George Jellicoe, 2nd Earl Jellicoe
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George Patrick John Rushworth Jellicoe, 2nd Earl Jellicoe, Baron Jellicoe of Southampton, (4 April 1918 – 22 February 2007), was a British politician, diplomat and businessman. Lord Jellicoe was the only son but sixth and youngest child of
John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe Admiral of the Fleet John Rushworth Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe, (5 December 1859 – 20 November 1935) was a Royal Navy officer. He fought in the Anglo-Egyptian War and the Boxer Rebellion and commanded the Grand Fleet at the Battle of Jutland ...
, who was a First World War naval commander, commander at the Battle of
Jutland Jutland ( da, Jylland ; german: Jütland ; ang, Ēota land ), known anciently as the Cimbric or Cimbrian Peninsula ( la, Cimbricus Chersonesus; da, den Kimbriske Halvø, links=no or ; german: Kimbrische Halbinsel, links=no), is a peninsula of ...
, and Admiral of the Fleet; and his wife Florence Gwendoline (died 1964), who was the second daughter of Sir Charles Cayzer, 1st Bt., of
Gartmore Gartmore (Scottish Gaelic ''An Gart Mòr'') is a village in the Stirling council area, Scotland. It is a village with a view of the Wallace Monument in Stirling, almost 25 miles away. Formerly in Perthshire, it is one mile from the A81 Glasgo ...
, Perthshire. He inherited the title Earl Jellicoe at the age of 17, on the death of his father. As well as commanding the
Special Boat Service The Special Boat Service (SBS) is the special forces unit of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy. The SBS can trace its origins back to the Second World War when the Army Special Boat Section was formed in 1940. After the Second World War, the Roya ...
in the Second World War, George Jellicoe was a long-serving parliamentarian, being a member of the
House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminste ...
for 68 years (1939–2007).


Early life

Jellicoe was born at Hatfield and was christened on 29 July 1918 by the Most Rev. and Right Hon.
Cosmo Lang William Cosmo Gordon Lang, 1st Baron Lang of Lambeth, (31 October 1864 – 5 December 1945) was a Scottish Anglican prelate who served as Archbishop of York (1908–1928) and Archbishop of Canterbury (1928–1942). His elevation to Archbishop ...
, 89th
Archbishop of York The archbishop of York is a senior bishop in the Church of England, second only to the archbishop of Canterbury. The archbishop is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and the metropolitan bishop of the province of York, which covers th ...
, while
King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...
(represented by Admiral Sir Stanley Colville) and Princess Patricia of Connaught (later known as Lady Patricia Ramsay) stood sponsor as two of his godparents. The others were: Miss Lilian Lear, Admiral Sir Lionel Halsey (Third Sea Lord), Mr. Eustace Burrows (cousin), Major Herbert Cayzer (uncle), and The Rev. Frederick G. G. Jellicoe (uncle, and Rector of
New Alresford New Alresford or simply Alresford ( or ) is a market town and civil parish in the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England. It is northeast of Winchester and southwest of the town of Alton. New Alresford has independent shops, a ...
). Much of his childhood was spent at St Lawrence Hall, near
Ventnor Ventnor () is a seaside resort and civil parish established in the Victorian era on the southeast coast of the Isle of Wight, England, from Newport. It is situated south of St Boniface Down, and built on steep slopes leading down to the sea. ...
on the
Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a Counties of England, county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the List of islands of England#Largest islands, largest and List of islands of England#Mo ...
; at St Peter's Court, a prep school at Broadstairs, Kent; in London; and in the Dominion of New Zealand, where his father was
viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning " ...
with the title of Governor-General between 1921 and 1924. He was educated at
Winchester College Winchester College is a public school (fee-charging independent day and boarding school) in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was founded by William of Wykeham in 1382 and has existed in its present location ever since. It is the oldest of ...
, where he was styled and known as Viscount Brocas. He won the Vere Herbert Smith history prize and secured an exhibition to
Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge or Oxford. ...
(matriculated 1936. BA, Modern History tripos 1939, but awarded 1966). He was chairman of the
Pitt Club The University Pitt Club, popularly referred to as the Pitt Club, the UPC, or merely as Club, is a private members' club of the University of Cambridge, with a previously male-only membership but now open to both men and women. History The ...
, and his tutor Steven Runciman became a lifelong friend.


