Peter Carington, 6th Baron Carrington
Encyclopedia
Peter Alexander Rupert Carington, 6th Baron Carrington, (born 6 June 1919) is a British
Conservative
politician
. He served as British Foreign Secretary
between 1979 and 1982 and as the sixth Secretary General of NATO
from 1984 to 1988. He is the last surviving member of the Cabinets
of both Harold Macmillan
and Sir Alec Douglas-Home
. Following the House of Lords Act 1999
, which removed the automatic right of hereditary peers to sit in the House of Lords, Carington was created a life peer
as Baron Carington of Upton, of Upton in the County of Nottinghamshire, to enable him to continue to sit there.
, by his wife Sybil Marion, daughter of Charles Colville, 2nd Viscount Colville of Culross. He is a great-nephew of the Liberal
statesman Robert Wynn-Carington, 1st Marquess of Lincolnshire and the politician and courtier Sir William Carington
. He was educated at two independent school
s: at Sandroyd School
from 1928–1932, at the time based in the town of Cobham
in Surrey
(and now the home of Reed's School), and Eton College
, followed by RMC Sandhurst (since renamed RMA Sandhurst).
Following Sandhurst, he was commissioned into the Grenadier Guards
as a second lieutenant
on 26 January 1939. He served with the regiment during the Second World War, he was promoted lieutenant
on 1 January 1941, and later rose to the rank of temporary captain and acting major, and was awarded the Military Cross
(MC) on 1 March 1945. The MC was awarded for his part in the capture and holding of a vital bridge in Nijmegen. After the war Lord Carrington remained in the army until 1949, though he was on the unemployed list from October 1945.
as 6th Baron Carrington and took his seat in the House of Lords
on his 21st birthday in 1940. He became involved in politics and served in the Conservative governments of Winston Churchill
and Anthony Eden
as Parliamentary Secretary
to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food
from November 1951 to October 1954 and to the Ministry of Defence
from October 1954 to October 1956. The latter year Carrington was appointed High Commissioner to Australia, a post he held until October 1959. He was also appointed a Deputy Lieutenant
of Buckinghamshire
on 2 July 1951.
After his return to Britain he served under Harold Macmillan
as First Lord of the Admiralty until October 1963, and was then Minister without Portfolio
and Leader of the House of Lords
under Sir Alec Douglas-Home until October 1964, when the Conservative
s fell from power. From 1964 to 1970 he was Leader of the Opposition
in the House of Lords
. When the Conservatives returned to power in 1970 under Edward Heath
, Carrington became Defence Secretary
, where he remained until 1974 when the Tories were voted out in favour of Harold Wilson's
Labour.
Carrington had become Shadow Defence Secretary in 1968 following the dismissal of Enoch Powell
from the position following his controversial Rivers of Blood speech
on immigration.
He also served as Chairman of the Conservative Party
from 1972 to 1974, and was briefly Secretary of State for Energy from January to March 1974.
Carrington was again Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords from 1974 to 1979. In 1979 he was made Foreign Secretary and Minister for Overseas Development as part of the first Cabinet
of Margaret Thatcher
. He chaired the Lancaster House conference
in 1979, attended by Ian Smith
, Abel Muzorewa
, Robert Mugabe
, Joshua Nkomo
, and Josiah Tongogara
, which brought to an end Zimbabwe
's revolutionary war. He was Foreign Secretary in 1982 when the Falkland Islands
were invaded by Argentina
. He took full responsibility for the complacency and failures in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to foresee this development and resigned. Ministerial resignations in such circumstances are rare, and Carrington's attracted animated press discussion of the principles involved; it may be no coincidence that he had in 1954 been junior minister to Sir Thomas Dugdale at the time of the latter's landmark resignation as Minister of Agriculture over the Crichel Down affair
, and had then himself offered his resignation but been persuaded to withdraw it.
from 1984 to 1988. He was also appointed Chancellor of the Order of St Michael and St George
on 1 August 1984. In 1991, he presided over diplomatic talks about the breakup of the Former Yugoslavia
and attempted to pass a plan that would end the wars and result in each republic becoming an independent nation.
