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Leon Brittan

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Not to be confused with the footballer,Leon Britton.

The Right Honourable
The Lord Brittan of Spennithorne
PCQCDL
Brittan, 57, in a portrait photograph
Brittan in 1996
Vice-President of the European Commission
In office
16 March 1999 – 15 September 1999
PresidentManuel Marín(acting)
Preceded byManuel Marín
Succeeded byNeil Kinnock
European Commission1989–1999
European Commissioner for External Relations
In office
23 January 1995 – 15 September 1999
President
Preceded byFrans Andriessen
Succeeded byThe Lord Patten of Barnes
European Commissioner for Trade
In office
6 January 1993 – 15 September 1999
President
Preceded byFrans Andriessen
Succeeded byPascal Lamy
European Commissioner for Competition
In office
6 January 1989 – 6 January 1993
PresidentJacques Delors
Preceded byPeter Sutherland
Succeeded byKarel Van Miert
Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
In office
2 September 1985 – 24 January 1986
Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcher
Preceded byNorman Tebbit
Succeeded byPaul Channon
Secretary of State for the Home Department
In office
11 June 1983 – 2 September 1985
Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcher
Preceded byWilliam Whitelaw
Succeeded byDouglas Hurd
Chief Secretary to the Treasury
In office
5 January 1981 – 11 June 1983
Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcher
Preceded byJohn Biffen
Succeeded byPeter Rees
Minister of State for Home Affairs
In office
4 May 1979 – 5 January 1981
Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcher
Preceded byThe Lord Boston of Faversham
Succeeded byPatrick Mayhew
Member of Parliament
forRichmond (Yorks)
In office
9 June 1983 – 31 December 1988
Preceded byTimothy Kitson
Succeeded byWilliam Hague
Member of Parliament
forCleveland and Whitby
In office
28 February 1974 – 13 May 1983
Preceded byJames Tinn
Succeeded byConstituency abolished
Personal details
Born
Leon Brittan

(1939-09-25)25 September 1939
London, England
Died21 January 2015(2015-01-21)(aged 75)
London, England
Political partyConservative
Spouse
Diana Peterson
​
(m.1980)​
[1]
Children2
RelativesSamuel Brittan(brother)
EducationHaberdashers' Aske's Boys' School
Alma mater
ProfessionBarrister
AwardsKnight Bachelor(1989)

Leon Brittan, Baron Brittan of Spennithorne,PC,QC,DL(25 September 1939 – 21 January 2015) was a BritishConservativepolitician andbarristerwho served as aEuropean Commissionerfrom 1989 to 1999. As amember of Parliamentfrom 1974 to 1988, he served several ministerial roles inMargaret Thatcher's government,includingHome Secretaryfrom 1983 to 1985.

Early life[edit]

Leon Brittan was born in London, the son of Rebecca (née Lipetz) and Joseph Brittan, a doctor. His parents wereLithuanian Jewswho had migrated to Britain before theSecond World War.[2]

Brittan was educated at theHaberdashers' Aske's Boys' SchoolandTrinity College, Cambridge,where he was President of theCambridge Union Societyand Chairman of theCambridge University Conservative Association.Brittan then studied atYale Universityon aHenry Fellowship.[3]Sir Samuel Brittan,the economics journalist, was his brother.[2]The former Conservative MPMalcolm Rifkindand the music producerMark Ronsonwere cousins.[4][5]

Political career[edit]

MP and minister[edit]

After unsuccessfully contesting the constituency ofKensington Northin1966and1970,he was elected to Parliament in thegeneral election of February 1974forCleveland and Whitby,and became an opposition spokesman in 1976. He was made aQueen's Counselin 1978. Between 1979 and 1981, he was Minister of State at theHome Office.He was then promoted to becomeChief Secretary to the Treasury,becoming the youngest member of theCabinet.[6]He warned cabinet colleagues that spending on social security, health and education would have to be cut "whether they like it or not".[7]

