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Savile William Francis Crossley, 3rd Baron Somerleyton

Savile "Bill" William Francis Crossley, 3rd Baron Somerleyton GCVO, DL, was a British peer who served as Lord-in-waiting and Master of the Horse to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Born on September 17, 1928, he was the son of Francis Savile Crossley, 2nd Baron Somerleyton, and Bridget Hoare.

Crossley attended Eton College before serving in the Coldstream Guards from 1947 onwards. During his military service, which spanned over a decade, he saw action in various locations including Palestine, Tripoli, Egypt, Cyprus, and at home. He rose through the ranks to become Commander in 1948 and Captain in 1956, eventually ending his military career.

Following his military service, Crossley studied at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester before working as a farmer and landowner. Since his father's death in 1959, he operated the family property. He also worked for Raveningham Farms near Loddon for a year and spent time in Australia, New Zealand, and America.

Crossley held various roles outside of politics, including County Councillor in East Suffolk and President of the Lowestoft Management Group since 1977. In addition to his civil service role as Non-political Lord-in-waiting from 1978 to 1991, he served as Master of the Horse from 1991 until his retirement in 1998.

As a member of the House of Lords, Crossley inherited the title of Baron Somerleyton upon his father's death in 1959. He took his seat on October 20, 1959, and gave his inaugural speech on April 3, 1968, discussing the shipping industry. Although he did not speak frequently during this period, he made notable appearances before the Anglian Water Authority Bill in May 1976 and spoke about the water industry in England and Wales.

Crossley also held director positions, including that of Essex and Suffolk Water plc until his retirement in 1997. He was patron of One Living and worked as a farmer and landowner throughout his career.