Apart from his political posts, he was the Chancellor of the University of Reading
and has served as chairman of several companies, including Christie's
, and as a director of many others, including Barclays Bank, Schweppes and the Daily Telegraph. He also chaired the Bilderberg conferences for several years in the late 1990s, being succeeded in 1999 by Étienne Davignon
. In 1983 he became president of the Pilgrims Society
. He relinquished the Chancellorship of the Order of St Michael and St George on 7 June 1994, and was appointed Chancellor of the Order of the Garter
on 8 November 1994.
After the House of Lords Act 1999
removed the automatic right of hereditary peers to sit in the House of Lords
, Carrington (along with all former Leaders of the House of Lords) was given a life peerage on 17 November 1999 as Baron Carington of Upton, of Upton in the County of Nottinghamshire, and therefore still sits in the House of Lords. He is currently the longest-serving member of the House of Lords and is the second longest-serving member of the Privy Council after HRH The Duke of Edinburgh
.
His surname (which the family assumed in 1839 in lieu of Smith) and life peerage are both spelt Carington (single "r"), and the hereditary peerage is spelt Baron Carrington (double "r").
Lord Carrington's wife, Lady (Iona) Carrington, died on 7 June 2009.
on Not the Nine O'Clock News
in a parody of Question Time
, in which Lord Carrington was portrayed as pedantically discussing an imminent nuclear holocaust.
Carington was portrayed by James Fox
in the 2002 BBC
production of Ian Curteis
's The Falklands Play
.
Carington was referenced on the 6th series of Peep Show
(2009) in a list of imagined dog names by Mark.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He served as British Foreign Secretary
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, commonly referred to as the Foreign Secretary, is a senior member of Her Majesty's Government heading the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and regarded as one of the Great Offices of State...
between 1979 and 1982 and as the sixth Secretary General of NATO
Secretary General of NATO
The Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is the chairman of the North Atlantic Council, the supreme decision-making organisation of the defence alliance. The Secretary-General also serves as the leader of the organisation's staff and as its chief spokesman...
from 1984 to 1988. He is the last surviving member of the Cabinets
Cabinet of the United Kingdom
The Cabinet of the United Kingdom is the collective decision-making body of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, composed of the Prime Minister and some 22 Cabinet Ministers, the most senior of the government ministers....
of both Harold Macmillan
Harold Macmillan
Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC was Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 January 1957 to 18 October 1963....
and Sir Alec Douglas-Home
Alec Douglas-Home
Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home, Baron Home of the Hirsel, KT, PC , known as The Earl of Home from 1951 to 1963 and as Sir Alec Douglas-Home from 1963 to 1974, was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from October 1963 to October 1964.He is the last...
. Following the House of Lords Act 1999
House of Lords Act 1999
The House of Lords Act 1999 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that was given Royal Assent on 11 November 1999. The Act reformed the House of Lords, one of the chambers of Parliament. For centuries, the House of Lords had included several hundred members who inherited their seats;...
, which removed the automatic right of hereditary peers to sit in the House of Lords, Carington was created a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
as Baron Carington of Upton, of Upton in the County of Nottinghamshire, to enable him to continue to sit there.
Background, education and military career
Carrington is the only son of Rupert Carington, 5th Baron CarringtonRupert Carington, 5th Baron Carrington
Victor John Carington, 5th Baron Carrington was a British peer.-Life:He succeed to the title in 1929.Carrington was the son of Rupert Carington, 4th Baron Carrington, and Edith, daughter of John Horsefall. He fought in the First World War as a captain in the Grenadier Guards and was twice wounded...
, by his wife Sybil Marion, daughter of Charles Colville, 2nd Viscount Colville of Culross. He is a great-nephew of the Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
statesman Robert Wynn-Carington, 1st Marquess of Lincolnshire and the politician and courtier Sir William Carington
William Carington
Sir William Henry Peregrine Carington GCVO KCB PC JP was a British soldier, courtier and Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1868 to 1883-Biography:...