Second World War

In October 1939, Jellicoe was a cadet in the first wartime intake at the
Royal Military College, Sandhurst The Royal Military College (RMC), founded in 1801 and established in 1802 at Great Marlow and High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, England, but moved in October 1812 to Sandhurst, Berkshire, was a British Army military academy for training infant ...
. He was commissioned into the
Coldstream Guards The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army. As part of the Household Division, one of its principal roles is the protection of the monarchy; due to this, it often participates in state ceremonia ...
on 23 March 1940, before joining No. 8 (Guards) Commando, with whom on 31 January 1941 he sailed to the Middle East with Colonel Bob Laycock's Layforce (whose commando officers included
Evelyn Waugh Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh (; 28 October 1903 – 10 April 1966) was an English writer of novels, biographies, and travel books; he was also a prolific journalist and book reviewer. His most famous works include the early satires '' Decl ...
,
Randolph Churchill Randolph Frederick Edward Spencer-Churchill (28 May 1911 – 6 June 1968) was an English journalist, writer, soldier, and politician. He served as Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Preston from 1940 to 1945. The only son of British ...
, Philip Dunne,
Carol Mather Sir David Carol MacDonnell Mather (3 January 19193 July 2006) was a British soldier and politician. After serving 22 years in the British Army, he was the Member of Parliament for Esher from 1970 until 1987. During his political career he he ...
,
David Stirling Sir Archibald David Stirling (15 November 1915 – 4 November 1990) was a Scottish officer in the British army, a mountaineer, and the founder and creator of the Special Air Service (SAS). He saw active service during the Second World War. ...
, and many distinguished others). He served with L Detachment (from April 1942) (with some of the above and
Stephen Hastings Sir Stephen Lewis Edmonstone Hastings (4 May 1921 – 10 January 2005) was a British Conservative politician who was elected Member of Parliament for Mid Bedfordshire in a 1960 by-election and held it until he stood down at the 1983 general e ...
), which was the nucleus of the Special Air Service. He was mentioned in despatches thrice, and wounded (bullet in shoulder) once whilst with the 3rd Battalion, Coldstream Guards, in 22 (Guards) Brigade in the Western Desert in January 1941. He won the DSO in November 1942 for operating on a raid that claimed to have blown up more than 20 German aircraft ( Ju 88s) on
Heraklion Heraklion or Iraklion ( ; el, Ηράκλειο, , ) is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete and capital of Heraklion regional unit. It is the fourth largest city in Greece with a population of 211,370 (Urban Ar ...
airfield, Crete, that June:
His cool and resolute leadership, skill and courage throughout this very hazardous operation were mainly responsible for the high measure of success achieved. He ... placed charges on the enemy aircraft and brought off the survivors after the four
Free French Free France (french: France Libre) was a political entity that claimed to be the legitimate government of France following the dissolution of the Third Republic. Led by French general , Free France was established as a government-in-exile ...
members of the party had been betrayed and killed or captured.
In September 1943, Jellicoe was sent to the Italian-held island of
Rhodes Rhodes (; el, Ρόδος , translit=Ródos ) is the largest and the historical capital of the Dodecanese islands of Greece. Administratively, the island forms a separate municipality within the Rhodes regional unit, which is part of the S ...
to negotiate with the Italian Admiral Inigo Campioni for the surrender of his forces to the Allies. However, negotiations were pre-empted by a surprise German attack on the island on 9 September. He was able to escape from Rhodes during the resulting chaos while the Italian garrison was captured by the German invasion force. This was part of the Dodecanese Campaign. In 1943, he was named Commander of the Special Boat Regiment, Middle East, and he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel. He was eventually promoted to brigadier. For the remainder of the war, his SBS command conducted secretive and dangerous operations along the coasts of Italy and Yugoslavia. In 1944, he won the MC for one of these actions. At the end of the war, Jellicoe was among the first Allied soldiers to enter German-occupied
Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
, beating the communist-controlled guerrillas
ELAS The Greek People's Liberation Army ( el, Ελληνικός Λαϊκός Απελευθερωτικός Στρατός (ΕΛΑΣ), ''Ellinikós Laïkós Apeleftherotikós Stratós'' (ELAS) was the military arm of the left-wing National Liberat ...
, to create a pro-Allied presence in the capital. Years later, when First Lord of the Admiralty, Jellicoe told at least one reporter, "The only serious military distinction I ever achieved was having a new type of assault boat named after me. It was called I am ashamed to say, the Jellicoe Inflatable Intruder Mark One." In March 1944, Lord Jellicoe married Patricia Christine O'Kane (October 1917 – March 2012), who was employed at the British Embassy in
Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
. She had been born and raised in
Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...
and was the daughter of a Greenock-born Irish father and an English mother. Patricia, Countess Jellicoe (popularly known as Patsy Jellicoe), would remain married to Lord Jellicoe until 1966, when they divorced. They had two sons and two daughters together, the eldest son being the 3rd Earl Jellicoe.


