Chris Patten facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable The Lord Patten of Barnes KG CH PC
Official portrait, 2019
Chancellor of the University of Oxford
In office 20 September 2003 – 31 July 2024
Vice-Chancellor	Sir Colin Lucas Sir John Hood Andrew D. Hamilton Louise Richardson Irene Tracey
Preceded by	The Lord Jenkins of Hillhead
Succeeded by	The Lord Hague of Richmond
European Commissioner for External Relations
In office 16 September 1999 – 22 November 2004
Nominated by	Tony Blair
President	Romano Prodi José Manuel Barroso
Preceded by	Leon Brittan
Succeeded by	Benita Ferrero-Waldner
28th Governor of Hong Kong
In office 9 July 1992 – 30 June 1997
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Chief Secretary	Sir David Ford Anson Chan
Preceded by	David Wilson
Succeeded by	Office abolished Tung Chee-hwa (as Chief Executive of Hong Kong)
Chairman of the Conservative Party
In office 28 November 1990 – 11 May 1992
Leader	John Major
Preceded by	Kenneth Baker
Succeeded by	Norman Fowler
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 (1944-05-12) 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 (Chinese: 彭定康; born 12 May 1944) is a British politician. He was the Chairman of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1992. He also served as the 28th and last Governor of Hong Kong from 1992 to 1997.

In 2005, he became a life peer, which means he was given a special title for life and could join the House of Lords. From 2003 to 2024, he was the Chancellor of the University of Oxford.

Patten was born in Thornton-Cleveleys in Lancashire, England. He grew up in west London. He studied history at Balliol College, Oxford, and started working for the Conservative Party after graduating in 1965.

Early Life and Education

Christopher Patten was born in Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire, in 1944. His mother had moved there from Exeter during World War II. He grew up in west London in an Irish Catholic family. His father, Frank, was a music publisher.

Patten attended a Catholic primary school in Greenford. He then received a scholarship to St Benedict's School, Ealing in west London. Later, he earned a scholarship to study history at Balliol College, Oxford.

After finishing university in 1965, Patten traveled to the US. He then began working for the Conservative Party in 1966. He worked in their research department, becoming its director from 1974 to 1979.

Member of Parliament: 1979–1992

In 1979, Christopher Patten was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the area of Bath. An MP is a person elected to represent a specific area in the UK Parliament. He served as an MP until 1992.

Working in Government

Patten held several important roles in the government. In 1983, he became a junior minister for Northern Ireland. He later worked in the Department of Education and Science. From 1986 to 1989, he was the Minister for Overseas Development, helping with international aid.

In 1989, he joined the Cabinet as Secretary of State for the Environment. In this role, he was responsible for a new, unpopular tax called the "Poll Tax." Even though he defended it at the time, he later said he thought it was a mistake. He also helped create the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

In 1990, John Major became Prime Minister. He made Patten the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Chairman of the Conservative Party. As party chairman, Patten was in charge of the Conservative Party's election campaign in 1992. He helped the party win the election, which was a surprise to many. However, he lost his own seat in Bath during that election.

Governor of Hong Kong: 1992–1997

After losing his MP seat, Christopher Patten became the 28th and last governor of Hong Kong in July 1992. His main job was to manage Hong Kong during its final years under British rule. He also had to prepare for its transfer to China on 30 June 1997.

Patten was given a Chinese name, Pang Ting-hong (Chinese: 彭定康). This name means "stability" and "calm" or "healthy." Unlike many previous governors, he was not a career diplomat.

Challenges and Public Opinion

Patten's time as governor faced challenges, especially after the Tiananmen Square massacre a few years earlier. However, the public generally liked him. He tried to connect with the people of Hong Kong. He was known for taking walks in public and being visible in the media. People in Hong Kong even gave him a nickname, Fat Pang (Chinese: 肥彭), which means "Fat Patten."

Patten decided not to wear the traditional official uniform for formal events. His approval rating in Hong Kong was high when he started and even higher when he left.

Electoral Reforms and Criticism

One of Patten's most important actions was the 1994 Hong Kong electoral reform. He expanded the voting rights for the Legislative Council. This meant that almost every person in Hong Kong could vote for their representatives. In 1995, the Legislative Council became fully elected for the first time.