At the1983 election,Brittan was elected MP forRichmond.Following the election, he was promoted toHome Secretary,becoming the youngest sinceChurchill.[6]During the1984–85 miners' strike,Brittan was a strong critic of the leadership of theNational Union of Mineworkers.He accused them of organising violence byflying pickets,whom he described as "thugs".[8]One factor in the defeat of the strike was central control of local police forces. As soon as the strike began, Brittan set up a National Reporting Centre inNew Scotland Yardto coordinate intelligence and the supply of police officers between forces as necessary.Margaret Thatcher's government had carefully planned for a miners' strike, and aWhitehallcommittee had been meeting in secret since 1981 to prepare for a protracted dispute.[9]

In 1984, after themurder of Yvonne Fletcher,a police officer, during a protest outside theLibyan embassy in London,Brittan headed the government's crisis committee as both Thatcher and the Foreign Secretary,Sir Geoffrey Howe,were away at the time.[10]In January 2014, secret government documents released bythe National Archivesdisclosed that Libya twice warned British officials that the Libyan embassy protest would become violent – hours before WPC Fletcher was killed.[11]

In September 1986, Brittan was cleared by a High Court Judge of acting unlawfully when, as Home Secretary, he gaveMI5permission to tap the telephone of a leader of theCampaign for Nuclear Disarmament.[12]

In September 1985, Brittan was moved toSecretary of State for Trade and Industry.[13]The reason for his demotion, according toJonathan Aitken,was that the prime minister Margaret Thatcher felt that Brittan was "not getting the message across on television".[14]In her memoirs, Thatcher wrote of Brittan: "Everybody complained about his manner on television, which seemed aloof and uncomfortable."[15]

Brittan had been criticised as a poor communicator and for his role in the suppression of aBBCtelevision programme in theReal Livesseries onThe Troublesin Northern Ireland,At the Edge of the Union.[13]Brittan stated that transmission of the programme would be against the national interest and in August 1985 he wrote to the BBC chairman,Stuart Young,asking for the broadcast to be cancelled. The BBC's Board of Governors called an emergency meeting and ruled that the documentary could not be shown. The controversy led to a rift between the BBC's boards of management and governors. It also led to a day of strike action by hundreds of television and radio workers who protested against what they perceived as government censorship.[16][17]

Resignation over the Westland affair[edit]

Brittan resigned as Trade and Industry Secretary in January 1986 over theWestland affair.[18]Brittan had authorised theleakingof a letter from theSolicitor Generalthat had accusedMichael Heseltineof inaccuracies in his campaign for Westland to be rescued by a consortium of European investors.[18]The rest of the government, led by Margaret Thatcher, supported a deal with the American businessSikorsky Fiat.[18]

Jonathan Aitken wrote of Brittan's resignation: "Soon after a poisonous meeting of Tory backbenchers at the 1922 Committee, he fell on his sword. It was a combination of a witch hunt and a search for a scapegoat – tainted by an undercurrent of anti-Semitism. […] I believed what should have been obvious to anyone else, that he was being used as a lightning conductor to deflect the fire that the Prime Minister had started and inflamed".[14]It was later revealed that Brittan had attempted to persuadeBritish AerospaceandGeneral Electric Company(GEC) to withdraw from the European consortium.[18]

In October 1986, in aHouse of Commonsdebate, Brittan made a bitter attack on Michael Heseltine, accusing him of "thwarting the Government at every turn" in its handling of the Westland affair. Brittan said that Government decisions "should have the support of all its members and should not be undermined from within".[19]

In 1989, Brittan revealed in aChannel 4programme that two senior Downing Street officials,Bernard InghamandCharles Powell,had approved the leaking of the letter from the Solicitor General. Brittan's claim led to calls from some Labour MPs for a new inquiry into the Westland affair.[20]

European Commission[edit]

Sir Leon Brittan (centre) as aEuropean Commissionerin 1994

Brittan wasknightedin the1989 New Years Honours List.[21]He was madeEuropean Commissioner for Competitionat theEuropean Commissionearly in 1989,[18]resigning as an MP to take the position. He accepted the post reluctantly, as it meant giving up his British parliamentary ambitions.[22]Margaret Thatcher appointed Brittan to the Commission as a replacement forLord Cockfield,whose pro-European enthusiasm she disapproved of; however, in doing so she had overlooked Brittan's own record as a supporter of the European Union and subsequently found his views and policies at odds with those she had expected from him.[22]Brittan passed the merger regulation in 1989,[23]which enabled him to ban the ATR/De Havilland planned merger in 1991.[24]

