Alexander Chancellor facts for kids

Alexander Surtees Chancellor, CBE (born January 4, 1940 – died January 28, 2017) was a well-known British journalist and editor. He is most famous for being the editor of a magazine called The Spectator from 1975 to 1984. He was also awarded the CBE, which is a special honor in Britain.

Who Was Alexander Chancellor?

Alexander Chancellor was an important figure in British journalism. He spent many years working for different newspapers and magazines. He was known for his smart writing and for making magazines more interesting.

Early Life and Education

Alexander Chancellor was born in 1940 in Dane End, a village in Hertfordshire, England. He was one of four children. His father, Christopher Chancellor, was also a journalist. Alexander went to two famous schools: Eton College and Trinity Hall, Cambridge.

Becoming a Journalist

Alexander Chancellor started his career as a journalist at Reuters. This was a news agency where his father had also worked. He traveled a lot for his job, reporting from countries like France and Italy.

Leading The Spectator Magazine

In 1975, Alexander came back to Britain. He became the editor of The Spectator, a magazine that focused on politics and culture. When he took over, the magazine was having money problems. Alexander decided to make big changes. He hired many new writers, including famous names like Auberon Waugh and Christopher Hitchens. He also changed the magazine's style. The Guardian newspaper later said that The Spectator became "an entertaining magazine." Because of his changes, the number of people buying the magazine almost doubled. It went from 12,000 to 20,000 copies. Alexander left The Spectator in the mid-1980s.

Working in America and Other Roles

After leaving The Spectator, Alexander worked at The Sunday Telegraph newspaper. In 1986, he became the first Washington correspondent for a new newspaper called The Independent. A correspondent is a reporter who covers news from a specific place. He also helped start and edit The Independent's first Saturday magazine.

In 1993, Alexander spent a year in the United States. He worked as an editor at The New Yorker magazine. He was in charge of a section called "Talk of the Town." During this time, he once joked about finding a "gigantic Christmas tree outside Rockefeller Center." This experience later inspired a book he wrote called Some Times in America, published in 2000. The book was funny but also showed his love for New York and the United States.

After his time in America, Alexander returned to The Sunday Telegraph in 1995. He helped launch a new magazine section there. In 1996, he started writing a column for The Guardian newspaper. He continued writing for them until 2012. Soon after, he began writing for The Spectator again, with a column called "Long Life." In 2014, Alexander became the editor of The Oldie magazine.

Family and Later Life

Alexander Chancellor lived in Northamptonshire, England. In 1964, he married Susanna Debenham. They had two daughters: Cecilia Chancellor, who became a model, and Eliza Chancellor. Eliza married the writer Alexander Waugh. Alexander Chancellor was also the grandson of Sir John Chancellor. He was also the uncle of the British actress Anna Chancellor.

In 2012, Alexander Chancellor was given a special honor. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his important work in journalism.

Alexander Chancellor passed away in London on January 28, 2017, at the age of 77. His very last column for The Spectator was published on the same day he died.