HM Foreign Service 1947–1958

Soon after the war, Lord Jellicoe joined His Majesty's
Foreign Service Diplomatic service is the body of diplomats and foreign policy officers maintained by the government of a country to communicate with the governments of other countries. Diplomatic personnel obtains diplomatic immunity when they are accredited to o ...
(appointed a Foreign Service Officer, Grade 8, in the Senior Branch of the Foreign Service, 10 September 1947). He served in London (German political department, Third Secretary);
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
(Third Secretary, when Donald Maclean of the ''Cambridge five'' was Head of Chancery, and then as one of the 11 Second Secretaries with H. A. R. Philby, seeing
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
signed on 4 April 1949, all when Sir Oliver Franks was Ambassador); transferred to
Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
10 September 1951 (Head of Chancery) acted as Chargé d'Affaires in 1952); London (no. 2 in Northern department in charge of the Soviet Desk from September 1953); and Baghdad from January 1956 (First Secretary and Deputy Secretary General of the Baghdad Pact Organisation). The Suez Crisis (from July 1956) wrecked everything the Pact was trying to achieve; Jellicoe was appalled by British policy and came close to resigning (L. Windmill p. 136). Jellicoe eventually left the Foreign Office in March 1958, after marital difficulties had caused an impasse (February 1958, Permanent Secretary Sir Derek Hoyar-Millar wrote; 'You have a choice of ceasing your relationship with this lady hilippa Dunneor changing your job'). He became a director of the Cayzer dynasty's
Clan Line The Clan Line was a passenger and cargo shipping company that operated in one incarnation or another from the late nineteenth century and into the twentieth century. History Foundation and early years The company that would become the Clan Lin ...
Steamers (cargo ships), and Union Castle Steamship Co. (passengers). However, enthusiasm for his mother's family's businesses ultimately gave way to the call of the Palace of Westminster, where, back from
Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
, he took the
Oath Traditionally an oath (from Anglo-Saxon ', also called plight) is either a statement of fact or a promise taken by a sacrality as a sign of verity. A common legal substitute for those who conscientiously object to making sacred oaths is to g ...
in the Lords on 3 December 1957, in the Third Session of the 41st Parliament.