In 1993 he becameEuropean Commissioner for Tradeand in 1995European Commissioner for External Affairs,also serving as aVice-President of the European Commission.Brittan resigned with the rest of theSanter Commissionin 1999 amid accusations of fraud againstJacques SanterandÉdith Cresson.[18]During his time as a Vice-President of the European Commission, one subsequently prominent member of his official office wasNick Clegg,[25]who became leader of theLiberal Democratsin December 2007[26]anddeputy prime ministerin May 2010.[27]

Peerage[edit]

Lord Brittan as the Prime Minister's Representative for Trade in 2011

Brittan was created alife peer(Baron Brittan of Spennithorne, ofSpennithornein theCounty of North Yorkshire) on 9 February 2000.[28]He was vice-chairman ofUBS AGInvestment Bank, non-executive director ofUnileverand member of the international advisory committee forTotal.In August 2010, Brittan was appointed a trade adviser to the UK government. Prime MinisterDavid Cameronsaid that Brittan had "unrivalled experience" for the job, which was scheduled to last for six months.[29]

Brittan's wife Diana (néeClemetson,born 1940),[1]Lady Brittan of Spennithorne, was named a Dame Commander of theOrder of the British Empire(DBE) in the2004 Birthday Honours"for public service and charity".[30]

Death[edit]

Brittan died at his London home inPimlicoon 21 January 2015, aged 75;[1]he had been ill with cancer for some time. He had two stepdaughters.[31]

False allegations[edit]

Paedophile dossier[edit]

Main article:Westminster paedophile dossier

In 1984, in his capacity as Home Secretary, Brittan was handed a40-page dossierbyGeoffrey DickensMP which detailed alleged paedophile activity in the 1980s, including, according to Dickens, allegations concerning "people in positions of power, influence and responsibility".[32][33]The whereabouts of the dossier is currently unknown.[32]Brittan denied any knowledge of the matter in an e-mail to aChannel 4 Newsreporter in 2013,[34]and later replied that he had no recollection of it to a query fromThe Independentnewspaper.[35]

Brittan later declared in 2014 that Dickens had met him at the Home Office and that he had written to Dickens on 20 March 1984, explaining what had been done about the files.[34]In an article forThe Times,journalist James Gillespie quoted a letter from Dickens dated 7 January 1984 in which he thanked Brittan for his "splendid support". He also gave examples of the allegations in the dossier, including a woman protesting that her 16-year-old son had become homosexual after working in Buckingham Palace kitchens and a civil servant advocating persons caught by Customs and Excise importing child pornography should be referred to the police.[36]

An initial review by Home Office civil servantMark Sedwillin 2013 concluded that copies of Dickens's material had "not been retained" but that Brittan had acted appropriately in dealing with the allegations. In November 2014, a review byPeter Wanlessfollowed. Wanless said there was no evidence to suggest that files had been removed to cover up abuse.[37]

Allegations pursued by Labour MP[edit]

Main articles:Elm Guest House hoaxandOperation Midland

In June 2014, Brittan was interviewed under caution by police in connection with the alleged rape of a 19-year-old student in his central London flat in 1967 before he became an MP. They had not pursued the allegation when it was first made because of insufficient evidence. The police reopened the investigation afterAlison Saunders,theDirector of Public Prosecutions,had been lobbied by Labour MPTom Watsonto investigate further.[38]In a statement on 7 July 2014, Brittan denied the claims.[39]At the time of his death, Brittan had not been told by the police that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute him for the alleged rape of the woman.[40]The deputy assistant commissioner of the Met, Steve Rodhouse, wrote a letter of apology to the solicitors of Brittan's widow.[41]

