Peter Carington, 6th Baron Carrington facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable The Lord Carrington KG GCMG CH MC PC DL
Carrington in 1984
6th Secretary General of NATO
In office 25 June 1984 – 1 July 1988
Preceded by	Joseph Luns
Succeeded by	Manfred Wörner
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
In office 4 May 1979 – 5 April 1982
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by	David Owen
Succeeded by	Francis Pym
Other ministerial offices Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords Shadow Leader of the House of Lords In office 4 March 1974 – 4 May 1979 Leader Edward Heath Margaret Thatcher Preceded by The Lord Shackleton Succeeded by The Lord Peart In office 16 October 1964 – 20 June 1970 Leader Sir Alec Douglas-Home Edward Heath Preceded by The Earl Alexander of Hillsborough Succeeded by The Lord Shackleton Secretary of State for Energy In office 8 January 1974 – 4 March 1974 Prime Minister Edward Heath Preceded by Office established Succeeded by Eric Varley Chairman of the Conservative Party In office 7 April 1972 – 4 March 1974 Leader Edward Heath Preceded by Peter Thomas Succeeded by William Whitelaw Secretary of State for Defence In office 20 June 1970 – 8 January 1974 Prime Minister Edward Heath Preceded by Denis Healey Succeeded by Ian Gilmour Leader of the House of Lords Minister without Portfolio In office 20 October 1963 – 16 October 1964 Prime Minister Sir Alec Douglas-Home Preceded by The Viscount Hailsham Bill Deedes Succeeded by The Earl of Longford George Thomson First Lord of the Admiralty In office 14 October 1959 – 20 October 1963 Prime Minister Harold Macmillan Preceded by The Earl of Selkirk Succeeded by The Earl Jellicoe High Commissioner to Australia In office 26 May 1956 – 14 October 1959 Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden Harold Macmillan Preceded by Stephen Holmes Succeeded by Sir William Oliver Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Defence In office 18 October 1954 – 26 May 1956 Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill Sir Anthony Eden Preceded by Nigel Birch Succeeded by The Earl of Gosford Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food In office 5 November 1951 – 18 October 1954 Serving with Richard Nugent Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill Preceded by The Earl of Listowel Arthur Champion Succeeded by Richard Nugent The Earl St Aldwyn
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Hereditary peerage 6 June 1940 – 11 November 1999
Preceded by	The 5th Baron Carrington
Succeeded by	Seat abolished
Life peerage 17 November 1999 – 9 July 2018
Personal details
Born	Peter Alexander Rupert Carington (1919-06-06)6 June 1919 London, England
Died	9 July 2018(2018-07-09) (aged 99) Bledlow, England
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Iona McClean ​ ​ (m. 1942; died 2009)​
Children	3, including Rupert
Parent	Rupert Carington, 5th Baron Carrington (father)
Alma mater	Royal Military College, Sandhurst
Military service
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch/service	British Army
Years of service	1939–1949 (inactive from 1945)
Rank	Major
Unit	Grenadier Guards
Battles/wars	Second World War
Awards	Military Cross

Peter Alexander Rupert Carington, 6th Baron Carrington, Baron Carington of Upton (born June 6, 1919 – died July 9, 2018) was an important British politician. He was a member of the Conservative Party. He held many high-level jobs in the government.

Carrington was the Defence Secretary from 1970 to 1974. He was also the Foreign Secretary from 1979 to 1982. Later, he became the Secretary General of NATO, which is a big international organization. This was from 1984 to 1988.

One of his biggest achievements was helping to end a conflict in Rhodesia. This led to the creation of Zimbabwe. He did this by leading talks for the Lancaster House Agreement.

In 1982, when Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, Carrington was the Foreign Secretary. He took responsibility for not seeing this coming and resigned from his job. As NATO Secretary General, he helped stop a war between Greece and Turkey in 1987.

After a law changed in 1999, hereditary peers (people who inherit their title) could no longer automatically sit in the House of Lords. So, Carrington was given a new title, Baron Carington of Upton, which allowed him to stay in the House of Lords.

Early Life and Family History

Peter Alexander Rupert Carington was born in Chelsea, London, on June 6, 1919. He was the only son of the 5th Baron Carrington. His family had a long history with the title "Baron Carrington."

