John Astor, 3rd Baron Astor of Hever

The Right Honourable
The Lord Astor of Hever
PC DL
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
for Defence
Assumed office
2010
Prime Minister David Cameron
Lord in Waiting
In office
2010–2011
Prime Minister David Cameron
Member of the House of Lords
Assumed office
11 November 1999
as an excepted hereditary peer
In office
28 June 1984 – 11 November 1999
as a hereditary peer
Preceded by Gavin Astor, 2nd Baron Astor of Hever
Personal details
Born (1946-06-16) 16 June 1946
Political party Conservative
Spouse(s) Fiona Diana Lennox-Harvey
(m. 1970–1990; divorced)
Elizabeth Mackintosh
(m. 1990–present)
Relations See Astor family
Children
  • Camilla Astor
  • Tania Jentie Astor
  • Violet Magdalene Astor
  • Charles Gavin John Astor
  • Olivia Alexandra Elizabeth Astor
Parents Gavin Astor, 2nd Baron Astor of Hever
Lady Irene Haig
Residence Westerham, Kent, England
Education Eton College
Alma mater Eton College
Occupation businessman, politician

John Jacob "Johnny" Astor VIII, 3rd Baron Astor of Hever, PC DL (born 16 June 1946) is an English businessman and politician. He is an hereditary Lord Temporal, sitting with the Conservative. Astor is currently a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Defence. Astor is a Deputy Lieutenant of Kent.

Family background

Astor was born 16 June 1946. He is the eldest of the five children of Gavin Astor, 2nd Baron Astor of Hever (1918–1984), and Lady Irene Haig (1919–2001). He succeeded to the peerage after his father died from cancer in June 1984. Astor's younger siblings are Bridget (born 1948), Elizabeth (born 1951), Sarah (born 1953), and Philip (born 1959).

The family lives in Westerham, Kent. He suffered from a heart attack in early 2008. After recovering, he stated "I feel I have been given another chance at life," and that "There are things I want to do with it, like helping other people and devoting a bit more time to the charities I'm involved in."

Education and military career

Astor was educated at Eton College before serving with the Life Guards (the senior regiment of the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry) from 1966 until 1970, where he visited Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Northern Ireland as well as ceremonial duties in London.

He worked in France for 11 years, and is now patron of the Conservatives in Paris.

Political career

In 1994, Lord Astor was a British Parliamentary Observer in Johannesburg during the South African General Election. He was a member of the Executive, Association of Conservative Peers from 1996–1998. In 1999 he was elected to continue as a member of the House of Lords.

From 1998–2001, he served as an Opposition Spokesman on Social Security and Health from 1998–2003. From 2001, he has been an Opposition Spokesman for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs, and International Development, from 2003 to 2010, Opposition Spokesman for Defense, and from 2010 to 2011 a Lord in Waiting. Since 2010 he is parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Ministry of Defence.

He is Former Hon Vice-Chairman of the Conservative Middle East Council. In 1995 he piloted through the House of Lords the Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act and in 1996 the Trading Schemes Act.

Marriages and children

Astor[1] married firstly Fiona Diana Lennox-Harvey on 1 July 1970. They had three daughters together:

They were divorced in 1990 and in the same year Astor married Hon. Elizabeth Mackintosh, younger daughter of John Mackintosh, 2nd Viscount Mackintosh of Halifax. They had two children:

Patronage/community

Astor is a Deputy Lieutenant of Kent. He is also president of the Durand Group (World War I Research) and the Westerham Branch of the Royal British Legion and trustee of the Astor of Hever Trust. He is a former patron of the Edenbridge and District Rifle Club, the League of Friends of Edenbridge Hospital, the Durand Group, the Kent Youth Association, the Bridge Trust, the Aquarian Opera, the Edenbridge Music & Arts Trust, and the Worldwide Volunteering for Young People. Astor was formerly president of the Motorsport Industry Association, the Earl Haig branch of The Royal British Legion, the Eden Valley Museum, and the Kent County Royal British Legion. He was also president of RoSPA and Chairman of St John, Kent, in the Kent Committee of the Country Land and Business Association from 1987 to 1997. Astor was appointed as honorary member of the Lions Club Waldorf-Astoria in October 2012.

See also

References

  1. ↑ The Peerage, entry for 3rd Lord Astor
  2. ↑ "Lord Astor of Hever's heir to wed Princess". Peerage News.

Arms

Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Gavin Astor		 Baron Astor of Hever
1984–present 		Incumbent
Heir apparent:
Hon. Charles Astor
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