. He was educated at two independent school
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
s: at Sandroyd School
Sandroyd School
Sandroyd School is an independent co-educational preparatory school for both day and boarding pupils in Rushmore Park, near the village of Tollard Royal in Wiltshire.- Introduction :...
from 1928–1932, at the time based in the town of Cobham
Cobham, Surrey
Cobham is a town in the Borough of Elmbridge in Surrey, England, about south-west of central London and north of Leatherhead. Elmbridge has been acclaimed by the Daily Mail as the best place to live in the UK, and Cobham is a prosperous part of the London commuter belt...
in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
(and now the home of Reed's School), and Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
, followed by RMC Sandhurst (since renamed RMA Sandhurst).
Following Sandhurst, he was commissioned into the Grenadier Guards
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
as a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
on 26 January 1939. He served with the regiment during the Second World War, he was promoted lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
on 1 January 1941, and later rose to the rank of temporary captain and acting major, and was awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(MC) on 1 March 1945. The MC was awarded for his part in the capture and holding of a vital bridge in Nijmegen. After the war Lord Carrington remained in the army until 1949, though he was on the unemployed list from October 1945.
Political career 1946-1982
In 1938, Carrington succeeded his fatherRupert Carington, 5th Baron Carrington
Victor John Carington, 5th Baron Carrington was a British peer.-Life:He succeed to the title in 1929.Carrington was the son of Rupert Carington, 4th Baron Carrington, and Edith, daughter of John Horsefall. He fought in the First World War as a captain in the Grenadier Guards and was twice wounded...
as 6th Baron Carrington and took his seat in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
on his 21st birthday in 1940. He became involved in politics and served in the Conservative governments of Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
and Anthony Eden
Anthony Eden
Robert Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon, KG, MC, PC was a British Conservative politician, who was Prime Minister from 1955 to 1957...
as Parliamentary Secretary
Parliamentary Secretary
A Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with his or her duties.In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to...
to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was a United Kingdom government department created by the Board of Agriculture Act 1889 and at that time called the Board of Agriculture, and then from 1903 the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, and from 1919 the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries...
from November 1951 to October 1954 and to the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (1947–1964)
The Ministry of Defence was a department of the British Government responsible for defence and the British Armed Forces.-History:Prior to the Second World War defence policy was co-ordinated by the Committee of Imperial Defence...
from October 1954 to October 1956. The latter year Carrington was appointed High Commissioner to Australia, a post he held until October 1959. He was also appointed a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
on 2 July 1951.
Harold Macmillan
Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC was Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 January 1957 to 18 October 1963....
as First Lord of the Admiralty until October 1963, and was then Minister without Portfolio
Minister without Portfolio
A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
and Leader of the House of Lords
Leader of the House of Lords
The Leader of the House of Lords is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom who is responsible for arranging government business in the House of Lords. The role is always held in combination with a formal Cabinet position, usually one of the sinecure offices of Lord President of the Council,...
under Sir Alec Douglas-Home until October 1964, when the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
s fell from power. From 1964 to 1970 he was Leader of the Opposition
Opposition (parliamentary)
Parliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. Note that this article uses the term government as it is used in Parliamentary systems, i.e. meaning the administration or the cabinet rather than the state...
in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. When the Conservatives returned to power in 1970 under Edward Heath
Edward Heath
Sir Edward Richard George "Ted" Heath, KG, MBE, PC was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and as Leader of the Conservative Party ....
, Carrington became Defence Secretary
Secretary of State for Defence
The Secretary of State for Defence, popularly known as the Defence Secretary, is the senior Government of the United Kingdom minister in charge of the Ministry of Defence, chairing the Defence Council. It is a Cabinet position...
, where he remained until 1974 when the Tories were voted out in favour of Harold Wilson's
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
Labour.
Carrington had become Shadow Defence Secretary in 1968 following the dismissal of Enoch Powell
Enoch Powell
John Enoch Powell, MBE was a British politician, classical scholar, poet, writer, and soldier. He served as a Conservative Party MP and Minister of Health . He attained most prominence in 1968, when he made the controversial Rivers of Blood speech in opposition to mass immigration from...
from the position following his controversial Rivers of Blood speech
Rivers of Blood speech
The "Rivers of Blood" speech was a speech criticising Commonwealth immigration, as well as proposed anti-discrimination legislation in the United Kingdom made on 20 April 1968 by Enoch Powell , the Conservative Member of Parliament for Wolverhampton South West...
on immigration.
