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Alexander Douglas-HomeScottish aristocrat, Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1963 to 1964
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 Great Britain |
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Alexander Douglas-Home: Biography
Alexander Douglas-Home, also known as Lord Home, was a Scottish aristocrat and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1963 to 1964. He was the last member of the House of Lords to be appointed as Prime Minister, and the last head of government to come from an aristocratic family. He was also the last Prime Minister whose candidacy was personally chosen by the monarch, Queen Elizabeth II.
Early Life and Career
Alexander Douglas-Home was born into an aristocratic family, with the surname and title of his family (Home) pronounced as "Hume." In his youth, he was a professional cricket player and was known as "Lord Dunglas" until his father's death. He even played for the national team.
In 1934, he was first elected to the House of Commons and served intermittently until 1951, always as a member of the Conservative Party. From 1960 to 1963 and from 1970 to 1974, he held the position of Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom.
Prime Ministership and Later Life
Douglas-Home's premiership was short-lived. He assumed the position due to the unexpected illness of Harold Macmillan, who was mistakenly diagnosed with a fatal condition. Douglas-Home resigned the following year after losing the elections to the Labour Party, led by Harold Wilson. His cabinet, like his predecessor's, faced the consequences of the Profumo scandal, although the Labour Party's victory was marginal.
After leaving office, Douglas-Home carried out internal party reforms, supported the election of Edward Heath as the new leader of the Conservative Party, and remained loyal to him. In 1970, he once again became the Foreign Secretary in Heath's cabinet. In 1974, Douglas-Home returned to the House of Lords as a life peer with the title of Baron Home of the Hirsel.
Following the death of Sir Alec Douglas-Home in 1995, his son David succeeded him as the 15th Earl of Home and also took his place in the House of Lords, which he retained even after parliamentary reform.