In October 2014, the Labour MPJimmy Hoodusedparliamentary privilegeto refer to claims that Brittan had been linked to child abuse.[42][43] After Brittan died in January 2015, Watson accused him of "multiple child rape"; he said he had spoken to two people who claimed they were abused by Brittan.[44]Convicted fraudster Chris Fay[45]alleged that he had seen a photograph of Brittan with a child atElm Guest Housein mid-1982.[46]In March 2015, it was reported that detectives fromOperation Midland,set up by the Metropolitan Police to investigate claims of child sex abuse, had visited and searched two homes in London and Yorkshire formerly owned by Brittan.[47]One of Brittan's accusers subsequently told BBC'sPanoramathat he originally named Brittan as a joke and told the Metropolitan Police that two well-known campaigners may have led him into making false claims.[48]On 21 March 2016, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that Operation Midland had been closed without any charges being brought.[49]

On 1 September 2017, it was reported that the Metropolitan Police had paid substantial compensation to Brittan's widow for having raided the Brittans' home "after accepting that the searches had been unjustified and should never have taken place."[50]Carl Beech, whose claims spurred Operation Midland, was convicted ofperverting the course of justicein July 2019.[51]

Honours[edit]

Brittan was created alife peerbythe Queenon the advice of Conservative Party leaderWilliam Hague.He took the titleBaron Brittan of Spennithorne,ofSpennithornein theCounty of North Yorkshireon 9 February 2000.[28]He sat with the Conservative Party benches in theHouse of Lords.

Commonwealth honours[edit]

Country Date Appointment Post-nominal letters
United Kingdom 1978 – 21 January 2015 Queen's Counsel[52] QC
United Kingdom 1981 – 21 January 2015 Member of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council PC
United Kingdom 31 December 1988 – 21 January 2015 Knight Bachelor Kt
United Kingdom 1 August 2001 – 25 September 2014 Deputy LieutenantofNorth Yorkshire[53] DL

Foreign honours[edit]

Country Date Appointment Post-nominal letters
Estonia Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana(2nd Class)

Scholastic[edit]

Chancellor, visitor, governor, rector and fellowships
Location Date School Position
England 1993–2005 Teesside University Chancellor
Honorary degrees
Location Date School Degree Gave Commencement Address
England 1990 Newcastle University Doctor of Civil Law(DCL)[54]
England 1990 University of Hull Doctor of Laws(LL.D)[55]
Scotland 1991 University of Edinburgh Doctorate[56]
England 1992 University of Bradford Doctor of Laws(LL.D)[57]
England 1992 University of Durham Doctor of Civil Law(DCL)[58]
England 1995 University of Bath Doctor of Laws(LL.D)[59]
England Teesside University Doctor of Laws(LL.D)[60]

Memberships and fellowships[edit]

Country Date Organisation Position
United Kingdom 1960 Cambridge Union President
United Kingdom 1983 – 21 January 2015 Inner Temple Bencher[61]

Arms[edit]

Coat of arms of Leon Brittan
Crest
A Wensleydale sheep guardant Argent unguled Or and supporting with the dexter forefoot a quiver Vert banded Or the arrows Gules.
Escutcheon
Or two bars engrailed Vert between three curlews' heads erased in pale Gules.
Supporters
Dexter a lion guardant Argent gorged with a plain collar attached thereto a chain reflexed over the back Or, sinister a bull guardant Argent unguled armed and gorged with a plain collar attached thereto a chain reflexed over the back Or.
Motto
Ne Umquam Desistas[62]

References[edit]