House of Lords and 1960s

Having first sat in parliament on 25 July 1939, Jellicoe waited until 28 July 1958 to make his maiden speech in the
House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminste ...
during a debate entitled "The International Situation: The Middle East". He spoke from the
Cross-Benches A crossbencher is an independent or minor party member of some legislatures, such as the British House of Lords and the Parliament of Australia. They take their name from the crossbenches, between and perpendicular to the government and Oppositi ...
about the Baghdad Pact and Iraq: By October 1958 he had joined the Conservatives, in the Lords a natural home for such a ''distinctly pink'' Whig, who gave him the honour of moving "an humble Address in Reply to Her Majesty's Most Gracious Speech" On 7 May 1959, he asked a prescient starred question on the planning of motorways: On 20 July 1959, he initiated a debate on Western aid for uncommitted countries, and by January 1961 he was a Lord-in-waiting to H.M. the Queen, a Government Whip, in Macmillan's administration. He was Joint Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Local Government June 1961 – July 1962; Minister of State, Home Office July 1962 – October 1963;
First Lord of the Admiralty The First Lord of the Admiralty, or formally the Office of the First Lord of the Admiralty, was the political head of the English and later British Royal Navy. He was the government's senior adviser on all naval affairs, responsible for the di ...
October 1963 – April 1964;
Minister of Defence for the Royal Navy The Minister of Defence for the Royal Navy was a senior ministerial appointment of the British Government established in April 1964. The office holder was the ministerial head of the Navy Department of the Ministry of Defence, and reported to the ...
April–October 1964; delegate to the Council of Europe and the Western European Union (WEU) 1965–1967; president of the National Federation of Housing Societies 1965–1970; a governor of the
Centre for Environmental Studies The Centre for Environmental Studies (CES) was an environmental think-tank in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1967 by the second Wilson government as an independent charitable trust for the purpose of advancing education and research in ...
1967–1970; chairman of the British Advisory Committee on Oil Pollution at Sea 1968; chairman of the third International Conference on oil pollution of the sea 1968; an hon. vice-president of PEST (Pressure for Economic and Social Toryism); and deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Lords 1967–1970. From April 1967 Lords Jellicoe and Carrington represented the Conservatives in the Lords on the Inter-Party conference group on Lords' reform, which came up with the unsuccessful Parliament (No.2) Bill (1968–1969). Leading the debate for the (Conservative) Opposition in November 1968 Jellicoe said: During the late 1960s he worked in the
City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London f ...
where he became chairman of British Reserve Insurance and a director of S G Warburg (Finance and Development) Ltd.


Cabinet minister and resignation

In Ted Heath's
administration Administration may refer to: Management of organizations * Management, the act of directing people towards accomplishing a goal ** Administrative Assistant, traditionally known as a Secretary, or also known as an administrative officer, admini ...
he was Minister in charge for the Civil Service Department (CSD), Lord Privy Seal (as such he was eighth on the Roll of The Lords) and
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 post is also the leader of the majority party in the House of Lords who acts as ...
from 20 June 1970 until 24 May 1973. Having earlier re-established relations with the miners' union leaders in February 1972, Heath appointed Jellicoe "energy supremo" to restore power supplies around the time of the
Three-Day Week The Three-Day Week was one of several measures introduced in the United Kingdom in 1973–1974 by Edward Heath's Conservative government to conserve electricity, the generation of which was severely restricted owing to industrial action by coal m ...
and had him set up and chair a Civil Contingencies Unit, which was, when an internal crisis arose, to operate through "COBRA" ( Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms). In June 1972 Jellicoe was sent to lead
Concorde The Aérospatiale/BAC Concorde () is a retired Franco-British supersonic airliner jointly developed and manufactured by Sud Aviation (later Aérospatiale) and the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC). Studies started in 1954, and France an ...
's first sales expedition. As Alan Trengove in ''My Lord, the super salesman'', in the Australian ''The Sun'' of 22 June 1972 put it, Trengove considered
Sir George Edwards Sir George Robert Freeman Edwards (9 July 1908 – 2 March 2003), was a British aircraft designer and industrialist.Gardner, Robert. ''From Bouncing Bombs to Concorde: The Authorised Biography of Aviation Pioneer Sir George Edwards OM,'' Sutton ...
and Sir Geoffrey Tuttle "equally impressive members of the sales team". (Supersonic flights were on the prototype Concorde G-BSST, certificate signed by
Brian Trubshaw Ernest Brian Trubshaw, CBE, MVO (29 January 1924 – 24 March 2001) was a leading test pilot, and the first British pilot to fly Concorde, in April 1969. Biography Brian Trubshaw was born in Liverpool in 1924 although he grew up in Llane ...
, and dated 15 June 1972.) Jellicoe, with the help of his very experienced Chief Whip, Michael Hicks Beach, 2nd Earl St Aldwyn, the second Earl St Aldwyn, steered the European Communities Act 1972 (UK), European Communities Act (1972) through the Lords, allowing no amendments. The Industrial Relations Act was another legislative highlight. In May 1973, Jellicoe admitted "some casual affairs" with call girls (from ''Mayfair Escorts'') in the wake of an accidental confusion with Antony Lambton, Lord Lambton's prostitution scandal. His name seems to have emerged as a result of a connection between Lambton, the madame Norma Levy, and a tenement house or community hall in Somers Town, London, Somers Town in the London district of St. Pancras called Jellicoe Hall or House, after Basil Jellicoe (1899–1935) the housing reformer and priest. The word Jellicoe was seen in Levy's notebook, and a connection was assumed to the Minister rather than the building; a structure named after the earl's distant cousin, and one that may have been opened by the Admiral himself in June 1928. The resignation ended Jellicoe's third career in government service. After the resignation (over his marginal involvement in a minor indiscretion) Richard Crossman, writing in ''The Times'', 30 May 1973 (page 18), described Jellicoe as: On return from the Whitsun recess, tributes were paid in the Lords to their departed leader: the (Labour Party) Opposition leader and Jellicoe's predecessor as Lord Privy Seal, Edward Shackleton, Baron Shackleton, Lord Shackleton said: Lord Byers for the Liberal Party added: "we regret bitterly his resignation ... He was a reforming innovator and the House owes a great deal more than it probably knows to the interest he took in this House and to his initiatives." (Hansard, 5 June 1973) From the cross-benches William Strang, 1st Baron Strang, Lord Strang added: William Kendall, general secretary of the Civil and Public Services Association, said: In July 1973, the Kenneth Diplock, Baron Diplock, Diplock Commission, which had been set up to look into the security implications of Lambton and Jellicoe's adventures, concluded its section on Jellicoe (paragraph 24):


