- Born
- Died
- Birth nameAlexander Frederick Douglas-Home
- Height6′ 1″ (1.86 m)
- First elected to the House of Commons in 1931, served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Neville Chamberlain (1935-40). He lost his seat in the Labour Party landslide of 1945 and regained it at the next election. But his father the 13th Earl died in 1951, just a year after Alec regained his seat in the House. As a result, he had to resign and join the House of Lords of the 14th Earl of Home (which is pronounced "Hume"). Created a KT (Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Thistle) in 1962, the next year saw him chosen Prime Minister after his predecessor, Harold Macmillan, resigned due to ill health. The Peerage Act of 1963 allowed him to give up his title and, after a by-election, return to the House of Commons representing a new constituency. 15 months as PM was followed by a narrow defeat in the 1964 General Election. He spent 6 years in opposition, before becoming Foreign Secretary in Edward Heath's 1970 government. After 4 years, Heath was defeated in two elections within a year and Home accepted a life peerage, and returned to the House of Lords as Lord Home of the Hirsel. He died in 1995, and was succeeded as 15th Earl of Home by his son, David Douglas-Home.- IMDb Mini Biography By: garryq
- SpouseElizabeth Hester Alington(October 3, 1936 - September 3, 1990) (her death, 4 children)
- ChildrenDavid Alexander Cospatrick Douglas-HomeLavinia Douglas-HomeMeriel Douglas-HomeDiana Douglas-Home
- RelativesDavid Douglas-Home(Sibling)Henry Douglas-Home(Sibling)
- Known for his humble persona.
- British prime minister (1963-1964).
- He was the last Conservative Party leader to achieve office not by general election or election within the party but by what was termed "emergence". Harold Macmillan, who was resigning on the grounds of ill health, put forward Home's name to the Queen as a means of preventing the more popular but non-aristocratic 'Rab' Butler from succeeding him. As the party was in power at the time (October 1963), Home's position was confirmed by his being sent for by the Queen to "kiss hands" and receive the seals of office.
- The last Prime Minister to have previously sat in the House of Lords.
- His titles were: Sir Alexander (Alec) Frederick Douglas-Home, 14th Earl of Home; Lord Home; Lord Dunglass; Baron Douglas of Douglas; and Chief of the Name and Arms of Home. When he disclaimed his hereditary peerages for life on 23 October 1963, he kept his title "Sir" as a Knight of the Thistle. In 1975 he was created Baron Home of the Hirsel; this was a life peerage and so not inherited by his son who is known as the 15th Earl of Home.
- Educated at Eton College, he became the last British prime minister to have received a private schooling until Tony Blair was elected in 1997.
- [on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy] This young, gay and brave statesman killed in the full vigour of his manhood when he bore on his shoulders all the cares and the hopes of the world.
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