These changes were strongly criticized by China. Chinese officials and media accused Patten of causing trouble. The Legislative Council elected under Patten's leadership was dissolved when Hong Kong was handed over to China. It was replaced by a temporary council.

At midnight on 1 July 1997, Patten sent a telegram marking the end of British rule. He then left Hong Kong with Prince Charles on the royal yacht, HMY Britannia. Patten was visibly emotional during the handover ceremony. He later said his time in Hong Kong was a happy one for him and his family.

After Governorship

Patten in 1999

From 1998 to 1999, Patten led a group called the Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland. This group was set up as part of the Belfast Agreement to help bring peace to Northern Ireland. Their report, known as the Patten Report, suggested many changes for policing. These changes led to the creation of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

Patten also served as the European Commissioner for External Relations from 1999 to 2004. In this role, he was responsible for the European Union's development programs and relations with other countries. He oversaw many foreign policy issues, including the EU's response to the Iraq War in 2003.

From 2011 to 2014, he was the Chairman of the BBC Trust. The BBC Trust was the governing body of the British Broadcasting Corporation. He resigned from this role in 2014 due to health reasons.

University Roles and Peerage

Patten was the Chancellor of Newcastle University from 1999 to 2009. In 2003, he was elected Chancellor of the University of Oxford. This is a very important ceremonial role at the university. He retired from this position on 31 July 2024, after 21 years.

In 2016, when some students wanted to remove a statue of Cecil Rhodes at Oxford, Patten said that students who were not "prepared to show the generosity of spirit which Nelson Mandela showed towards Rhodes and towards history... should think about being educated elsewhere."

On 11 January 2005, Christopher Patten was given the title Baron Patten of Barnes. This made him a life peer, allowing him to sit in the House of Lords.

Views on China and Hong Kong

Patten has often spoken about China and Hong Kong. In 2020, he criticized China's policies in Xinjiang, calling them "thuggish." He also said that Chinese company Huawei was connected to the Chinese state.

He also spoke about the origins of the COVID-19 outbreak. He suggested that an international team should investigate in Wuhan. He believed the Chinese government had not followed its international health agreements.

After his time as Governor, Patten initially did not comment much on Hong Kong. However, in recent years, he has shared his views more often. He believes that Hong Kong should have more say in its own government. He has said that blocking democracy will not work in the long run.

In 2014, he criticized China's white paper on Hong Kong. He said it interfered with Hong Kong's independent legal system. He stressed that the Sino-British Joint Declaration was an international agreement. This agreement guaranteed Hong Kong's freedoms for 50 years after the handover.

He also commented on the Umbrella Revolution protests in 2014. He urged the Hong Kong government to talk with the protestors. He believed that a harsh crackdown like the Tiananmen Square massacre would not happen in Hong Kong. This was because China cared about its international image.

In 2016, Patten said he was against the idea of Hong Kong independence. He felt it would weaken support for democracy. He also visited Hong Kong in 2016 and spoke about the importance of the rule of law. He said that Hong Kong's Chief Executive should represent Hong Kong people to Beijing, not the other way around.

In 2020, he called the new Hong Kong national security law an "outrageous act." He accused the Chinese Communist Party of trying to "destroy" Hong Kong's freedoms. He also said that the British government should not be afraid to criticize China.

Personal Life

Christopher 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: Home Truths About World Affairs.

Patten is a Catholic. He helped organize Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United Kingdom in 2010. He was also appointed by Pope Francis in 2014 to advise the Vatican on media strategy.

In the Media

Patten was featured in a 2006 BBC documentary series called Tory! Tory! Tory!.

His time as Governor of Hong Kong was the subject of a 5-part documentary series called The Last Governor. This series showed his arrival, important moments of his government, and his final day in office.

A 1996 Hong Kong parody film, Bodyguards of the Last Governor, features a character named 'Christ Pattern'. This character is based on Christopher Patten.

Honours

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

In 1998, Patten 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). This is a very high honor.

In November 2016, he was made a Commander of the Legion of Honour by France.

Awards

Patten has received several honorary degrees from universities. These include an honorary Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) from the University of Bath in 2003. He also received honorary degrees from the University of Toronto, the University of Ulster, and South East European University.

Images for kids

• 

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

• 

  Patten in ceremonial dress as the Chancellor of the University of Oxford

• 

  Patten (right) with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in July 2020

See also

In Spanish: Chris Patten para niños