Business and post-government public career

With no estates to distract him, Jellicoe was free to re-join S. G. Warburg & Co. (1 October 1973), and with the help of Alan Lennox-Boyd, 1st Viscount Boyd of Merton, Alan Lennox-Boyd, who was soon to retire from the board, he became a non-executive director of the sugar company Tate & Lyle in 1973, a position held until 1993. Thanks in the main to Sir (Henry) Saxon Tate, 5th Baronet, Sir Saxon Tate, and presumably because he had succeeded as chairman (until June 1978) of their subsidiary Tunnel Refineries, the family made him Tate & Lyle's first non-family chairman 1978–1983. Having revived and retrenched Tate & Lyle, Jellicoe became chairman of Booker Tate, 1988–91. Other non-governmental jobs included: chairman of engineering plant company the Davy Corporation (Davy McKee) (now subsumed into Aker Kværner) 1985–1990; director Sotheby's Holdings 1973–1993; Morgan Crucible 1974–88; Smiths Group, Smiths Industries Ltd 1973–1986; S. G. Warburg & Co 1964–1970, 1973–1988. He was president of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry 1979–1982. He succeeded Patrick Pery, 6th Earl of Limerick, Lord Limerick as chairman of the Department of Trade and Industry (United Kingdom), Department of Trade and Industry's British Overseas Trade Board (BOTB) 1983–1986, for which he was knighted. That was followed by chairmanship (1986–1990) and then the presidency (1990–1995) of the East European Trade Council (EETC). He was chairman of the Greek Fund Ltd 1988–1994 (Schroders) and of European Capital Ltd 1991–1995. Lord Jellicoe was chairman of the council of King's College London (KCL) 1974–1983; chairman of the Medical Research Council (UK), Medical Research Council (MRC) 1982–1990; a trustee of the National Aids Trust (alongside the likes of Arnold Goodman, Baron Goodman, Lord Goodman, David Puttnam and Robert Maxwell); president of the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) (and of the Institute of British Geographers (IBG) after amalgamation) 1993–1997; president of the Anglo-Hellenic League 1978–1986; president of the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust 1987–1994; president of the UK Crete Veterans Association 1991–2001; president of the British Heart Foundation (BHF) 1992–1995; chancellor (education), chancellor of Southampton University 1984–1995, and has been closely associated with research and higher education. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1990. In 1995 he helped found Hakluyt & Company, a strategic intelligence and advisory firm, for which he was a director 1996–2000. He was president of the SAS Regimental Association 1996–2000, when he became its patron. Jellicoe was a member of the Onassis International Prizes Committee (1983–1992); a vice-president of The European-Atlantic Group and of the George Byron, 6th Baron Byron, Byron Society; he was on the board of the Hellenic College London; patron of the City of Southampton Society; a patron of the Greek Archaeological Committee (UK); one of five patrons of The Community Foundation for Wiltshire and Swindon; a director of The Landscape Foundation (now dormant); patron of Friends of The Royal Hospital School; patron of the Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology; a member of the World Innovation Fund (WIF) and an associate member of INEED. In 2002 he became a patron of The Second World War Experience Centre in Leeds.


