David Hennessy, 3rd Baron Windlesham

"Baron Hennessy" redirects here. For the historian, see Peter Hennessy.

David James George Hennessy, 3rd Baron Windlesham, Baron Hennessy, CVO, PC, FBA (28 January 1932 – 21 December 2010^[1]) was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom who held visiting professorships at various universities.

The Right Honourable The Lord Windlesham CVO PC FBA
Leader of the House of Lords Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal
In office 23 May 1973 – 4 March 1974
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Edward Heath
Preceded by	The Earl Jellicoe
Succeeded by	The Lord Shepherd
Minister of State for Northern Ireland
In office 26 March 1972 – 5 June 1973
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Edward Heath
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	The Lord Belstead (as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State)
Minister of State for Home Affairs
In office 23 June 1970 – 26 March 1972
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Edward Heath
Preceded by	Shirley Williams
Succeeded by	The Viscount Colville of Culross
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
as a hereditary peer 20 February 1963 – 11 November 1999
Preceded by	The 2nd Baron Windlesham
Succeeded by	Seat abolished
as a life peer 17 November 1999 – 21 December 2010
Personal details
Born	28 January 1932
Died	21 December 2010(2010-12-21) (aged 78)
Political party	Conservative
Alma mater	Trinity College, Oxford

Early life

Hennessy, an Anglo-Irish peer, was educated at Ampleforth College and Trinity College, Oxford, earning a Master of Arts in Jurisprudence in 1957.^[2] He did his National Service with the Grenadier Guards in Tripoli.^[2] His father, James Hennessy, 2nd Baron Windlesham, was a Lieutenant General in the Grenadier Guards. They are closely related to the Franco-Irish Cognac Hennessy family.

Political career

Hennessy was elected to Westminster Borough Council in 1958 to 1962,^[2] unsuccessfully contested Tottenham in 1959, and entered the House of Lords as the 3rd Baron Windlesham upon his father's death in 1962, who died in a helicopter accident at sea, having been a brigadier in the Grenadier Guards. He joined the Government as Minister of State in the Home Office in 1970 to 1972; and from 1972 to 1973, in the Northern Ireland Office, after which he became Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lords in June 1973 until October 1974.^[2] He was appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in the 1981 New Year's Honours.^[3] On 16 November 1999, he was created Baron Hennessy, of Windlesham in the County of Surrey^[4] after the House of Lords Act 1999, so that he could continue sitting in the Lords.

Media

He worked for Associated-Rediffusion and was involved in This Week. He later joined the board of Rediffusion as Chief Programme Executive.^[2] His TV career continued as managing director of Grampian (1967–1970) and managing director of the ATV network (1974–1981).^[2] He was a director of The Observer from 1981 to 1989.^[2]

Academic

Hennessy returned to Oxford, where he earned a DLitt,^{[citation needed]} and was principal of Brasenose College from 1989 to 2002.^[2] He had also been a visiting professor at Princeton University in 1997 and 2002 to 2003.^[2]

Family

Baron Windlesham married the fashion journalist and author Prudence Glynn in 1965. She died in 1986; he is survived by a son, James, and a daughter, Victoria.^[2]

Arms

Coat of arms of David Hennessy, 3rd Baron Windlesham

Crest In front of a dexter arm embowed in armour the hand grasping a battle-axe a trefoil slipped and a red rose stalked and saltirewise all Proper. Escutcheon Gules a boar passant Proper on a chief Or a trefoil slipped Vert between two roses of the field barbed and seeded also Proper. Supporters On either side an officer of the Irish Brigade in the service of the King of France in the 18th century Proper the dexter supporting with the exterior hand a gold mounted and tasselled staff Proper. Motto Vi Vivo Et Armis[5][full citation needed]