| Date | 1963 |
|---|---|
| Reference | EPM-0018 |
| Volume | Eton Prime Ministers, Volume 1 |
| Collection | Eton Prime Ministers |
| Born: | 2 Jul 1903 in London |
| Died: | 9 Oct 1995 |
| Affiliation: | Conservative |
| PM: | 18 Oct 1963 to 16 Oct 1964 |
| Length: | 363 days |
| Title: | 1951 – 1995: 14th Earl of Home 1951 – 1995: Baron Douglas of Douglas 1963 – 1995: Earl of Home 1963 – 1995: Lord Home 1963 – 1995: Lord Dunglas 1974 – 1995: Baron Home of the Hirsel of Coldstream Other (Hansard): 1951 – 1995: Earl of Home 1951 – 1995 Lord Dunglas 1951 – 1995 Lord Home |
| At Eton: | c. 1916 to 1921 |
| Constituencies: | 27 Oct 1931 – 5 Jul 1945: Lanark 23 Feb 1950 – 11 Jul 1951: Lanark 7 Nov 1963 – 10 Oct 1974: Kinross and West Perthshire |
| Offices: | 1935 – 1940: PPS 1951 – 1955: Minister of State 1960 – 1963: Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs 1963 – 1964: Prime Minister |
| Timeline: | 1903: Born Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home in Mayfair, London, into an aristocratic Scottish family. Styled Lord Dunglass from 1918 until he inherited the earldom in 1951. 1910s–1920s: Educated at Ludgrove School, then Eton College. Studied history and politics at Christ Church, Oxford. He was a talented cricketer playing first-class cricket for Oxford University and Middlesex. 1924: Served in the Territorial Army as a lieutenant in the Lanarkshire Yeomanry, and was promoted to captain in 1928. 1931: Elected MP for Lanark. 1936–1940: Served as Private Secretary to Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. Present during key moments leading up to WWII (including the Munich Agreement). 1940: Diagnosed with spinal tuberculosis; spends two years recovering in a plaster cast. Did not serve in WWII due to illness. 1945: Lost seat in post-war Labour landslide. 1951: Inherited his father’s title and became the 14th Earl of Home. Moved to the House of Lords. 1955–1960: Served in various roles, including Minister of State for Scottish Affairs and Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations. 1960–1963: Appointed Foreign Secretary under Harold Macmillan. 1963: In October, following Macmillan’s resignation, the Queen appointed Home as Prime Minister. He was a controversial choice was seen as old-fashioned and aristocratic. 1963: On 23rd October, he renounced his peerage under the Peerage Act 1963 to sit in the House of Commons. Wins a by-election to become MP for Kinross and West Perthshire. 1964: In October, called a general election; Conservatives lost to Harold Wilson’s Labour Party. His term as Prime Minister lasted just under one year. 1964–1974: Remained an MP and senior Conservative figure. Returned as Foreign Secretary (1970–1974) under Edward Heath, helping to negotiate with Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). 1974: Retired from the House of Commons. Re-entered the House of Lords as a life peer, Baron Home of the Hirsel. 1980s–1990s: Published his memoirs ‘The Way the Wind Blows‘ (1976) and lived quietly at The Hirsel, his estate in Berwickshire. 1995: Died, aged 92. |
| Notable: | Last Prime Minister from the House of Lords (though renounced title to govern from Commons) and was known for modesty, charm, and traditional aristocratic demeanor. Often underestimated, but respected across party lines. His premiership was the briefest of the 20th Century, lasting two days short of a year. He represented Britain at the funeral of assassinated US President John F. Kennedy in November 1963. |
| Sources: | History of the UK Government Britannica Eton College National Portrait Gallery Museum of Prime Ministers Wikipedia Hansard (1803-2005) |
| Windlesora: |