Alec Douglas-Home

The Right Honourable Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home, Baron Home of the Hirsel, KT,1 PC (2 July 1903–9 October 1995), 14th Earl of Home from 1951 to 1963, was a British politician, and served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for a year from October 1963 to October 1964. As such, he held a series of records: He was the last member of the House of Lords to be appointed Prime Minister, the only Prime Minister to resign from the Lords and contest a by-election to enter the House of Commons and, to date, the last Prime Minister to be personally chosen by a British monarch.

Early life and career

Douglas-Home was born in Mayfair, London, the eldest son of Lord Dunglass, the eldest son of the 12th Earl of Home. After his father's succession to the Earldom in 1918 he held the courtesy title Lord Dunglass. His brother was the dramatist, William Douglas-Home. After an education at Eton College and Christ Church, Oxford, he became Conservative MP for Lanark in 1931. His aristocratic roots gave him a head start in the party as it then was, and he was soon appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to Neville Chamberlain, witnessing at first hand the latter's attempts to stave off World War II through negotiation with Adolf Hitler. He lost his parliamentary seat in the 1945 general election, but regained it in 1950. However he was forced to resign it in 1951, when he inherited his father's seat in the House of Lords, becoming 14th Earl of Home.

Related Topics:
Mayfair - London - Lord Dunglass - 12th Earl of Home - 1918 - Courtesy title - Dramatist - William Douglas-Home - Eton College - Christ Church, Oxford - Conservative - Lanark - 1931 - Parliamentary Private Secretary - Neville Chamberlain - World War II - Adolf Hitler - 1945 general election - 1950 - 1951

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This did not blunt his political aspirations, though. Lord Home, as he then was, served not only as Commonwealth Secretary from 1955 but, from 1957, also as Leader of the House of Lords and Lord President of the Council (the latter twice; briefly in 1957 and subsequently from 1959). Home traded all three for the Foreign Office in 1960. In 1962, he was created a knight of the Order of the Thistle — the highest honour outside the nobility available to a Scot — which entitled him to be styled "Sir" after later renouncing his earldom.

Related Topics:
1955 - 1957 - Leader of the House of Lords - Lord President of the Council - 1959 - Foreign Office - 1960 - Order of the Thistle

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