Later state contributions

He was chairman of the Lords' Select Committee on Committees (1990–1993) and President of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee (1980–1983). In 1983 he was author of the Jellicoe Report which reviewed the operation of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1976. ''The Times'' saw this appointment as the end of nine years penance in the political wilderness. Between 1963 and 1973, Jellicoe had averaged 90 House of Lords daily attendances per parliamentary session. From 1973 to 1989, his attendance fell to an average of nine appearances per session. However, between 1990 and 2001, he made an average of 72 visits per session. He maintained this rate until early 2006, though his last full speech in the Lords was made as part of the Address in Reply to Her Majesty's Most Gracious Speech (the Queen's Speech debate) on 28 October 1996; his subject was Ukraine. When the House of Lords Act 1999 removed his hereditary automatic entitlement to attend and sit in the House of Lords, he was created a life peer as Baron Jellicoe of Southampton, of Southampton in the County of Hampshire, so that he could continue to be summoned:
1. Earl Jellicoe (Lord Jellicoe of Southampton) —The Rt Hon. George Patrick John Rushworth Earl Jellicoe, having been created Baron Jellicoe of Southampton, of Southampton in the County of Hampshire, for life by Letters Patent dated 6 o'clock in the forenoon of 17th November 1999, took and subscribed the oath pursuant to statute.
Lord Jellicoe remained an active member of the House of Lords for the rest of his life. At his death in 2007, Lord Jellicoe was the longest-serving member of the House of Lords, and arguably the longest-serving parliamentarian in the world, having succeeded his father on 20 November 1935 and come of age and sat first in parliament on 25 July 1939. Because he waited until 28 July 1958 to make his maiden speech, a few peers (viz. Robert Shirley, 13th Earl Ferrers, Earl Ferrers and David Renton, Baron Renton, Lords Renton, Carrington, Denis Healey, Healey, and David Kenworthy, 11th Baron Strabolgi, Strabolgi) could have been considered to have been active parliamentarians longer. Moreover, at the time of his death, on the Privy Council only the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Duke of Edinburgh (1951) and Lords Carrington (1959), Bill Deedes, Deedes and David Renton, Baron Renton, Renton (both 1962) had served longer.


Character

In May 1973, at the time of his resignation from the government, friends are quoted as saying: In July 1970, as one of the first people to be Breathalyzer, breathalized, he was banned from driving for a year and fined 75 pounds with 20 guineas costs for having consumed more than the permitted level of alcohol in Old Brompton Road at 4 a.m. on 21 March 1970. Luck saw to it that the case came after the General Election and the ban coincided with the arrival of his right to a full-time government car. In 2000, his friend, the former British Ambassador to the United States, Nicholas Henderson, Sir Nicholas Henderson, wrote: Lorna Windmill's biography termed Jellicoe a "British Achilles" on account of two of his careers derailing as a result of women: in the 1950s for love, and in the 1970s for escorts.


