Bertram Bowyer, 2nd Baron Denham
Bertram Stanley Mitford Bowyer, 2nd Baron Denham, KBE, PC (born 3 October 1927) is a British Conservative politician and member of the House of Lords as one of the remaining hereditary peers. He is one of the few people to serve in the governments of five different Prime Ministers.
Biography
Denham was educated at Eton College and King's College, Cambridge. He was the youngest child and second son of George Bowyer, 1st Baron Denham, and succeeded to become 2nd Baron Denham upon the death of his father in 1948, his elder brother having died in World War II. He also succeeded his kinsman Sir George Bowyer, Bt., as 10th Baronet (of Denham Court) in 1950.
Denham served as a House of Lords whip from 1961 until 1964 under both Harold Macmillan and Alec Douglas-Home. Upon the Conservatives return to power at the 1970 general election, he was once again made a whip under Edward Heath. In 1972, he was promoted to become Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard, the post associated with being the Government Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Lords. He served in this post until the Conservatives left power in 1974.
Upon the victory of Margaret Thatcher in the 1979 general election, Denham was made Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms, the post associated with being Government Chief Whip in the House of Lords. He held the post for the entirety of the Thatcher years, leaving office six months into the John Major government in 1991.
With the passage of the House of Lords Act 1999, Denham along with almost all other hereditary peers lost his automatic right to sit in the House of Lords. He was however elected as one of the 92 elected hereditary peers to remain in the House of Lords pending completion of House of Lords reform. He was made a Privy Counsellor in the 1981 New Year Honours.[1] In the 1991 New Year Honours he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) for his political service.[2]
Following the death of Lord Carrington in July 2018, Denham has been the longest-serving current member of the House of Lords.[3]
Titles and styles
- Bertram Bowyer (1927–1937)
- The Hon. Bertram Bowyer (1937–1948)
- The Lord Denham (1948–1981)
- The Lord Denham, PC (1981–1990)
- The Lord Denham, KBE, PC (1991–present)
References
- ↑ "No. 48467". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1980. p. 1.
- ↑ "No. 52382". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 December 1990. p. 7.
- ↑ Brown, Thomas (6 February 2017). "House of Lords: Statistical Profile of Membership" (PDF). House of Lords. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
Sources
- "Denham, 2nd Baron". Who's Who. Oxford University Press. December 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
- Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages – Peerages beginning with "D" (part 2)
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by The Viscount Goschen |
Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Lords 1971–1974 |
Succeeded by The Lord Strabolgi |
| Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard 1971–1974 | ||
| Preceded by The Baroness Llewelyn-Davies of Hastoe |
Chief Whip in the House of Lords 1979–1991 |
Succeeded by The Lord Hesketh |
| Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms 1979–1991 | ||
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by The Earl St Aldwyn |
Conservative Chief Whip in the House of Lords 1978–1991 |
Succeeded by The Lord Hesketh |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by The Lord Carrington |
Father of the House of Lords 2018–present |
Incumbent |
| Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by George Bowyer |
Baron Denham 1948–present |
Incumbent Heir apparent: Hon. Richard Bowyer |
| Baronetage of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by George Bowyer |
Baronet (of Weston Underwood) 1948–present |
Incumbent Heir apparent: Hon. Richard Bowyer |
| Baronetage of England | ||
| Preceded by Sir George Bowyer |
Baronet (of Denham Court) 1950–present |
Incumbent Heir apparent: Hon. Richard Bowyer |