John Jacob "Johnny" Astor VIII, 3rd Baron Astor of Hever, (born 16 June 1946) is an English businessman and politician from the Astor family. He sat in the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...

as an Conservative

hereditary peer The hereditary peers form part of the peerage in the United Kingdom. As of September 2022, there are 807 hereditary peers: 29 dukes (including five royal dukes), 34 marquesses, 190 earls, 111 viscounts, and 443 barons (disregarding subsid ...

from 1986 to his retirement in 2022. Astor was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Defence from 2010–2015. Astor is a Deputy Lieutenant of

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

Family background

Astor was born 16 June 1946. He is the eldest of the five children of

Gavin Astor, 2nd Baron Astor of Hever Gavin Astor, 2nd Baron Astor of Hever (1 June 1918 – 28 June 1984), was an English soldier, publisher, peer, and member of the Astor family. Biography Astor was the eldest son of John Jacob Astor, 1st Baron Astor of Hever (1886–1971), an ...

, and Lady Irene Haig. Astor succeeded to the peerage after his father died from cancer in June 1984. His younger siblings are Bridget, Elizabeth, Sarah, and Philip.

Education and military career

Astor was educated at

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...

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 Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

, Hong Kong, and

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

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

. Astor retired from the House of Lords on 22 July 2022. 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. From 2010–2015 he was parliamentary under-secretary of state at the

Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...

. He is currently the Prime Minister's Trade Envoy to Oman and Defence Secretary's Adviser for Military Co-operation with the Sultanate of Oman. 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 married firstly Fiona Diana Lennox-Harvey on 1 July 1970. They had three daughters together:Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 107th edition, 2 volumes. Crans, Switzerland: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 1999. p.308 *Camilla Fiona Astor (born 8 May 1974) she married Dominic M. Trusted and they have one daughter: **Raya Trusted (March 2008) *Tania Jentie Astor (born 18 April 1978) *Violet Magdalene Astor (born 1980) They were divorced in 1990 and in the same year Astor married

Elizabeth Mackintosh Josephine Tey was a pseudonym used by Elizabeth MacKintosh (25 July 1896 – 13 February 1952), a Scottish author. Her novel ''The Daughter of Time'' was a detective work investigating the role of Richard III of England in the death of the Prin ...

, younger daughter of John Mackintosh, 2nd Viscount Mackintosh of Halifax. They had two children: *Charles Gavin John Astor (born 10 November 1990). In June 2017, he married Princess Eliane Marie Ghislain

de Merode The House of Merode is one of the most prominent families of the Belgian nobility. The House of Merode originates from the village of Merode (today in the municipality of Langerwehe, Germany). Over the last five centuries different branches b ...

. Their daughter, Astrid, was born in Sept. 2020. *Olivia Alexandra Elizabeth Astor (born 21 August 1992)

References

Arms

External links

*
Lord Astor
on the

Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...

's website

onorary Member of the Lions Club Walldorf-Astoria (Germany) {{DEFAULTSORT:Astor of Hever, John Astor, 3rd Baron 1946 births Living people People educated at Eton College British Life Guards officers English people of American descent English people of German descent English people of Irish descent English people of Scottish descent Livingston family John Barons Astor of Hever Conservative Party (UK) hereditary peers Hereditary peers elected under the House of Lords Act Deputy Lieutenants of Kent People from Westerham English politicians English businesspeople Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom