Karel Andreas Kinsky 1858-1919

Count Karel Kinsky was the son of Count Octavian Kinsky (1813-1879)the head of the Kinsky dynasty and Agnes Schaffgotsch genannt Semperfrei von und zu Kynast und Greiffenstein (1810-1888)

Karel born into the family's great equine tradition, inherited a love of horses. A servant, the Kinsky's, master of the horse, Roland Reynolds, who had two great loves, England and the Grand National steeplechase, was to prove a great influence on Karel, he passed on to the young Count his passions.

Karel Kinsky first visited England as part of Elizabeth, Empress of Austria's retinue in the late 1870's. The Empress arranged to visit Liverpool and witness the famous steeplechase, this provided Kinsky with his first opportunity to witness the event.

An ambitious man, he achieved his two greatest British goals in rapid succession. He was firstly made Austro-Hungarian ambassador to Britain, and secondly while in England riding his own horse Zoedone won the 1883Grand National. He was distraught when Zoedone was poisoned on the race day two years later.

Kinsky had a strong friendship with, the former, Jennie Jerome, wife of Lord Randolph Churchill and American born mother of Sir Winston Churchill. Thirteen years his senior, a famous socialite and courtesan, he was infatuated by her. Lady Randolph later claimed that she would not have spent the time she did with Kinsky were it not for the unfounded rumours of an affair being spread by the society gossips.

Kinsky remained in England until his world was blown asunder in 1914 when Austria-Hungary went to war with Britain. Keen to do his duty, but unwilling to fight the country he regarded as his second home, Kinsky volunteered to fight on the dreaded Russian front. He survived but returned to a broken homeland and the knowledge that it was unlikely he would ever be welcome in England again. A broken man Karel Kinsky died in 1919.

See also: Count Kinsky and Kinsky