[2] He inherited the lordships of the manors of Stanton Harcourt,[3] Nuneham Courtenay, North Hinksey, Cogges, Northmoor and Shifford in Oxfordshire.

In this role he authorised the placement in Kensington Gardens of the Peter Pan statue, sculpted by George Frampton, erected on 1 May 1912, and the plans for the rebuilding of Piccadilly Circus in 1915 (eventually executed in 1923).

He attempted to sexually assault Dorothy Brett, the daughter of Viscount Esher (allegedly a fellow paedophile), when she was about 15.

[16] Harcourt died in his sleep at his London townhouse at 69 Brook Street (now the Savile Club) in the early hours of 24 February 1922, aged 59.

[8] He had taken an overdose of a sleeping draught, and there were rumours of suicide following accusations of sexual impropriety by Edward James, a young Etonian who later became an important collector of surrealist and other contemporary art.

James's mother spread the story in society, although the accusations remained unknown by the wider public for fifty years.

[18] His physician, Dr Lindsay Scott, had last seen him on 30 January and testified that Harcourt was not in very good health, being weak and with an irregular heartbeat.

Harcourt had spent the evening prior to his death editing a recent draft and had an appointment with Gardiner the following day to discuss the project.

Jackson writes, "It seems hard to believe that Harcourt would not have wished to see through to completion an enterprise over which he had exercised tight control, and which recalled for him the glorious days of political partnership with his father.