Nationality British Name Charles 3rd | Education Christ Church, Oxford | |
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Born 14 March 1944
Yorkshire, England ( 1944-03-14 ) Spouse(s) Lady Camilla Wood (nee Younger), The Countess of Halifax People also search for Charles Wood, 2nd Earl of Halifax, Greville Starkey, John Dunlop, Geoff Wragg | ||
Charles Edward Peter Neil Wood, 3rd Earl of Halifax, (born 14 March 1944), is a British peer and Conservative politician.
Contents
Background
Lord Halifax is the third child and only son of Charles Wood, 2nd Earl of Halifax, a grandson of Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax, Viceroy of India, and Foreign Secretary. His mother, Ruth Alice Hannah Mary Wood (née Primrose), The Countess of Halifax, was a daughter of Neil Primrose, MC MP, and a granddaughter of Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby.
He was brought up at Swinford Paddocks, Newmarket, and educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford.
Career
As Peter Wood, he unsuccessfully contested Dearne Valley as a Conservative candidate at the February general election of 1974 and the October general election of the same year. On 19 March 1980 he succeeded to the title of 3rd Earl of Halifax, the title of 7th Baronet Wood, of Barnsley in the County of York, the title of 5th Viscount Halifax of Monk Bretton, in the West Riding of the County of Yorkshire and to the title of 3rd Baron Irwin, of Kirby Underdale in the County of York.
Lord Halifax held the office of Deputy Lieutenant (D.L.) of Humberside between 1983 and 1996. He held the office of Justice of the Peace (J.P.) for Wilton Beacon in 1985 and the office of High Steward of York Minster in 1988. Wood held the office of Vice-Lord-Lieutenant of the East Riding, Yorkshire in 1996. He is a Knight of St John and JP.
Lord Halifax is a non-executive director of Hambros Bank, Vice-Chairman of Christie, Manson & Woods, the European Division of Christie's international fine arts auctioneers, and a director of Yorkshire Post Newspapers Ltd. He serves as a Board Governor for The Pocklington School Foundation. In addition, The Rt Hon The Earl of Halifax K.St.J. JP DL serving as the President of the Leeds Art Collections Fund or LACF and the Vice President of the Yorkshire Society. The Earl and The Countess of Halifax are active members of the Jockey Club. Lord Halifax is on the Board of Directors of Jockey Club Estates.
Family
In 1976, Lord Halifax (then Lord Irwin) (who had once been minded for a potential husband of Princess Anne) married Camilla Parker Bowles (née Younger), of the Scottish brewing family, former wife of Richard Parker Bowles (married in 1973 and divorced in 1976), a younger brother of Andrew Parker Bowles, first husband of Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall. Andrew also had a dalliance with Princess Anne. The Countess of Halifax and The Duchess of Cornwall are former sisters-in-law.
Lord and Lady Halifax have a son and a daughter:
The Countess of Halifax also has a daughter from her first marriage with Richard Eustace Parker Bowles:
The Earl and Countess of Halifax live on the 20,000 acre family estate, Garrowby Hall near Garrowby, East Riding of Yorkshire. Lady Halifax is the national president of Macmillan Cancer Support.