  1. ^abcLamont, Norman(10 January 2019). "Brittan, Leon, Baron Brittan of Spennithorne (1939–2015), politician".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography(online ed.). Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.013.109058.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)
  2. ^ab"Man in the News; Crisis Commander".The New York Times.23 April 1984.Retrieved7 November2016.
  3. ^[Anon.] (2016)."Brittan of Spennithorne".Who's Who.A & C Black.doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U8773.Retrieved18 May2019.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)
  4. ^Hope, Christopher (19 February 2014)."Who do they think they are? One in 11 MPs is married, related or have ancestors who sat in Commons".The Daily Telegraph.London.Retrieved20 February2014.
  5. ^"The man Amy and Lily go to when they want a hit".The Times.London. 27 January 2008.Retrieved20 February2021.
  6. ^ab"Brittan returns to Parliament as peer".BBC News.31 December 1999.Retrieved3 July2014.
  7. ^Parkhouse, Geoffrey (23 September 1982)."Brittan warns 'wets' of cuts".The Glasgow Herald.Retrieved3 July2014.
  8. ^Russell, William (13 August 1984)."Brittan keeps up attack on miners' union leaders".The Glasgow Herald.Retrieved13 January2014.
  9. ^Boxer, Andrew (2009).OCR A Level History B: The End of Consensus: Britain, 1945–90.Pearson Education. pp. 192–193.ISBN978-0-435-31237-4.
  10. ^"Aide Handled Crisis In Thatcher Style".The Palm Beach Post.Florida. 28 April 1984.Retrieved3 July2014.
  11. ^"National Archives: Libya warned Britain before WPc Yvonne Fletcher was shot, secret papers show".The Daily Telegraph.London. 3 January 2014.Retrieved3 July2014.
  12. ^"Judge clears Brittan over phone tap on CND leader".The Glasgow Herald.3 September 1986.Retrieved11 March2014.
  13. ^ab"Thatcher's biggest-ever cabinet shuffle sees Home Secretary Brittan demoted".The Montreal Gazette.3 September 1985.Retrieved13 January2014.
  14. ^abAitken, Jonathan (2013).Margaret Thatcher: Power and Personality.London: Bloomsbury. p.514.ISBN978-1-4088-3184-7.
  15. ^Castle, Stephen (27 January 2015)."Leon Brittan, 75, Dies; Quit Thatcher Cabinet in Leak Case".The New York Times.Retrieved22 August2015.
  16. ^"The BBC Story: Real Lives 1985".BBC.Retrieved13 January2014.
  17. ^"BBC set for confrontation with Brittan".The Glasgow Herald.7 August 1985.Retrieved16 January2014.
  18. ^abcdef"1986: Leon Brittan quits over Westland".On This Day.BBC. 24 January 1986.Retrieved28 October2012.
  19. ^McGregor, Stephen (30 October 1986)."Thatcher accused of Westland plot".The Glasgow Herald.Retrieved8 February2014.
  20. ^Trotter, Stuart (6 April 1989)."Westland affair re-opened by Brittan".The Glasgow Herald.Retrieved8 February2014.
  21. ^"The Rt. Hon. The Lord (Leon) Brittan of Spennithorne QC DL"(biography). Industry Forum Ltd. Archived fromthe originalon 26 July 2011.
  22. ^abLangdon, Julia(22 January 2015)."Lord Brittan of Spennithorne obituary".The Guardian.London.Retrieved23 January2015.
  23. ^"Council Regulation (EEC) No 4064/89 of 21 December 1989 on the control of concentrations between undertakings".Eur Lex.Retrieved13 April2020.
  24. ^"91/619/EEC: Commission Decision of 2 October 1991 declaring the incompatibility with the common market of a concentration (Case No IV/M.053 – Aerospatiale- Alenia/de Havilland) – Council Regulation (EEC) No 4064/89".Eur Lex.Retrieved13 April2020.
  25. ^"Nick Clegg".Liberal Democrats. Archived fromthe originalon 20 May 2011.
  26. ^"Nick Clegg is new Lib Dem leader".BBC News.18 December 2007.Retrieved19 November2014.
  27. ^"David Cameron is UK's new prime minister".BBC News.12 May 2010.Retrieved19 November2014.
  28. ^ab"No. 55762".The London Gazette.14 February 2000. p. 1611.
  29. ^"Ex-Home Secretary Lord Brittan made trade adviser".BBC News.19 August 2010.Retrieved20 February2021.
  30. ^"No. 57315".The London Gazette(1st supplement). 12 June 2004. p. 6.
  31. ^Mason, Rowena (22 January 2015)."Leon Brittan, former home secretary, dies aged 75".The Guardian.London.Retrieved22 January2015.
  32. ^abBoffey, Daniel (6 July 2014)."Tebbit hints at political cover-up over child abuse in 1980s".The Guardian.London.Retrieved6 July2014.