Personal life

Lord Jellicoe married firstly, 23 March 1944, Patricia O'Kane (1917–2012), by whom he had two sons and two daughters. He married secondly, in 1966, Philippa, daughter of Captain (British Army and Royal Marines), Captain Philip Dunne (1904–1965), by whom he had one son and two daughters. He had eight children in total, born between 1944 and 1984. He was a member of Brooks's (since 1940), the Special Forces Club, the Ski Club of Great Britain and was a liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Mercers. He died on 22 February 2007, six weeks before his 89th birthday, at Tidcombe, Tidcombe Manor, his house in Wiltshire.


Honours

* Page of Honour (one of nine) to George VI, King George VI at his Coronation (12 May 1937) * Distinguished Service Order (DSO) (1942) * Military Cross (MC) (1944) * 1939–45 Star * Africa Star * Italy Star * 1939–45 War Medal * Légion d'honneur (France) (1945) * Croix de guerre 1939–1945, Croix de Guerre (France) (1945) * Order of Honour (Greece), Greek Order of Honour (1950) * War Cross (Greece), Greek War Cross (1950) * Privy Counsellor (PC) (1963) * Freeman of the City of Athens * Order of the British Empire, Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) (1986) * Honorary Citizenship of the Southampton (village), New York, Village of Southampton, New York (12 September 1987) * Companion of the British Institute of Management (elected 11 October 1988) * Hon. Admiral in the Texas Navy (1988) * 27 October 1988 was ''Lord Earl Jellicoe Day'' in the City of Houston * Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) (8 November 1990) * Grand Commander Order of Honour (Greece), Order of Honour (Greece, 1991) * La Medaille de la Ville de Paris (echelon vermeil), (6 June 1994) * UK life peer (1999) * 27 April 2001 was ''Earl Jellicoe Day'' in the City of Vancouver * ''Winston S. Churchill Allied Nations Award'' from World War II Veterans Committee (8 November 2003, USA). * Hon. degrees from: :*King's College London (Fellow (FKC) 1979) :*Southampton University (LLD, 1985) :*Long Island University (Doctor of Laws, 12 September 1987).


