Formerly racecourse chairman at Newbury, at the time of his death he had horses in training with Richard Hannon, Roger Charlton, Sir Michael Stoute and Paul Webber.
But it was as racing manager to the Queen that Carnarvon will be best remembered - with mixed feelings.
Carnarvon was criticised in hindsight for the sale of the Queen's filly, Height Of Fashion, in 1982 to Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum. Although she fetched a thenprincely sum approaching £1million, she went on to become one of Europe's most influential broodmares.
But it was his role in the sacking of the Queen's trainer, Major Dick Hern, in 1988 that attracted particular criticism.
He informed Hern's wife, Sheilah, of the termination of their 25-year tenure at West Isley stables while the Major, who had broken his neck in a hunting accident, was seriously ill in hospital recovering from two heart operations.