He also served as Chairman of the Conservative Party
Chairman of the Conservative Party
In the United Kingdom, the Chairman of the Conservative Party is responsible for running the party machine, overseeing Conservative Central Office. When the Conservatives are in power, the Chairman is usually a member of the Cabinet being given a sinecure position such as Minister without Portfolio...
from 1972 to 1974, and was briefly Secretary of State for Energy from January to March 1974.
Carrington was again Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords from 1974 to 1979. In 1979 he was made Foreign Secretary and Minister for Overseas Development as part of the first Cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
of Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
. He chaired the Lancaster House conference
Lancaster House Agreement
The negotiations which led to the Lancaster House Agreement brought independence to Rhodesia following Ian Smith’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence in 1965. The Agreement covered the Independence Constitution, pre-independence arrangements, and a ceasefire...
in 1979, attended by Ian Smith
Ian Smith
Ian Douglas Smith GCLM ID was a politician active in the government of Southern Rhodesia, the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Rhodesia, Zimbabwe Rhodesia and Zimbabwe from 1948 to 1987, most notably serving as Prime Minister of Rhodesia from 13 April 1964 to 1 June 1979...
, Abel Muzorewa
Abel Muzorewa
Bishop Abel Tendekayi Muzorewa served as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe Rhodesia from the Internal Settlement to the Lancaster House Agreement in 1979...
, Robert Mugabe
Robert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
, Joshua Nkomo
Joshua Nkomo
Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo was the leader and founder of the Zimbabwe African People's Union and a member of the Kalanga tribe...
, and Josiah Tongogara
Josiah Tongogara
Josiah Magama Tongogara was a commander of the ZANLA guerrilla army in Rhodesia. He attended the Lancaster House conference that led to Zimbabwe's independence and the end of white minority rule...
, which brought to an end Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
's revolutionary war. He was Foreign Secretary in 1982 when the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
were invaded by Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. He took full responsibility for the complacency and failures in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to foresee this development and resigned. Ministerial resignations in such circumstances are rare, and Carrington's attracted animated press discussion of the principles involved; it may be no coincidence that he had in 1954 been junior minister to Sir Thomas Dugdale at the time of the latter's landmark resignation as Minister of Agriculture over the Crichel Down affair
Crichel Down affair
The Crichel Down affair was a British political scandal of 1954, with a subsequent effect and notoriety. The Crichel Down Rules are guidelines applying to compulsory purchase drawn up in the light of the affair.-The Crichel Down land:...
, and had then himself offered his resignation but been persuaded to withdraw it.
Later career
Lord Carrington then served as Secretary General of NATOSecretary General of NATO
The Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is the chairman of the North Atlantic Council, the supreme decision-making organisation of the defence alliance. The Secretary-General also serves as the leader of the organisation's staff and as its chief spokesman...
from 1984 to 1988. He was also appointed Chancellor of the Order of St Michael and St George
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
on 1 August 1984. In 1991, he presided over diplomatic talks about the breakup of the Former Yugoslavia
Former Yugoslavia
The former Yugoslavia is a term used to describe the present day states which succeeded the collapse of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia....
and attempted to pass a plan that would end the wars and result in each republic becoming an independent nation.
Apart from his political posts, he was the Chancellor of the University of Reading
University of Reading
The University of Reading is a university in the English town of Reading, Berkshire. The University was established in 1892 as University College, Reading and received its Royal Charter in 1926. It is based on several campuses in, and around, the town of Reading.The University has a long tradition...
and has served as chairman of several companies, including Christie's
Christie's
Christie's is an art business and a fine arts auction house.- History :The official company literature states that founder James Christie conducted the first sale in London, England, on 5 December 1766, and the earliest auction catalogue the company retains is from December 1766...