Bibliography

* ''George Jellicoe, SAS and SBS Commander'', by Nicholas Jellicoe, Pen and Sword Books Ltd, Barnsley, 2021 * ''Old Friends and Modern Instances'', by Nicholas Henderson, Profile, 2001 (all chapter nine, pages 105–116). * ''A British Achilles: The Story of George, 2nd Earl Jellicoe'', by Lorna Almonds Windmill, Pen and Sword Books Ltd, Barnsley, 2006. * ''Dod's Parliamentary Companion'', 2007. * ''Burke's Peerage'', 107th edition, 2003. * ''Review of the Operation of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1976'', by the Rt. Hon. Earl Jellicoe, DSO, MC., Command 8803, HMSO, February 1983. * ''The Boxer Rebellion'', The Fifth Wellington Lecture, University of Southampton, by the Rt Hon the Earl Jellicoe, KBE, DSO, MC, LLD, FRS, PC, University of Southampton, 1993. * ''Lord Shackleton'', by Lord Jellicoe, in ''Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society'', number 45, 1999, printed by the Cambridge University Press for the Royal Society. * ''Special Boat Squadron'', ''The Story of the SBS in the Mediterranean'', by Barrie Pitt, Century Publishing, London, 1983. * ''The Life of John Rushworth, Earl Jellicoe, G.C.B., O.M., G.C.V.O, L.L.D., D.C.L.'', by Admiral Sir R. H. Bacon, K.C.B., K.C.V.O., D.S.O., Cassell, London, Toronto, Melbourne & Sydney, 1936. * ''Tatler'', 30 August 1939. * ''News Chronicle'', 30 January 1942. * (Australian) ''The Sun'', Alan Trengove, 22 June 1972 * ''International Herald Tribune'', 21 February 1978. Article on Patricia, Countess Jellicoe by Naomi Barry. * ''Financial Weekly'', 20 April 1979, profile by Judi Bevan, page 12. * ''Country Life'', 1 July 1999, profile, with a photo by Derry Moore, 12th Earl of Drogheda, Derry Moore. * ''Twenty-One: Coming of Age in the Second World War'', by James Holland, HarperCollins, London, 2006 (whole of chapter five). * Baron Chidgey, Lord Chidgey in ''The House Magazine'', Dods, 12 February 2007. * ''House of Lords Hansard'', Monday 26 February 2007: ''Tributes: Earl Jellicoe''. * Obituaries :*''The Independent'' (Dennis Kavanagh), Saturday 24 February 2007. :*''The Times'', ''The Daily Telegraph'', & ''The Guardian'' (Andrew Roth): Monday 26 February 2007. :*''Financial Times'', (Sue Cameron): Tuesday 27 February 2007. :*''Yesterday in Parliament'', (David Wilby), BBC Radio Four, Tuesday 27 February 2007. :*''The Scotsman'', (Alasdair Steven), Wednesday 28 February 2007. :*''The Times'', (Lives Remembered, by Christopher Roberts), 28 February 2007. :*''The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald'', Thursday 1 March 2007. :*''The Week'', (a digest of the above), 3 March 2007. :*''The Spectator'', (Patrick Leigh Fermor), 3 March 2007. :*BBC Radio Four, ''Last Word'' (John Wilson), Friday 2 March 2007, (tx: circa 15:20–15:28). :*''The Herald'', Glasgow, Monday 5 March 2007. :*''The Anglo-Hellenic Review'', no. 36, Autumn 2007. * ''The Times'', and ''The Daily Telegraph'', 1 June 2007, approximate list of those who attended his memorial service at the Guards Chapel, Wellington Barracks, Guards Chapel, Wellington Barracks, London, Wellington Barracks, Birdcage Walk, St James's Park, Westminster, on 31 May 2007. :*''The Oldie'', James Hughes Onslow on Earl Jellicoe's memorial service, page 69, July 2007. * The Anglo-Hellenic League's ''reception in remembrance of its former Chairman and Patron'', Cholmondeley Room, House of Lords, 14 February 2008. Spoken tributes by Colin Moynihan, Lord Moynihan, Tryphon Kedros, Viscount Norwich, John Julius Norwich, Sir James Gowans, Dimitris Paraskevas, & the Hon. Nicholas Jellicoe. This event was reported in ''The Anglo-Hellenic Review'', no. 37, Spring 2008, page 2.


References


External links

*
Announcement of his taking the oath
for the first time as ''Baron Jellicoe of Southampton'', House of Lords Minutes of proceedings, 23 November 1999
Speech
to The Churchill Centre Inc., from proceedings of the International Churchill Societies 1994–95.

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071119112513/http://news.independent.co.uk/people/obituaries/article2300414.ece ''Independent'' obituary]
Tributes: Earl Jelicoe
Link to Hansard, Monday 26 February 2007. {{DEFAULTSORT:Jellicoe, George Jellicoe, 2nd Earl 1918 births 2007 deaths Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge British Army Commandos officers British Army personnel of World War II British diplomats Cayzer family Chancellors of the University of Southampton Coldstream Guards officers Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Conservative Party (UK) Baronesses- and Lords-in-Waiting Conservative Party (UK) life peers Crete in World War II Earls Jellicoe English bankers Fellows of King's College London Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society Fellows of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society Fellows of the Royal Society First Lords of the Admiralty Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst Grand Commanders of the Order of Honour (Greece) Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Leaders of the House of Lords Lords Privy Seal Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Ministers in the Macmillan and Douglas-Home governments, 1957–1964 People associated with King's College London People educated at St Peter's Court People educated at Winchester College People from Ventnor People from Wiltshire Presidents of the Royal Geographical Society Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France) Recipients of the Legion of Honour Recipients of the Military Cross Recipients of the War Cross (Greece) Schroders people Special Air Service officers Military personnel from Hertfordshire Special Boat Service officers 20th-century English businesspeople Children of peers and peeresses created life peers, Jellicoe Life peers created by Elizabeth II