The Honourable David Alexander Reginald Herbert
Early life and education
He was the second son of Reginald Herbert, 15th Earl of Pembroke.
He spent his first few years in Castletown, Ireland. At the age of four, he moved to the family home of Wilton, near
Salisbury.
Attending
Wixenford School, he was later sent on to
Eton College.
Performing career
David had brief stints as both a film actor, appearing in 1930's
Knowing Men, and as a
cabaret performer. He briefly shared an apartment with Noël Coward in the
East End, and was satirized by Lord Berners as the character Daisy Montgomery in his 1936 satiric novel,
The Girls of Radcliff Hall.
[Hoare, Philip. Noël Coward: A Biography. Page 238. University of Chicago Press, 1938] He was also scathingly satirized as "Peter Barclay" in
William Bayer's novel
Tangier.
Writing career
David's books recall his years in the company of such figures as
Cecil Beaton, Lady Diana Cooper, Noël Coward,
Paul Bowles and
Jane Bowles,
Cyril Connolly, Brian Howard,
Barbara Hutton,
Osbert Sitwell and Tallulah Bankhead. These include
Second Son: An Autobiography (1972), which included a foreword by Paul Bowles and photographs by Cecil Beaton,
Engaging Eccentrics: Recollections (1990), his second volume of autobiography, and
Relations and Revelations: Advice to Jemima (1992), a book of memories and opinions written in the form of advice to his great-niece Jemima.
Personal life
David spent almost fifty years in
Tangier, Morocco where he was known for his vibrant personality, frequent lavish parties,
good taste, and ruthless
snobbery.
He was referred to by
Ian Fleming as 'the Queen Mother of Tangier'.
[Carr, Virginia Spencer. Paul Bowles: A Life. Page 205. Simon and Schuster, 2004.][Obituary of Countess Katalin Banffy-Jelen, The Times, 18th February 2025] He was labeled as the 'most terrible snob' by author Patrick Thursfield, who regularly enjoyed attending his famous parties.
Death
David died of
kidney failure in 1995 and was buried in the cemetery at Saint Andrew's Church. He had been a devout
Anglican. On his tombstone was engraved, "He loved Morocco".
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