, and as a director of many others, including Barclays Bank, Schweppes and the Daily Telegraph. He also chaired the Bilderberg conferences for several years in the late 1990s, being succeeded in 1999 by Étienne Davignon
Étienne Davignon
Étienne Francois Jacques Davignon, Viscount Davignon is a Belgian politician, businessman, and former vice-president of the European Commission.-Career:...
. In 1983 he became president of the Pilgrims Society
Pilgrims Society
The Pilgrims Society, founded in 1902, is a British-American society established, in the words of American diplomat Joseph Choate, 'to promote good-will, good-fellowship, and everlasting peace between the United States and Great Britain'...
. He relinquished the Chancellorship of the Order of St Michael and St George on 7 June 1994, and was appointed Chancellor of the Order of the Garter
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
on 8 November 1994.
After the House of Lords Act 1999
House of Lords Act 1999
The House of Lords Act 1999 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that was given Royal Assent on 11 November 1999. The Act reformed the House of Lords, one of the chambers of Parliament. For centuries, the House of Lords had included several hundred members who inherited their seats;...
removed the automatic right of hereditary peers to sit in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
, Carrington (along with all former Leaders of the House of Lords) was given a life peerage on 17 November 1999 as Baron Carington of Upton, of Upton in the County of Nottinghamshire, and therefore still sits in the House of Lords. He is currently the longest-serving member of the House of Lords and is the second longest-serving member of the Privy Council after HRH The Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
.
His surname (which the family assumed in 1839 in lieu of Smith) and life peerage are both spelt Carington (single "r"), and the hereditary peerage is spelt Baron Carrington (double "r").
Honours
- Military Cross, 1945.
- Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (KCMG), 1958.
- Lord of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, 1959.
- Member of the Order of the Companions of HonourOrder of the Companions of HonourThe Order of the Companions of Honour is an order of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded by King George V in June 1917, as a reward for outstanding achievements in the arts, literature, music, science, politics, industry or religion....
(CH), 1983. - Knight Companion of the Order of the GarterOrder of the GarterThe Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
(KG), 1985; Chancellor of the Order from 1994. - Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (GCMG), 1988; Chancellor of the Order 1984–94.
- Life peerage, as Baron Carington of Upton, 1999.
- Medal of Honour, for his contribution regarding Serbian war crimes committed against civilians in CroatiaCroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
(especially in the VukovarVukovarVukovar is a city in eastern Croatia, and the biggest river port in Croatia located at the confluence of the Vuka river and the Danube. Vukovar is the center of the Vukovar-Syrmia County...
massacre and rough displacement of citizens), 1999. - Presidential Medal of Freedom, 1988
Honorary degrees
- University of EssexUniversity of EssexThe University of Essex is a British campus university whose original and largest campus is near the town of Colchester, England. Established in 1963 and receiving its Royal Charter in 1965...
(DUniv) in 1983 - University of ReadingUniversity of ReadingThe University of Reading is a university in the English town of Reading, Berkshire. The University was established in 1892 as University College, Reading and received its Royal Charter in 1926. It is based on several campuses in, and around, the town of Reading.The University has a long tradition...
(DLittDoctor of LettersDoctor of Letters is a university academic degree, often a higher doctorate which is frequently awarded as an honorary degree in recognition of outstanding scholarship or other merits.-Commonwealth:...
) in December 1989 - Harvard UniversityHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
(LLD) in 1986 - University of NottinghamUniversity of NottinghamThe University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
(LLD) in 1993 - University of Newcastle upon TyneUniversity of Newcastle upon TyneNewcastle University is a major research-intensive university located in Newcastle upon Tyne in the north-east of England. It was established as a School of Medicine and Surgery in 1834 and became the University of Newcastle upon Tyne by an Act of Parliament in August 1963. Newcastle University is...
(DCLDoctor of Civil LawDoctor of Civil Law is a degree offered by some universities, such as the University of Oxford, instead of the more common Doctor of Laws degrees....
) 14 December 1998 - University of OxfordUniversity of OxfordThe University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
(DCLDoctor of Civil LawDoctor of Civil Law is a degree offered by some universities, such as the University of Oxford, instead of the more common Doctor of Laws degrees....
