George Vane-Tempest, 5th Marquess of Londonderry

The Most Honourable The Marquess of Londonderry KP
The Marquess of Londonderry
Lord-Lieutenant of County Durham
In office 1880–1884
Monarch	Victoria
Preceded by	The Earl of Durham
Succeeded by	The Earl of Durham
Personal details
Born	26 April 1821
Died	6 November 1884
Nationality	British
Political party	Conservative
Spouse(s)	Mary Edwards (d. 1906)
Alma mater	Balliol College, Oxford

George Henry Robert Charles William Vane-Tempest, 5th Marquess of Londonderry KP (26 April 1821 – 6 November 1884), styled Viscount Seaham between 1823 and 1854 and known as The Earl Vane between 1854 and 1872, was a British aristocrat, businessman, diplomat and Conservative politician.

Born George Vane, he was the eldest son of Charles Vane, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry, by his second wife Frances Anne, daughter and heiress of Sir Henry Vane-Tempest, 2nd Baronet. He was the nephew of the second Marquess, better known as the statesman Lord Castlereagh, and the half-brother of the fourth Marquess. He was educated at Eton and Balliol College, Oxford. He became known by the courtesy title Viscount Seaham in 1823 when his father was created Earl Vane and Viscount Seaham, with remainder to his sons by his second wife.

Lord Seaham entered the 1st Life Guards, purchasing a lieutenancy on 7 February 1845, and retiring on 5 May 1848. He was returned to parliament for Durham North in 1847, a seat he held until 1854, when he succeeded his father as Earl Vane and entered the House of Lords. In 1867 he was sent on a special mission as Envoy Extraordinary to Russia to Emperor Alexander II, to invest the emperor with the Order of the Garter. When his half-brother died childless in 1872 he inherited the marquessate and family estates. Two years later he was appointed a Knight of the Order of St Patrick. In 1880 he became Lord-Lieutenant of County Durham, a post he held until his death four years later.