William Keppel, 4th Earl of Albemarle

The Right Honourable The Earl of Albemarle GCH, PC
William Keppel (Martin Archer Shee)
Master of the Buckhounds
In office 12 February 1806 – 31 March 1807
Monarch	George III
Prime Minister	The Lord Grenville
Preceded by	The Earl of Sandwich
Succeeded by	The Marquess Cornwallis
Master of the Horse
In office 24 November 1830 – 14 November 1834
Monarch	William IV
Prime Minister	The Earl Grey The Viscount Melbourne
Preceded by	The Duke of Leeds
Succeeded by	The Duke of Dorset
In office 25 April 1835 – 30 August 1841
Monarch	William IV Victoria
Prime Minister	The Viscount Melbourne
Preceded by	The Duke of Dorset
Succeeded by	The Earl of Jersey
Personal details
Born	14 May 1772 (1772-05-14)
Died	30 October 1849 (1849-10-31) (aged 77) Quidenham, Norfolk
Nationality	British
Political party	Whig
Spouse(s)	(1) Hon. Elizabeth Southwell (1776–1817) (2) Charlotte Hunloke (1774–1862)

William Charles Keppel, 4th Earl of Albemarle GCH, PC (14 May 1772 – 30 October 1849), briefly styled Viscount Bury between May and October 1772, was a British Whig politician.

Albemarle was the only child of General George Keppel, 3rd Earl of Albemarle, and Anne, daughter of Sir John Miller, 4th Baronet. He succeeded in the earldom in October 1772, aged five months, on the early death of his father. He was educated at St John's College, Cambridge.

On the formation of the Ministry of All the Talents in 1806, Lord Albemarle was appointed Master of the Buckhounds by Lord Grenville,. Thereby he became an officer in the Master of the Horse's department in the Royal Household and also the equivalent of today's Representative of Her Majesty at Ascot. The Mastership of the Buckhounds being a political office, the holder changed with every government and because the Earl's patrons fell in March 1807 he lost his position after only one year. He remained out of office until 1830 when he was sworn of the Privy Council and made Master of the Horse by Lord Grey which was the third ranking officer at court (after the Lord Chamberlain and Lord Steward). He continued in this office until November 1834, the last few months under the premiership of Lord Melbourne, and held the same post under Melbourne between 1835 and 1841. Consequently, he was responsible for managing all matters equine at the changeover from one reign to the next and, in particular, at Queen Victoria's Coronation. The Earl was accorded the honour of travelling to Westminster Abbey inside the Gold State Coach with the nineteen-year-old, and as yet unmarried Victoria, who recorded in her diary: "At 10 I got into the State Coach with the Duchess of Sutherland and Lord Albemarle...It was a fine day, and the crowds of people exceeded what I have ever seen; their good humour and excessive loyalty was beyond everything, and I really cannot say how proud I feel to be the Queen of such a nation".