) 21 November 2003
Styles
- Peter Carington (1919–1929)
- The Hon. Peter Carington (1929-1938)
- The Rt Hon. The Lord Carrington (1938–1945)
- The Rt Hon. The Lord Carrington MC (1945–1951)
- The Rt Hon. The Lord Carrington MC DL (1951–1958)
- The Rt Hon. The Lord Carrington KCMG MC DL (1958–1959)
- The Rt Hon. The Lord Carrington KCMG MC PC DL (1959–1983)
- The Rt Hon. The Lord Carrington KCMG CH MC PC DL (1983–1985)
- The Rt Hon. The Lord Carrington KG KCMG CH MC PC DL (1985–1988)
- The Rt Hon. The Lord Carrington KG GCMG CH MC PC DL (1988-)
Family
Lord Carrington married Iona McClean, daughter of Lt.-Colonel Sir Francis Kennedy McClean, on 25 April 1942. They have three children:- Alexandra Carington DLDeputy LieutenantIn the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(Norfolk) (1943-); married Major Peter de Bunsen in 1965, becoming The Hon. Mrs de Bunsen. They have three children: - Victoria de Bunsen (1968-)
- Charles Rupert de Bunsen (1970-)
- James Peter de Bunsen (1973-)
- Virginia Carington (born 1946); married Henry Cubitt, 4th Baron Ashcombe in 1973, becoming Lady Ashcombe. The couple divorced in 1979
- Rupert Francis John Carington DLDeputy LieutenantIn the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(Buckinghamshire) (1948-) - heir apparentHeir apparentAn heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
; married Daniela Diotallevi in 1989. They have three children: - Robert Carington (1990-)
- Francesca Carington (1993-)
- Isabella Iona Carington (1995-)
In popular culture
Carington was portrayed by Rowan AtkinsonRowan Atkinson
Rowan Sebastian Atkinson is a British actor, comedian, and screenwriter. He is most famous for his work on the satirical sketch comedy show Not The Nine O'Clock News, and the sitcoms Blackadder, Mr. Bean and The Thin Blue Line...
on Not the Nine O'Clock News
Not the Nine O'Clock News
Not the Nine O'Clock News is a television comedy sketch show which was broadcast on BBC 2 from 1979 to 1982.Originally shown as a comedy "alternative" to the BBC Nine O'Clock News on BBC 1, it featured satirical sketches on current news stories and popular culture, as well as parody songs, comedy...
in a parody of Question Time
Question Time (TV series)
Question Time is a topical debate BBC television programme in the United Kingdom, based on Any Questions?. The show typically features politicians from at least the three major political parties as well as other public figures who answer questions put to them by the audience...
, in which Lord Carrington was portrayed as pedantically discussing an imminent nuclear holocaust.
Carington was portrayed by James Fox
James Fox
James Fox, OBE is an English actor.-Early life:James Fox was born in London, England to theatrical agent Robin Fox and actress Angela Worthington. He is the brother of actor Edward Fox and film producer Robert Fox. The actress Emilia Fox is his niece and the actor Laurence Fox is his son. His...
in the 2002 BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
production of Ian Curteis
Ian Curteis
Ian Bayley Curteis is a British television dramatist and former television director.In a career as a television dramatist from the late 1960s onwards, Curteis wrote for many of the series of the day, including The Onedin Line and Crown Court. In 1979, two television plays by Curteis were...
's The Falklands Play
The Falklands Play
The Falklands Play is a dramatic account of the political events leading up to, and including, the 1982 Falklands War. The play was written by Ian Curteis, an experienced writer who had started his television career in drama, but had increasingly come to specialise in dramatic reconstructions of...
.
Carington was referenced on the 6th series of Peep Show
Peep Show (TV series)
Peep Show is a British sitcom starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb. The television programme is written by Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain, with additional material by Mitchell and Webb themselves, amongst others. It has been broadcast on Channel 4 since 2003. The show's seventh series makes it...
(2009) in a list of imagined dog names by Mark.
External links
- Announcement of his taking the oath under his new title at the House of Lords House of Lords minutes of proceedings, 17 November 1999
- Lord Carrington's views on the EU from the Daily Telegraph
- Thatcher's First Cabinet