In 1936, Lord Abergavenny became an officer in the service of the
Life Guards and fought in the
Second World War, was invested as an
Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1945, and rose to the rank of
Lieutenant-Colonel in 1946. He was an Honorary Colonel of the
Kent Yeomanry 1949–1961, and of the
Kent and County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) 1961–1962. He was a member of
East Sussex County Council between 1947 and 1954 and County
Alderman for East Sussex between 1954 and 1962. He was also Deputy Lieutenant of Sussex in 1955, Vice-Lieutenant of Sussex between 1970 and 1974 and later the first
Lord Lieutenant of East Sussex from 1974 to 1989. Aside from his army and political career, Lord Abergavenny was also a Director of
Massey Ferguson between 1955 and 1985; a Director of
Lloyds Bank between 1962 and 1985; Chairman of Lloyds Bank South-East Regional Board between 1962 and 1985; and a Director of
Whitbread Investment. Lord Abergavenny became a
Knight of St John in 1976, a
Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter in 1974, and was
Chancellor of that Order between 1977 and 1994. In 1986, he was awarded an honorary
Doctorate of Laws from the
University of Sussex. Abergavenny was also involved in
horse racing. He rode in
steeplechases between 1935 and 1939, and was elected to the
National Hunt Committee in 1942, acting as a steward from 1948 to 1950, 1952–54 and 1960–62. He became a member of the
Jockey Club in 1950 and vice-chairman of the Turf Board in 1967. He was also a director of both
Cheltenham and
Fontwell Racecourses. He served as a Trustee to the Ascot Authority in 1952 and became the
Queen's representative at
Ascot. His
racing colours were scarlet with white cross-belts. ==Marriage and issue==