# William Cavendish, Earl of Burlington
**William Cavendish, Earl of Burlington** has combined a professional photography career with establishing a contemporary art gallery at his family's Irish seat and serving as [Chancellor](https://www.edgepedia.org/chancellor) of the [University of Derby](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-derby).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Title | Styled Earl of Burlington from birth; chose not to use the customary heir's title Marquess of Hartington after 2004[1](https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/the-aristo-act-living-it-up-in-lismore-castle-1.2229469) |
| Profession | Photographer, working as Bill Burlington for newspapers and magazines in London[2](https://duyguvida.com/resimler/files/8af2005f-b0de-4498-89d3-71c5fee1f2cd.pdf) |
| Gallery | Founded Lismore Castle Arts in the west wing of Lismore Castle; first group show opened in 2005[2](https://duyguvida.com/resimler/files/8af2005f-b0de-4498-89d3-71c5fee1f2cd.pdf) |
## Background and title
He was styled Earl of Burlington from birth. When his father succeeded as the 12th [Duke of Devonshire](https://www.edgepedia.org/duke-of-devonshire) in 2004, Burlington did not adopt the courtesy title Marquess of Hartington that previous heirs apparent to the dukedom had used; he prefers to continue using the Burlington title[1](https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/the-aristo-act-living-it-up-in-lismore-castle-1.2229469).
In London, where he has worked as a photographer for newspapers and magazines, he is known professionally as Bill Burlington[1](https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/the-aristo-act-living-it-up-in-lismore-castle-1.2229469) • [2](https://duyguvida.com/resimler/files/8af2005f-b0de-4498-89d3-71c5fee1f2cd.pdf). As heir to the dukedom, he will one day inherit Chatsworth, the Devonshire family's principal English residence[2](https://duyguvida.com/resimler/files/8af2005f-b0de-4498-89d3-71c5fee1f2cd.pdf).
## Photography
His commissioned work has included photographing the sittings that the sculptor Angela Conner held with Queen Elizabeth II at [Buckingham Palace](https://www.edgepedia.org/buckingham-palace) in 2006 for the portrait bust commissioned by the Knights of the Garter for the Queen's 80th birthday[3](https://www.artsandcollections.com/dreweatts-offers-studio-collection-angela-conner/).
## Lismore Castle Arts
Lismore Castle, in County Waterford, Ireland, is one of the Devonshire family's seats, and no one had lived there full-time since 1944[2](https://duyguvida.com/resimler/files/8af2005f-b0de-4498-89d3-71c5fee1f2cd.pdf). In 2004, while his parents were renovating the castle, Burlington proposed converting the derelict west wing into a gallery; with his father's agreement he oversaw a restoration that turned the cavernous space into a minimalist exhibition venue[2](https://duyguvida.com/resimler/files/8af2005f-b0de-4498-89d3-71c5fee1f2cd.pdf).
A group show featuring [Matthew Barney](https://www.edgepedia.org/matthew-barney), Barry Flanagan, Richard Long and others opened in 2005, and the following summer Burlington mounted a solo show with Long, who created site-specific works from materials gathered in the local landscape[2](https://duyguvida.com/resimler/files/8af2005f-b0de-4498-89d3-71c5fee1f2cd.pdf). The gallery is a not-for-profit initiative committed to the presentation and promotion of contemporary visual art in Ireland, and each year Burlington invites a different curator to mount a major exhibition[4](https://lismorecastlearts.ie/assets/images/ANB-Press-Pack_2025-07-23-155946_zcrt.pdf) • [5](https://www.inkl.com/news/a-look-at-ireland-s-rich-crafts-heritage). Guest curators have included the Belgian-born Philippe Pirotte, whose exhibition *United Technologies* featured artists such as [Ai Weiwei](https://www.edgepedia.org/ai-weiwei), Stefan Brüggemann and Rita McBride[2](https://duyguvida.com/resimler/files/8af2005f-b0de-4498-89d3-71c5fee1f2cd.pdf). Since opening, the program has presented work by artists including Matthew Barney, Gerard Byrne, Dorothy Cross, Richard Long, Eva Rothschild, Danh Vo, and Ai Weiwei[4](https://lismorecastlearts.ie/assets/images/ANB-Press-Pack_2025-07-23-155946_zcrt.pdf).
## Family
The family lives at Lismore Castle[6](https://www.marieclaire.com.au/fashion/laura-cavendish-countess-burlington/).
## Public roles
**Chancellor of the University of Derby.** Burlington was installed as the fourth [Chancellor](https://www.edgepedia.org/chancellor-education) of the University of Derby on 15 March 2018, in a ceremony at the Devonshire Dome, the university's campus in Buxton. He succeeded his father, Peregrine Cavendish, who stood down in 2018 after ten years in the role.
## References
1. [The aristo act: living it up in Lismore Castle, The Irish Times (30 May 2015)](https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/the-aristo-act-living-it-up-in-lismore-castle-1.2229469)
2. [With a hip art gallery, Lord Burlington's castle goes cutting edge](https://duyguvida.com/resimler/files/8af2005f-b0de-4498-89d3-71c5fee1f2cd.pdf)
3. [Dreweatts Offers Studio Collection of Angela Conner, Arts & Collections](https://www.artsandcollections.com/dreweatts-offers-studio-collection-angela-conner/)
4. [Lismore Castle Arts press pack (2025)](https://lismorecastlearts.ie/assets/images/ANB-Press-Pack_2025-07-23-155946_zcrt.pdf)
5. [A look at Ireland's rich crafts heritage, The Guardian via inkl](https://www.inkl.com/news/a-look-at-ireland-s-rich-crafts-heritage)
6. [Laura Burlington Is The Chicest Royal You've Never Heard Of, Marie Claire Australia](https://www.marieclaire.com.au/fashion/laura-cavendish-countess-burlington/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Visual arts and design › Photographers › Fine art and documentary photographers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license