John Astor, 3rd Baron Astor of Hever

John Jacob "Johnny" Astor VIII, 3rd Baron Astor of Hever (born 16 June 1946), is an English businessman and politician from the Astor family. He sat in the House of Lords as a Conservative hereditary peer from 1986 to his retirement in 2022. Astor was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Defence from 2010 to 2015. Astor is a Deputy Lieutenant of Kent.

The Right Honourable The Lord Astor of Hever PC DL
Lord Astor of Hever in 2019
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State For Defence
In office 11 May 2010 – 8 May 2015
Prime Minister	David Cameron
Preceded by	The Lord Drayson
Succeeded by	The Earl Howe
Lord-in-waiting Government Whip
In office 11 May 2010 – 5 September 2011
Prime Minister	David Cameron
Preceded by	The Lord Brett
Succeeded by	The Baroness Stowell of Beeston
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
as a hereditary peer 11 February 1986 – 11 November 1999
Preceded by	The 2nd Baron Astor of Hever
Succeeded by	Seat abolished [a]
as an elected hereditary peer 11 November 1999 – 22 July 2022 [b]
Preceded by	Seat established [a]
Succeeded by	The 8th Earl of Effingham
Personal details
Born	John Jacob Astor VIII (1946-06-16) 16 June 1946 (age 79)
Political party	Conservative
Spouses	Fiona Lennox-Harvey ​ ​ (m. 1970; div. 1990)​ Elizabeth Mackintosh ​ ​ (m. 1990)​
Children	5
Parent(s)	Gavin Astor, 2nd Baron Astor of Hever Lady Irene Haig
Relatives	See Astor family
Residence(s)	Westerham, Kent, England
Alma mater	Eton College
Occupation	Businessman, politician

Family background

Astor was born 16 June 1946. He is the eldest of the five children of Gavin Astor, 2nd Baron Astor of Hever, and Lady Irene Haig. Astor succeeded to the peerage after his father died from cancer in June 1984. His younger siblings are Bridget, Elizabeth, Sarah, and Philip.^[1] His maternal grandfather was Field Marshal Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig.

Education and military career

Astor was educated at Eton College before serving with the Life Guards (the senior regiment of the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry) from 1966 until 1970, where he visited Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Northern Ireland as well as ceremonial duties in London.

He worked in France for 11 years, and is now patron of the Conservatives in Paris.

Political career

In 1994, Lord Astor was a British Parliamentary Observer in Johannesburg during the South African General Election. He was a member of the Executive, Association of Conservative Peers from 1996 to 1998. In 1999 he was elected to continue as a member of the House of Lords. Astor retired from the House of Lords on 22 July 2022.^[2]

From 1998 to 2001, he served as an Opposition Spokesman on Social Security and Health from 1998 to 2003. From 2001, he has been an Opposition Spokesman for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs, and International Development, from 2003 to 2010, Opposition Spokesman for Defense, and from 2010 to 2011 a Lord in Waiting. From 2010 to 2015 he was parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Ministry of Defence. He is currently the Prime Minister's Trade Envoy to Oman and Defence Secretary's Adviser for Military Co-operation with the Sultanate of Oman.

He is former Hon. Vice-Chairman of the Conservative Middle East Council. In 1995 he piloted through the House of Lords the Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act and in 1996 the Trading Schemes Act.

Marriages and children

Astor married firstly Fiona Diana Lennox-Harvey, a daughter of Capt. Roger Harvey, on 1 July 1970.^[3] They had three daughters.^[4] They were divorced in 1990 and in the same year Astor married Elizabeth Constance Mackintosh, younger daughter of John Mackintosh, 2nd Viscount Mackintosh of Halifax. They have two children.

Arms

Coat of arms of John Astor, 3rd Baron Astor of Hever

Coronet A Coronet of a Baron Crest Rising from a Mount Vert a Falcon proper ensigned by three Mullets Or Escutcheon Argent eight Barrulets Sable over all resting on a Dexter Hand couped at the wrist proper gauntleted Gules a Falcon also Gules in chief two Fleurs de lys of the last Supporters Dexter: the figure of Aesculapius proper; Sinister: the figure of Mercury also proper Motto Ad Astra (To the stars)

See also

• Astor family

Notes

1. Under the House of Lords Act 1999.
2. Retired under section 1 of the House of Lords Reform Act 2014.