He was bitterly opposed, politically, to his father, and ventured to oppose his candidates

in the boroughs he controlled. He became an ally of Frederick, Prince of Wales. In the

1734 election, he was defeated at Kent, but was returned as Member of Parliament for
East Grinstead. He was appointed Captain of Walmer Castle in September. He continued
to sit for East Grinstead until 26 May 1741, when he accepted the office of High Steward
of the Honour of Otford.
He was returned for Sussex in a by-election in 1742, and for Old Sarum at the 1747
election. He served as a Lord of the Treasury from 1743 until 1747, and was appointed a
deputy lieutenant ofSussex on 20 October 1745. He was appointed Master of the Horse to
the Prince of Wales in 1747, and served until Frederick's death in 1751. Middlesex
married Hon. Grace Boyle, daughter and heir of Richard Boyle, 2nd Viscount Shannon,
on 30 October 1744, but they had no children.
During the 1754 election, he unsuccessfully contested Westminster, and held no seat until
the next election. He returned to the House of Commons as Member for East Grinstead
from 1761 until 1765.
In that year, he succeeded his father as Duke of Dorset, and also as Lord Lieutenant of
Kent, and was made a Privy Councillor in 1766. However, he did not long enjoy the
ducal honours. Upon his death in 1769 in London, he was succeeded by his nephew, John
Sackville.