Aretas Akers-Douglas, 2nd Viscount Chilston, (17 February 1876 – 25 July 1947), was a British diplomat. He was Ambassador to the Soviet Union between 1933 and 1938.

Background and education

Chilston was born in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, the son of

Aretas Akers-Douglas, 1st Viscount Chilston Aretas Akers-Douglas, 1st Viscount Chilston, (21 October 1851 – 15 January 1926), born Aretas Akers, was a British Conservative statesman who sat in the House of Commons from 1880 until he was raised to the peerage in 1911. He notably serv ...

, and Adeline Mary, daughter of Horatio Austen-Smith. He was educated at Eton.thepeerage.com Aretas Akers-Douglas, 2nd Viscount Chilston
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Diplomatic career

Akers-Douglas entered the Diplomatic Service in 1898, and was appointed a Third Secretary in December 1900. He was an officer in the 3rd (

Militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

) Battalion of The Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment), where he was appointed

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

on 15 April 1899. He was seconded for service in

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning the North Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via a land bridg ...

on 14 March 1900. He held minor positions before being appointed Ambassador to Austria in 1921, a post he held until 1928. He then served as Ambassador to Hungary between 1928 and 1933 and as Ambassador to the Soviet Union between 1933 and 1938. He was appointed a CMG in 1918, a KCMG in 1927 and a GCMG in 1935 and was sworn of the

Privy Council A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mo ...

in 1939.

Family

Lord Chilston married Amy, daughter of Major John Robert Jennings-Bramly, in 1903. They had two sons, of whom the eldest, the Hon. Aretas, was killed in a motor accident in 1940. Lord Chilston died in July 1947, aged 71, and was succeeded in the viscountcy by his second and only surviving son, Eric. Lady Chilston died in August 1962.

References

External links

* 1876 births 1947 deaths People educated at Eton College Viscounts in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Austria Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to the Soviet Union Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Hungary Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom {{UK-diplomat-stub