Grey Ruthven, 2nd Earl of Gowrie
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Alexander Patrick Greysteil Ruthven, 2nd Earl of Gowrie (born 26 November 1939) was a Conservative Party politician often known as Grey Gowrie; he works in the arts.
He was educated at Eton College and Balliol College, Oxford. He obtained the earldom on the death of his grandfather in 1955, joining the Conservative frontbench in 1972 as a whip. He was later Minister for the Arts and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Gowrie resigned as Minister for the Arts in 1985 stating it was impossible for him to live in London on the £33,000 salary provided for the post.
After leaving government, he became Chairman of Sotheby's and later of the Arts Council of England - described as the appointment of a Scot, born in Ireland and living in Wales. At the Arts Council he secured the role as a distributor of funds from the national lottery and had its Royal Charter renewed.
[edit] Family
He is the elder son of Major The Hon. Alexander Hardinge Patrick Hore-Ruthven and the late Pamela Margaret Fletcher (who later married Major Derek Cooper, OBE, MC, of the Life Guards)[1]. His younger brother is Malise Ruthven.
He married Alexandra Bingley, daughter of Colonel Robert Bingley, on 1 November 1962. He and Alexandra Bingley were divorced in 1974. They had one son:
He married Adelheid Gräfin von der Schulenberg (b. 24 October 1943), sixth and youngest child and fifth and youngest daughter of Fritz Dietlof Graf von der Schulenberg (1902-10 August 1944) and his wife Charlotte Kotelmann,[1] on 2 November 1974.
[edit] Offices held
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Paul Channon |
Minister for the Arts 1983 – 1985 |
Succeeded by Richard Luce |
| Preceded by The Lord Cockfield |
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 1984 – 1985 |
Succeeded by Norman Tebbit |
| Cultural offices | ||
| Preceded by The Lord Palumbo |
Chair of the Arts Council of England 1994 – 1998 |
Succeeded by Gerry Robinson |
| Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by Alexander Hore-Ruthven |
Earl of Gowrie 1955 – present |
Incumbent Designated heir: Brer Ruthven |
| Preceded by Walter Hore-Ruthven |
Baron Ruthven of Gowrie 1956 – present |
|
[edit] References
- ^ Leo van der Pas. "Descendants of Herbert von Bismarck: Generation 21": Part XXI-88 (XX-49-1) and "Descendants of Herbert von Bismarck: Generation 22": XXII-88 (XXI-88-1); this however, mentions only two children out of six, per Countess Elisabeth von der Schulenberg's Daily Telegraph obituary. Count Fritz-Dietlof was himself fourth son (out of five sons) of Count Friedrich von der Schulenburg (d. 1939) by his wife Freda-Marie von Arnim.
