- Jilly Cooper

'Very funny and touching, gentle, wise and unpretentious. This is a book I absolutely loved.' --- Anne Glenconner

What listeners say about The Unlikely Duke

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Loved it

A wonderfully entertaining listen. Got me through many a sleepless night. I’d highly recommend this book.

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Frankness

Loved it all as it brought back many happy memories staying with your Dad thank you so much

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Marvellous very funny.

It’s just an excellent collection of stories with interesting people told very amusingly. If you take offence then some soul searching is needed. Because you must be a total bore.

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Charming insight to Ducal life

This felt like I was sitting with the Duke over a cuppa/ or a beer, and he was chatting to me about his life, which is something unique to audiobooks.

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Eye Opening

what a am eye opening insight to the life and activity of the local Duke and family, most enjoyable listening to this book and hearing the dukes thoughts on the people and staff.
SGT,Didmarton.

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A cracking listen

Wonderfully candid memoir by a “landowner, father, rock god and people person” as self described on Twitter. Also very very funny.

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An amusing life well done with your honesty

Nothing at all it was an extremely worthy life history with hopefully a lot more to come

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Superb

A funny, often moving, insightful, juicy, unique book. I enjoyed this romp around upper class life. Highly recommended.

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Enlightening and hilarious

The Unlikely Duke is a very entertaining book. Well written and brilliantly read by the author.

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Brilliant Biography charmingly narrated

An entertaining story of aristocracy, beautifully read by its author with some hilarious ‘laugh out loud’ passages.

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