  33. ^"Tory MP warned of powerful paedophile ring 30 years ago".The Independent.London. 22 February 2013.Retrieved6 July2014.
  34. ^abO'Brien, Paraic (2 July 2014)."Leon Brittan: I was handed 'paedophile' dossier".Channel 4 News.Retrieved3 July2014.
  35. ^Hickman, Martin (3 March 2013)."Police failings put dozens of children at risk from notorious paedophile ring".The Independent.London.Retrieved3 July2014.
  36. ^Gillespie, James (25 January 2015)."New evidence 'clears' Brittan over MP's paedophile dossier".The Times.London.Retrieved15 May2019.
  37. ^"'No cover-up found' in abuse review by Peter Wanless ".BBC News.Manchester. 11 November 2014.Retrieved11 November2014.
  38. ^Merrill, Jamie (6 July 2014)."Exclusive: Lord Brittan questioned by police over rape allegation".The Independent on Sunday.London.Retrieved6 July2014.
  39. ^"Brittan says historical rape claim 'wholly unfounded'".BBC News.7 July 2014.Retrieved7 July2014.
  40. ^Hanning, James (28 June 2015)."Lord Brittan police failed to tell dying peer he would not face prosecution despite legal advice".The Independent.London.Retrieved28 June2015.
  41. ^Halliday, Josh (7 October 2015)."Scotland Yard apologises to Lord Brittan's widow over rape claim".The Guardian.London.Retrieved8 October2015.
  42. ^Dominiczak, Peter (26 October 2014)."Labour MP is condemned for linking Leon Brittan to child abuse".The Daily Telegraph.London.Retrieved20 February2021.
  43. ^"Coalfield Communities".Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).House of Commons. 28 October 2014. col. 255.Retrieved19 November2014.
  44. ^Millmo, Cahal (25 January 2015)."Leon Brittan sex abuse allegations: Two come forward to claim they were abused by former Home Secretary".The Independent on Sunday.London.Retrieved20 February2021.
  45. ^Mendick, Robert (26 September 2015)."'VIP child abuse ring' accuser served time in prison for fraud ".The Daily Telegraph.London.Retrieved30 July2019.
  46. ^Hanning, James (25 January 2015)."Lord Brittan: The accusations against the former Home Secretary that refused to die".The Independent on Sunday.London.Retrieved8 February2015.
  47. ^Barrett, David (8 March 2015)."Police search home of Lord Bramall as part of paedophile sex abuse inquiry".The Daily Telegraph.London.Retrieved20 February2021.
  48. ^Halliday, Josh (7 October 2015)."Panorama report: sex abuse claim against Leon Brittan 'began as joke'".The Guardian.London.Retrieved30 July2019.
  49. ^Laville, Sandra; Syal, Rajeev (21 March 2016)."Operation Midland: inquiry into alleged VIP paedophile ring collapses".The Guardian.London.Retrieved22 March2016.
  50. ^Evans, Martin (1 September 2017)."Met Police pays compensation to Lord Bramall and Lady Brittan over disastrous Operation Midland investigation".The Daily Telegraph.London.Retrieved2 September2017.
  51. ^Evans, Martin (22 July 2019)."Carl Beech aka Nick found guilty of making up Westminster VIP paedophile ring".The Daily Telegraph.Retrieved22 July2019.
  52. ^"Sir Leon Brittan European Commission Vice President"(PDF).University of Pittsburgh.Retrieved2 September2021.
  53. ^"Deputy Lieutenant Commissions Lieutenancy of the County of North Yorkshire".The London Gazette.Retrieved2 September2021.
  54. ^"Newcastle University Honorary Graduates"(PDF).Newcastle University.Retrieved2 September2021.
  55. ^"Sir Leon Brittan European Commission Vice President"(PDF).University of Pittsburgh.Retrieved2 September2021.
  56. ^"University of Edinburgh Honorary Graduates Database".University of Edinburgh.Archived fromthe originalon 1 September 2015.Retrieved2 September2021.
  57. ^"Sir Leon Brittan European Commission Vice President"(PDF).University of Pittsburgh.Retrieved2 September2021.
  58. ^"University of Durham Honorary Degrees".University of Durham.Retrieved3 September2021.
  59. ^"Honorary graduates, 1990 to 1999".University of Bath.Retrieved2 September2021.
  60. ^"Teesside University Honorary Graduates".Teesside University.Retrieved3 September2021.
  61. ^"Sir Leon Brittan European Commission Vice President"(PDF).University of Pittsburgh.Retrieved2 September2021.
  62. ^Debrett's Peerage.2008.

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