He grew up at Millaton House in Devon. He went to two private schools: Sandroyd School and Eton College.

Military Service in World War II

Carrington trained at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He joined the Grenadier Guards as a second lieutenant in 1939. He fought in the Second World War.

He was a tank commander during Operation Market Garden in 1944. He led the first tanks to cross the Nijmegen railway bridge in the Netherlands. For his bravery, he received the Military Cross in 1945. He stayed in the army until 1949.

Political Career: Serving the UK

In 1938, Peter Carrington became the 6th Baron Carrington. He joined the House of Lords in 1945 after the war. He then started his political career.

Early Government Roles

Carrington served in the Conservative governments led by Winston Churchill and Anthony Eden.

• From 1951 to 1954, he was a secretary for the Minister of Agriculture and Food.
• From 1954 to 1956, he was a secretary for the Minister of Defence.
• In 1956, he became the High Commissioner to Australia. This meant he was Britain's top diplomat there until 1959.

Lord Carrington placed this stone while he was High Commissioner to Australia.

Leading Roles in the 1960s and 1970s

After returning to Britain, he served under Prime Minister Harold Macmillan.

• From 1959 to 1963, he was the First Lord of the Admiralty. This was a top job in the Royal Navy.
• From 1963 to 1964, he was a Minister without Portfolio and Leader of the House of Lords. This meant he led the government's business in the House of Lords.

When the Conservative Party was not in power (1964-1970 and 1974-1979), he was the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords.

When the Conservatives returned to power in 1970 under Edward Heath, Carrington became Defence Secretary. He held this role until 1974. He also served as the Chairman of the Conservative Party from 1972 to 1974. For a short time in 1974, he was also the Secretary of State for Energy.

Foreign Secretary and the Falklands War

In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister. She made Carrington her Foreign Secretary. Thatcher thought highly of him.

Carrington led important talks in 1979 called the Lancaster House conference. These talks helped end a war in Rhodesia and led to the country becoming Zimbabwe.

In 1982, Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands. As Foreign Secretary, Carrington felt responsible for this event. He resigned from his position on April 5, 1982. This was a big moment in British politics.

Carrington (Foreign Secretary) with US Secretary of State Alexander Haig in 1981.

Later Career and Public Service

After leaving the Foreign Office, Lord Carrington continued his public service.

Secretary General of NATO

From 1984 to 1988, he served as the Secretary General of NATO. NATO is a military alliance of many countries. In this role, he helped prevent a conflict between Greece and Turkey in 1987.

Carrington (NATO Secretary General) with West German Foreign Minister Genscher in 1984.

Other Important Roles

• In 1991, he led diplomatic talks about the breakup of Yugoslavia. He tried to create a plan for peace.
• He was the Chancellor of the University of Reading.
• He chaired the Bilderberg conferences from 1990 to 1998.
• He was the President of the Britain–Australia Society for many years.
• He was also the Chancellor of the Order of the Garter, a very old and important British order of chivalry, from 1994 to 2012.

Lord Carrington, as Chancellor of the Order of the Garter, in 2006.

Final Years and Legacy

After the House of Lords Act 1999, Lord Carrington was given a new title, Baron Carington of Upton. This allowed him to continue serving in the House of Lords. He was the longest-serving member of the House of Lords for a time.

Lord Carrington passed away on July 9, 2018, at the age of 99. He died at his home in Bledlow, Buckinghamshire. His son, Rupert, became the 7th Baron Carrington. A memorial service was held for him at Westminster Abbey in 2019.

Family Life

Lord Carrington married Iona McClean in 1942. They were married for 67 years until she passed away in 2009. They had three children:

• Alexandra de Bunsen (born 1943)
• Virginia Carington (born 1946)
• Rupert Carington (born 1948)

Honours and Awards

Peter Carrington received many honours for his service:

• 1945: Military Cross (for bravery in battle)
• 1958: Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG)
• 1959: Member of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council
• 1983: Companion of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH)
• 1985: Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter (KG)
• 1988: Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG)
• 1999: Life peerage, as Baron Carington of Upton
• 1988: Presidential Medal of Freedom (from the United States)
• Freedom of the City of London

See also

In Spanish: Peter Carington para niños