Ministerial offices

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
In office 28 November 1990 – 10 April 1992
Prime Minister	John Major
Preceded by	Kenneth Baker
Succeeded by	William Waldegrave
Secretary of State for the Environment
In office 24 July 1989 – 28 November 1990
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	Nicholas Ridley
Succeeded by	Michael Heseltine
Minister for Overseas Development
In office 10 September 1986 – 24 July 1989
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	Timothy Raison
Succeeded by	Lynda Chalker

Parliamentary offices

Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
Incumbent
Assumed office 11 January 2005 Life peerage
President of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong
In office 9 July 1992 – 19 February 1993
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Deputy	Sir John Joseph Swaine
Preceded by	David Wilson
Succeeded by	Sir John Joseph Swaine
Member of Parliament for Bath
In office 3 May 1979 – 16 March 1992
Preceded by	Edward Brown
Succeeded by	Don Foster

Academic positions

Chancellor of Newcastle University
In office 5 October 1999 – 5 October 2009
Vice Chancellor	James Wright Christopher Edwards Chris Brink
Preceded by	Matthew White Ridley
Succeeded by	Liam Donaldson

Chairman of the BBC Trust

In office
1 May 2011 – 6 May 2014

Preceded by

Sir Michael Lyons

Succeeded by

Diane Coyle (acting)
Rona Fairhead, Baroness Fairhead

Personal details

Born

Christopher Francis Patten

12 May 1944 (age 81)
Cleveleys, Lancashire, England

Political party

Conservative

Spouse

Lavender Thornton

(m. 1971)

Children

3, including Alice

Education

St Benedict's School, Ealing

Alma mater

Balliol College, Oxford (BA)

Awards

Order of the Companions of Honour (1998)
Commander of the Legion of Honour (2016)
Order of the Garter (2023)

Chinese name

Chinese

彭定康

Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Péng Dìngkāng
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutping	paang4 ding6 hong1

Christopher Francis Patten, Baron Patten of Barnes, also known as Lord Patten, is a well-known British politician. He was born on 12 May 1944. He is famous for being the last Governor of Hong Kong from 1992 to 1997. Before that, he was the Chairman of the Conservative Party in the UK. After his time in Hong Kong, he became a life peer in 2005, which means he can sit in the House of Lords. He also served as the Chancellor of the University of Oxford for many years.

Early Life and Education
A Career in Politics
- Becoming an MP
- Working in Government
Leading Hong Kong
- The Last Governor
- Electoral Reforms and Criticism
After Hong Kong
His Views on Hong Kong
Personal Life
In the Media
Awards and Recognition
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Education

Christopher Patten was born in Thornton-Cleveleys in Lancashire, England. His family was Irish Catholic and he grew up in west London. His father, Frank, was a music publisher.

Patten went to a Catholic primary school, Our Lady of the Visitation. He then received a scholarship to St Benedict's School in Ealing. After school, he studied history at Balliol College, Oxford, and graduated in 1965.

After university, Patten worked for the Conservative Party starting in 1966. He worked in their research department, helping the party with information and strategies.

A Career in Politics

Becoming an MP

In 1979, Christopher Patten was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the area of Bath. He represented Bath in the UK Parliament until 1992.

Working in Government

Patten held several important roles in the government. In 1983, he became a junior minister for Northern Ireland. Later, he worked in the Department of Education and Science.

From 1986 to 1989, he was the Minister for Overseas Development. This role involved helping other countries with development projects.

In 1989, he joined the main government team, known as the Cabinet. He became the Secretary of State for the Environment. In this role, he was responsible for a new tax called the "Poll Tax," which was very unpopular. He also helped create the Environmental Protection Act 1990, a big law about protecting the environment.

In 1990, John Major became Prime Minister. He made Patten the Chairman of the Conservative Party. Patten was in charge of the party's campaign for the 1992 general election. He helped the Conservative Party win the election, which was a surprise to many. However, he lost his own seat as an MP for Bath in that election.

Leading Hong Kong

The Last Governor

After losing his MP seat, Christopher Patten was appointed the 28th and last governor of Hong Kong in July 1992. His job was to prepare Hong Kong for its transfer to China in 1997. He was given a Chinese name, Pang Ding-hong (Chinese: 彭定康), which means "stability" and "calm; joyous; healthy."

