Gavin Astor, 2nd Baron Astor of Hever

Early life

Astor was born on 1 June 1918. He was the eldest son of the American born John Jacob Astor, 1st Baron Astor of Hever, and Lady Violet Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound. He had two younger brothers, Hugh and John. His mother had two children, Mary and George, from her previous marriage to Lord Charles Petty-Fitzmaurice.

His father, the fourth child of William Waldorf Astor, 1st Viscount Astor and Mary Dahlgren Paul, was only five years old when his family left New York to live in England. His mother was the third of the five children of Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto, Viceroy and Governor-General of India and Governor General of Canada, and Mary Caroline Grey (a daughter of Gen. Charles Grey, the second son of Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey).

He was educated at Eton College and New College, Oxford.

Career

After Oxford, Astor joined the Life Guards, where he reached the rank of captain.

Business positions included the chairmanship of the Times Publishing Company and life presidency of Times Newspapers Ltd, succeeding his father in 1959. He was appointed High Sheriff of Sussex in 1955.

Upon the death of his father in 1971, he inherited the barony and Hever Castle in Kent, which the family opened to tours in 1963. In 1983, Astor sold the castle to John Guthrie, chairman of the family-run business, Broadland Properties Limited.

In 1955, he founded the Astor of Hever Trust, a charity aimed to collect donations for arts, medicine, religion, education, conservation, youth, and sport.

Personal life

On 4 October 1945, Astor married Lady Irene Haig (1919–2001), youngest daughter of the late Field Marshal Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig, and Dorothy Maud Vivian Haig. Together, they had five children:

• John Jacob "Johnny" Astor VIII, 3rd Baron Astor of Hever (b. 1946), who married Fiona Diana Harvey, a daughter of Capt. Roger Harvey, in 1970. They divorced in 1990 and he married Elizabeth Mackintosh, daughter of John Mackintosh, 2nd Viscount Mackintosh, in 1990.
• Hon. Bridget Nancy Astor (b. 1948), who married Count Arthur Tarnowski, son of Count Hieronim Tarnowski, in 1980. They divorced in 1986 and she married Geofrey Richard Smith, son of James William Smith, in 1989.
• Hon. Elizabeth Louise Astor (b. 1951), who married David John Shelton Herring in 1979. They divorced in 1981 and she married David Joseph Ward, son of Joseph Ward, in 1985.
• Hon. Sarah Violet Astor (b. 1953), who married Hon. George Lopes, a son of Massey Lopes, 2nd Baron Roborough, in 1975.
• Hon. Philip Douglas Paul Astor (b. 1959), a barrister who married Justine ( Picardie) MacColl, daughter of Michael Picardie, in 2012.

Astor died of cancer in 1984 at his home near Tarland, Scotland. He was succeeded in the barony by his eldest son Johnny.

Descendants

Through his daughter Sarah, he was a grandfather of Harry Marcus George Lopes (b. 1977), who married Laura Rose Parker Bowles, the second child of Andrew Parker Bowles and Camilla Shand (later Queen Camilla), thus making her the stepdaughter of King Charles III.

References

References

1. Peter W. Hammond, editor, ''The Complete Peerage or a History of the House of Lords and All its Members From the Earliest Times, Volume XIV: Addenda & Corrigenda'' (Stroud, [[Gloucestershire]], [[U.K.]]: [[Sutton Publishing]], 1998), page 81.
2. (3 November 1962). "LORD ASTOR QUITS BRITAIN FOR EXILE; Flies to France With Wife to Save Fortune Subject to 80% Tax at Death VOICES 'DEEP REGRET' Son to Run Hever Castle-- Village Is Indignant That Law Forced Departure LORD ASTOR QUITS BRITAIN FOR EXILE". [[The New York Times]].
3. Mosley, Charles, editor. ''Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition, 2 volumes.'' Crans, [[Switzerland]]: [[Burke's Peerage]] (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 1999, volume 1, page 132.
4. (20 July 1971). "Lord Astor of Hever Is Dead, Published The Times of London. American-Born Press Lord Headed Newspaper for 37 Years. Served in House of Commons 1922-1945". [[The New York Times]].
5. "Violet Mary (née Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound), Lady Astor of Hever - National Portrait Gallery". [[National Portrait Gallery, London]].
6. {{EB1911
7. (10 July 1959). "LORD ASTOR STEPS DOWN; He Resigns as the Chairman of Times of London". [[The New York Times]].
8. {{London Gazette. (18 March 1955)
9. (9 April 1963). "Actor Family Will Open Castle to Visitors; Admission Fees for Publisher's Home to Aid in Upkeep". [[The New York Times]].
10. (22 January 1983). "CASTLE OF ASTORS SOLD IN ENGLAND". [[The New York Times]].
11. "Funds for Historic Buildings". ffhb.org.
12. (28 July 1945). "CAPT. ASTOR FIANCE OF LADY IRENE HAIG". [[The New York Times]].
13. (19 July 1970). "John J. Astor Weds Fiona Harvey". [[The New York Times]].
14. (29 June 1984). "LORD ASTOR, HEAD OF DYNASTY AND AIDE AT TIMES OF LONDON". The New York Times.
15. (6 May 2006). "Camilla's daughter marries model". BBC News.
16. (15 September 2022). "Among friends: Inside the new King and Queen Consort's inner circle".