Ronald Gardner-Thorpe facts for kids
Colonel Sir Ronald Laurence Gardner-Thorpe (born May 13, 1917 – died December 11, 1991) was a British business leader and a politician from the Liberal Party. He also held the important position of the 653rd Lord Mayor of London in 1980.
About Ronald Gardner-Thorpe
Ronald Gardner-Thorpe was the son of Joseph Gardner and Hannah Coulthurst Thorpe. He went to school at St John's College, Portsmouth. In 1938, he married Hazel Mary Dees, and they had one son together.
His Political Journey
Ronald Gardner-Thorpe was a member of the Liberal Party and tried to become a Member of Parliament (MP) several times.
In 1959, he ran for election in the Eastbourne area of Sussex. The Liberal Party had not had a candidate there in the previous election. Even so, he did quite well, getting 18% of the votes. He finished third in that election. He was also an important person within the Liberal Party, helping manage their money and leading the Young Liberals in the Home Counties.
He ran again in 1962, this time in a special election for West Derbyshire. At this time, the Liberal Party was becoming more popular. No Liberal candidate had run in West Derbyshire before. Ronald Gardner-Thorpe surprised many by getting almost a third of the votes. He came very close to winning, finishing just 1,200 votes behind the winning Conservative candidate. He ran for West Derbyshire again in the 1964 general election, but this time he did not get as many votes and remained in second place. After this, he did not run for parliament again.
Later, he was chosen to be a Sheriff of London in 1978. Then, in 1980, he became the Lord Mayor of London. This is a very old and important role in the City of London. In the same year, he was given a special honour and became a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE).
Awards and Honours
Ronald Gardner-Thorpe received several important awards and honours during his life:
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) in 1980. This is a very high honour given for great service to the United Kingdom.
- Knight of the Order of Saint John (KStJ) in 1980.
- Territorial Decoration (TD) in 1948. This award is for long service in the Territorial Army.
- Honorary Doctor of Civil Law (DCL) from London in 1980.
- Honorary Doctor of Humanities (DH) from Lewis Chicago in 1981.
- Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (FRCP) in 1986.