Unlike previous governors, Patten was not a career diplomat. He tried to connect with the people of Hong Kong. He was known for taking walks in public and was often in the news. People in Hong Kong even gave him a nickname, Fat Pang (Chinese: 肥彭), which means "Fat Patten."

Patten's time as governor was challenging. Many people in Hong Kong were still worried after the Tiananmen Square massacre in China. Patten's government worked to improve social welfare programs. He also introduced democratic reforms to the election system.

Electoral Reforms and Criticism

Patten's most debated actions were his electoral reforms in 1994. He changed how members of the Legislative Council were elected. This meant that almost every person in Hong Kong could vote for these members. In 1995, the Legislative Council became fully elected for the first time.

These changes were strongly criticized by Chinese officials and pro-Beijing groups in Hong Kong. Some Chinese media called him a "sinner." The Legislative Council elected under Patten was dissolved when Hong Kong was handed over to China. A new, less democratic council was put in its place.

On 1 July 1997, at midnight, British rule in Hong Kong officially ended. Patten sent a final telegram: "I have relinquished the administration of this government. God Save The Queen. Patten." He left Hong Kong with Prince Charles on the royal yacht. Patten was visibly emotional during the handover ceremony. He has said that his time as governor was a happy one for him and his family.

After Hong Kong

Patten in 1999

After his time in Hong Kong, Patten took on other important roles.

Northern Ireland Peace Process

From 1998 to 1999, he led the Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland. This group was part of the Belfast Agreement, which aimed to bring peace to Northern Ireland. The commission's report, known as the Patten Report, suggested many changes. These changes led to the creation of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

European Role

Patten with Brian Cowen, Colin Powell and Javier Solana in March 2004

In 1999, Patten became a European Commissioner for External Relations. He was responsible for the European Union's development programs and working with other countries. He held this position until 2004. He dealt with many foreign policy issues, including the Iraq War. He also strongly supported Turkey joining the European Union.

University and BBC Roles

Patten was the Chancellor of Newcastle University from 1999 to 2009. In 2003, he was elected Chancellor of the University of Oxford, a very prestigious role. He retired from this position in July 2024.

In 2011, he was appointed Chairman of the BBC Trust, which oversees the BBC. He resigned from this role in 2014 due to health reasons.

His Views on Hong Kong

After leaving Hong Kong, Patten did not comment much on its affairs for a while. However, in recent years, he has shared his thoughts more often.

He believes that Hong Kong's citizens should have more say in their government. He has said that political and economic freedoms are connected. If one is reduced, the other will be affected.

Patten has often stressed that the Sino-British Joint Declaration is an international agreement. This agreement guaranteed that Hong Kong would remain largely unchanged for 50 years after the handover. He believes the UK has a responsibility to ensure this agreement is respected.

He has criticized actions that he feels interfere with Hong Kong's independence and freedoms. He has also praised Hong Kong citizens who have moved to the UK for their contributions.

Personal Life

Patten married Lavender Thornton in 1971. They have three daughters, including the actress Alice Patten.

In 2005, he published his memoirs, Not Quite the Diplomat. He is a Catholic and helped with Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United Kingdom in 2010. In 2014, Pope Francis asked Patten to advise the Vatican on its media strategy.

In the Media

Patten was featured in a 5-part documentary series called The Last Governor. This series was filmed during his time in Hong Kong and showed his arrival, key moments, and his final day in office.

Awards and Recognition

Viceregal styles of Christopher Patten (1992–1997)

Reference style	His Excellency the Right Honourable
Spoken style	Your Excellency

Arms as displayed at St George's Chapel, Windsor

Christopher Patten has received several important honours. In 1998, he was made a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH). In April 2023, King Charles III appointed him a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter (KG), which is a very high honour.

In 2016, he was made a Commander of the Legion of Honour by France. He has also received honorary degrees from several universities, including the University of Bath and the University of Ulster.

Images for kids

Patten in ceremonial dress as the Chancellor of the University of Oxford
Patten with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in July 2020

Chris Patten facts for kids

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