Christopher Soames facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable The Lord Soames GCMG GCVO CH CBE PC
Soames in 1966
Governor of Southern Rhodesia
In office 11 December 1979 – 18 April 1980
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Preceded by	Humphrey Gibbs (1969) Josiah Zion Gumede
Succeeded by	Canaan Banana
Vice-President of the European Commission
In office 6 January 1973 – 5 January 1977
President	François-Xavier Ortoli
European Commissioner for External Relations
In office 6 January 1973 – 5 January 1977
President	François-Xavier Ortoli
Preceded by	Jean-François Deniau
Succeeded by	Wilhelm Haferkamp
Her Majesty's Ambassador to France
In office September 1968 – 27 October 1972
Preceded by	Patrick Reilly
Succeeded by	Edward Tomkins
Ministerial offices Leader of the House of Lords and Lord President of the Council In office 5 May 1979 – 14 September 1981 Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher Preceded by The Lord Peart (Lords) Michael Foot (Council) Succeeded by The Baroness Young (Lords) Francis Pym (Council) Shadow Foreign Secretary In office 11 November 1965 – 13 April 1966 Leader Edward Heath Preceded by Reginald Maudling Succeeded by Alec Douglas-Home Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food In office 27 July 1960 – 16 October 1964 Prime Minister Harold Macmillan Alec Douglas-Home Preceded by John Hare Succeeded by Fred Peart Secretary of State for War In office 6 January 1958 – 27 July 1960 Prime Minister Harold Macmillan Preceded by John Hare Succeeded by John Profumo Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty In office 9 January 1957 – 6 January 1958 Prime Minister Harold Macmillan Preceded by George Ward Succeeded by Robert Allan Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Air In office 6 April 1955 – 9 January 1957 Prime Minister Anthony Eden Preceded by George Ward Succeeded by Ian Orr-Ewing
Parliamentary offices Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal Life peerage 19 April 1978 – 16 September 1987 Member of Parliament for Bedford In office 23 February 1950 – 10 March 1966 Preceded by Thomas Skeffington-Lodge Succeeded by Brian Parkyn
Personal details
Born	Arthur Christopher John Soames (1920-10-12)12 October 1920 Penn, Buckinghamshire, England
Died	16 September 1987(1987-09-16) (aged 66) Odiham, Hampshire, England
Resting place	St Martin's Church, Bladon
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Mary Churchill ​ (m. 1947)​
Children	5, including Nicholas, Emma and Rupert
Parent	Arthur Granville Soames (father)
Relatives	Winston Churchill (father‑in‑law)
Education	Eton College
Alma mater	Royal Military College, Sandhurst
n.b.1  n.b.2

Arthur Christopher John Soames, Baron Soames (born October 12, 1920 – died September 16, 1987) was an important British Conservative politician. He held many big jobs, including being a European Commissioner and the very last Governor of Southern Rhodesia. Before that, he was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Bedford from 1950 to 1966. He also served in the British government in several high-ranking positions.

Early Life and School

Christopher Soames was born in Penn, Buckinghamshire, England. His father was Captain Arthur Granville Soames. Christopher went to West Downs School and then to Eton College, which is a famous school.

After Eton, he studied at the Royal Military College at Sandhurst. This is where people train to become army officers. Just before World War II started, he became an officer in the Coldstream Guards. During the war, he fought in France, Italy, and North Africa. He was even given the French Croix de Guerre medal for his brave actions in 1942.

Political Career Highlights

After World War II, Christopher Soames worked as an Assistant Military Attaché in Paris. This means he helped with military matters at the British Embassy.

Serving in Parliament

He became a Conservative MP for Bedford. He held this job from 1950 to 1966. During this time, he also had several government roles:

• He was an Under-Secretary of State for Air from 1955 to 1957. This meant he helped manage the Royal Air Force.
• From 1957 to 1958, he was a Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty. This role involved helping with the Royal Navy's finances.
• In 1955, he was honored with the title Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).

Important Government Roles

In 1958, he joined the Privy Council. This is a group of important advisors to the Queen. He then became:

• Secretary of State for War from 1958 to 1960. He was in charge of the army.
• Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food from 1960 to 1964. In this role, he looked after farming, fishing, and food in the UK.

Diplomat and European Leader

In 1965, he became the Shadow Foreign Secretary. This means he was the main spokesperson for his party on foreign affairs when they were not in power. He lost his MP seat in the 1966 election.

From 1968 to 1972, he was the British Ambassador to France. An ambassador is a country's main representative in another country. While in France, he was involved in a diplomatic event called the "Soames affair." This was a private meeting with the French president that caused some tension between the two countries for a short time.

After his time as ambassador, he became a Vice-President of the European Commission from 1973 to 1976. The European Commission is like the government of the European Union, and a Vice-President is a very senior leader.

Becoming a Peer and Governor

In 1978, he was made a life peer. This meant he became a member of the House of Lords for the rest of his life. His title was Baron Soames.

From 1979 to 1980, he served as the last Governor of Southern Rhodesia. This was a very important job. He was in charge of helping the country transition to become independent Zimbabwe. At the same time, he was also the Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Lords in the UK government. These are key roles in the British Parliament.

Other Important Work

Outside of politics, Christopher Soames was also involved in other areas. In 1973, he was the president of the Royal Agricultural Society of England. He also served as a director for important banks like N.M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd and the Nat West Bank.

Family Life

Christopher and Mary Soames in Lenzerheide, February 1947

Lord Soames married Mary Churchill on February 11, 1947. Mary was the youngest daughter of the famous wartime Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. They had five children together:

• Nicholas Soames (born 1948), who also became a Member of the House of Lords and a Conservative MP.
• Emma Soames (born 1949), who became an editor for Saga magazine.
• Jeremy Bernard Soames (born 1952).
• Charlotte Clementine Soames (born 1954), who married William Peel, 3rd Earl Peel.
• Rupert Christopher Soames (born 1959).

Later Years and Passing

Christopher and Mary Soames' grave at St Martin's Church, Bladon, in 2015

Lord Soames passed away at the age of 66. His ashes were buried in the Churchill family plot at St Martin's Church, Bladon, in Oxfordshire.

Honours and Awards

Christopher Soames received many awards and honours for his service:

• Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France) – 1942
• Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) – 1955
• Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) – 1972
• Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) – 1972
• Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour (France) – 1972
• Robert Schuman Prize – 1976
• Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) – 1980

Images for kids

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  A coronet, a symbol of a Baron's rank.

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  The Soames family coat of arms.