Charles Edward Peter Neil Wood, 3rd Earl of Halifax, (born 14 March 1944) is a British peer and

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

politician. Breast Star - Knight of Grace

Background

Lord Halifax is the third child and only son of

Charles Wood, 2nd Earl of Halifax Charles Ingram Courtenay Wood, 2nd Earl of Halifax, (3 October 1912 – 19 March 1980), 4th Viscount Halifax of Monk Bretton, 6th Baronet Wood of Barnsley in the County of York, and 2nd Baron Irwin of Kirby Underdale in the County of York, was a ...

, a grandson of

Edward Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax, (16 April 1881 – 23 December 1959), known as The Lord Irwin from 1925 until 1934 and The Viscount Halifax from 1934 until 1944, was a senior British Conservative politician of the 19 ...

Viceroy of India The Governor-General of India (1773–1950, from 1858 to 1947 the Viceroy and Governor-General of India, commonly shortened to Viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom and after Indian independence in 19 ...

, and

Foreign Secretary The secretary of state for foreign, Commonwealth and development affairs, known as the foreign secretary, is a minister of the Crown of the Government of the United Kingdom and head of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Seen as ...

. His mother, Ruth Wood (née Primrose), The Countess of Halifax, was a daughter of Neil Primrose, MC MP, and a granddaughter of

Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, 1st Earl of Midlothian, (7 May 1847 – 21 May 1929) was a British Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from March 1894 to June 1895. Between the death of ...

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As modern pr ...

, and

Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby Edward George Villiers Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby, (4 April 1865 – 4 February 1948), styled Mr Edward Stanley until 1886, then The Hon Edward Stanley and then Lord Stanley from 1893 to 1908, was a British soldier, Conservative politician, d ...

COUNTESS and EARL of Halifax - Camilla and Charles wood

He was brought up at Swinford Paddocks, Newmarket, and educated at

Eton Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. Eton may also refer to: Places *Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England * Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States * Éton, a commune in the Meuse dep ...

and

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church ( la, Ædes Christi, the temple or house, '' ædēs'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, the college is uniqu ...

Career

As Peter Wood, he unsuccessfully contested

Dearne Valley The Dearne Valley is an area of South Yorkshire, England, along the River Dearne. It encompasses the towns of Wombwell, Wath-upon-Dearne, Swinton, Conisbrough and Mexborough, the large villages of Ardsley, Bolton on Dearne, Goldthorpe, T ...

as a

candidate at the February general election of 1974 and the October general election of the same year. On 19 March 1980, he succeeded to the titles of 3rd

Earl of Halifax Earl of Halifax is a title that has been created four times in British history—once in the Peerage of England, twice in the Peerage of Great Britain, and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The name of the peerage refers to Halifax, We ...

, 7th

Baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

Wood, of Barnsley in the County of York, 5th

Viscount Halifax A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicial ...

of Monk Bretton, in the West Riding of the County of Yorkshire, and 3rd Baron Irwin, of Kirby Underdale in the County of York. Lord Halifax held the office of Deputy Lieutenant (D.L.) of Humberside between 1983 and 1996. He held the office of

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

(J.P.) for Wilton Beacon in 1985 and the office of High Steward of

York Minster The Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York, commonly known as York Minster, is the cathedral of York, North Yorkshire, England, and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe. The minster is the seat of the Archbis ...

in 1988. Wood held the office of Vice-Lord-Lieutenant of the ''East Riding, Yorkshire'', in 1996. He is a Knight of St John and JP. Lord Halifax is a non-executive director of

Hambros Bank Hambros Bank was a British bank based in London. The Hambros bank was a specialist in Anglo-Scandinavian business with expertise in trade finance and investment banking, and was the sole banker to the Scandinavian kingdoms for many years. The Bank ...

, the Vice-Chairman of Christie, Manson & Woods (the European Division of

Christie's Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, at Rockefeller Center in New York City and at Alexandra House in Hong Kong. It is ...

international fine arts auctioneers), and a director of Yorkshire Post Newspapers Ltd. He serves as a Board Governor for The

Pocklington School Pocklington School is an independent school in Pocklington, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1514 by John Dolman. The school is situated in of land, on the outskirts of the small market town, from York and from Hull. ...

Foundation. He is the President of the Leeds Art Collections Fund, the Vice President of the

Yorkshire Society The Yorkshire Society is a non-political organisation founded in December 1980. It extended the philosophies of an earlier Yorkshire Society which, in 1818, wished to encourage people born, working or living in the County of Yorkshire to join an ...

, and a member of the Board of Directors of

Jockey Club The Jockey Club is the largest commercial horse racing organisation in the United Kingdom. It owns 15 of Britain's famous racecourses, including Aintree, Cheltenham, Epsom Downs and both the Rowley Mile and July Course in Newmarket, amo ...

Estates. The Earl and The Countess of Halifax are active members of the

Family

In 1976, Lord Halifax (then Lord Irwin) (who had once been minded for a potential husband of

Princess Anne Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950), is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of K ...

) married Camilla Younger, of the Scottish brewing family, former wife of Richard Parker Bowles (married in 1973 and divorced in 1976), a younger brother of

Andrew Parker Bowles Brigadier Andrew Henry Parker Bowles (born 27 December 1939) is a retired British Army officer. He is the former husband of Queen Camilla. Early life and family Andrew Parker Bowles was born on 27 December 1939 as the eldest of four children to ...

, first husband of

Camilla, Queen Consort Camilla (born Camilla Rosemary Shand, later Parker Bowles, 17 July 1947) is Queen Consort of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms as the wife of King Charles III. She became queen consort on 8 September 2022, upon the acc ...

. Andrew also had a dalliance with Princess Anne. The Countess of Halifax and The Queen Consort are former sisters-in-law. Lord and Lady Halifax have a son and a daughter: *James Charles Wood, ''Lord Irwin'' (born 24 August 1977),

heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...

to the earldom, married Georgia E. Clarkson, ''Lady Irwin'', daughter of Patrick Robert James Clarkson, QC (''son of

Cmdr Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

Robert Anthony Clarkson,

LVO The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, or ...

, RN''), and Bridget Cecilia Doyne, on 14 October 2006 at Church of St. John the Evangelist, Sutton Veny in the county of Wiltshire, England; they have issue: **Hon. Rex Patrick Wood (born 12 August 2010) **Hon. Audrey Nancy Wood (born 23 January 2013) *Lady Joanna Victoria Wood (born 15 January 1980) The Countess of Halifax also has a daughter from her first marriage with Richard Eustace Parker Bowles: *Emma Parker Bowles (born 1974). The Earl and Countess of Halifax live on the 20,000-acre family estate Garrowby Hall near

Garrowby Garrowby is a hamlet in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately north of Pocklington town centre. It lies to the north of the A166 road and forms part of the civil parish of Kirby Underdale. Garrowby Hill is the su ...

East Riding of Yorkshire The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a ceremonial county and unitary authority area in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and west, South Yorkshire to t ...

. Lady Halifax is the national president of

Macmillan Cancer Support Macmillan Cancer Support is one of the largest British charities and provides specialist health care, information and financial support to people affected by cancer. It also looks at the social, emotional and practical impact cancer can have, a ...

References

External links

*
Burke's Peerage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Halifax, Charles Wood, 3rd Earl Of 1944 births Living people People educated at Eton College Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Wood family Knights of Justice of the Order of St John Deputy Lieutenants of the East Riding of Yorkshire British people of German-Jewish descent British racehorse owners and breeders Earls of Halifax