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The Right Honourable
The Lord Luce
KG GCVO PC DL
Official portrait of Lord Luce crop 2
Lord Chamberlain

In office
1 October 2000 – 15 October 2006
Monarch Elizabeth II
Preceded by The Lord Camoys
Succeeded by The Earl Peel
Governor of Gibraltar

In office
24 February 1997 – 21 March 2000
Monarch Elizabeth II
Chief Minister Peter Caruana
Preceded by Sir Hugo White
Succeeded by Sir David Durie
Minister of State for the Arts

In office
3 September 1985 – 25 July 1990
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by The Earl of Gowrie
Succeeded by David Mellor
Member of Parliament
for Shoreham
Arundel and Shoreham (1971–1974)

In office
1 April 1971 – 9 April 1992
Preceded by Henry Kerby
Succeeded by Michael Stephen
Personal details
Born Richard Napier Luce
14 October 1936(1936-10-14) (age 88)
Westminster, England
Political party Crossbench
Conservative (During political career)
Children The Hon. Alexander Luce
The Hon. Edward Luce
Parents William Luce
Margaret Napier
Alma mater Christ's College, Cambridge
Viceregal styles of
The Lord Luce
(1997–2000)
Flag of the Governor of Gibraltar
Reference style His Excellency
Spoken style Your Excellency
Alternative style {{{altstyle}}}

Richard Napier Luce, Baron Luce, KG GCVO PC DL (born 14 October 1936) is former Lord Chamberlain to the Queen from 2000 to 2006, and has been Governor of Gibraltar, a Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) and Government Minister. He now sits as a crossbench peer.

Early career[]

Born in Westminster, Luce was educated at Wellington College, and Christ's College, Cambridge. He completed National Service in Cyprus 1955–57, serving as a second lieutenant with the Wiltshire Regiment. He then briefly joined the Overseas Civil Service, first as a District Officer in Kenya, 1960–62. He then worked for Gallaher Ltd as a brand manager (1963–65), before becoming marketing manager for the Spirella Company of Great Britain. In 1968–71 he was director of the National Innovation Centre.

From 1972 to 1979, he was Chairman of IFA Consultants Ltd, he was also chair of Selenex Ltd (1973–79), and of Courtenay Stewart International (1975–79).

Political career[]

After unsuccessfully contesting Hitchin against Labour's Shirley Williams in 1970, Luce was first elected to the House of Commons as Member of Parliament (MP) for Arundel and Shoreham in a by-election in 1971. When that constituency was abolished in boundary changes for the February 1974 general election, he was returned for the new Shoreham constituency. He retired from the Commons at the 1992 general election.

Luce was appointed the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister of Trade and Consumer Affairs in 1972. After the Conservative Party lost the February 1974 general election, he became an Opposition whip.

When the Conservatives returned to power at the 1979 general election, he became Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. In 1981, he was promoted to Minister of State for Foreign Affairs within the same department. In 1982, he followed his Secretary of State, Lord Carrington, in resigning over Argentina's invasion of the Falkland Islands.[1] He returned to office in 1983, again as a Minister of State in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. In 1985, he was moved to the Privy Council Office as Minister for the Arts and Minister for the Civil Service, which was his last ministerial office. He resigned in 1990.

Luce was knighted in 1991,[2] and was made a Privy Counsellor in 1986.

Later life[]

Luce was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Buckingham between 1992 and 1996.[3] In 1997, he was appointed Governor of Gibraltar,[3] an office he held until 2000,[4] and he was created a Life Peer,[3] on 2 October 2000 as Baron Luce, of Adur in the County of West Sussex.[5] In 2000 he was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO)[6] and became Lord Chamberlain in the Queen's Royal Household.[7]

Lord Luce relinquished the post of Lord Chamberlain on 11 October 2006. He was succeeded by the Rt Hon. The Earl Peel. The Lord Chamberlain is the Head of the Royal Household.

Lord Luce was appointed a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter (KG) on 23 April 2008.[8] On 26 April 2012 Lord Luce was appointed by David Cameron, the Prime Minister, as the Chair of the Crown Nominations Commission for the See of Canterbury, the commission set up to nominate the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury.[9]

Lord Luce is President of the Voluntary Arts Network and the Royal Over-Seas League and is High Steward of Westminster Abbey.

Lord Luce was appointed as the first Chancellor of the University of Gibraltar upon its foundation in 2015.[10]

In popular culture[]

Lord Luce was portrayed by Jonathan Coy in the 2002 BBC production of Ian Curteis's controversial The Falklands Play. He has also written 'Ringing the Changes, A Memoir' published by Michael Russell.

Family[]

He is the son of Margaret (née Napier) and Sir William Luce, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Aden, Political Resident in the Gulf and Special Representative to the Foreign Secretary (Lord Home) for Gulf Affairs. His father's older brother was Sir David Luce, First Sea Lord (1963–1966). His maternal grandfather was Trevylyan Napier, who was the Commander-in-Chief, America and West Indies Station (1919–1920). Luce has two sons, Alexander and Edward. His sister Diana is married to retired Royal Navy Captain David Hart Dyke, and his niece is comedian and actress Miranda Hart. His paternal grandfather (Rear Admiral John Luce) survived 2 key British Naval battles during WW1: the defeat at The Battle of Coronel and the victory at The Battle of the Falkland Islands.

Arms[]

Coat of arms of R
Coat of Arms of Richard, Baron Luce
Notes
Knight since 1991
Coronet
A coronet of a Baron
Crest
Upon a helm with a wreath of Or and Gules, within a circlet of Plumbago Flowers a Mute Swan naiant proper, gorged with a Chain pendant thereform a Portcullis Or.
Torse
Mantling Or and Gules.
Escutcheon
Gules, two lucies naiant in pale Or, and on a chief Or, a key fesswise the wards to the dexter Gules, between two martlets Sable.
Motto
FIAT LUX
Latin: Come light
Other elements
Order of the Garter circlet bearing the inscription HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE[11]
Banner
Garter Banner of the Baron Luce The banner of the Baron Luce's arms used as knight of the Garter depicted at St George's Chapel.

References[]

  1. "By hook or by crook". 16 July 2004. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-96948430.html. Retrieved 18 August 2010. 
  2. "No. 52543". 28 May 1991. p. 8208. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/52543/page/8208 
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Albany: Rock solid". 12 January 1997. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-19135586.html. Retrieved 18 August 2010. [dead link]
  4. "Diplomat is new aide to Queen". Birmingham Evening Mail. 16 August 2000. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-17651915.html. Retrieved 18 August 2010. 
  5. "No. 55989". 5 October 2000. p. 11135. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/55989/page/11135 
  6. "No. 56014". 31 October 2000. p. 12205. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/56014/page/12205 
  7. "Dome critic is Queen's man". 16 August 2000. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-64256571.html. Retrieved 18 August 2010. 
  8. "No. 58679". 25 April 2008. p. 6383. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/58679/page/6383 
  9. "See of Canterbury Appointment". Number10.gov.uk. 2012-04-26. http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/see-of-canterbury-appointment/. Retrieved 2013-02-05. 
  10. "Chancellor". University of Gibraltar. https://www.unigib.edu.gi/chancellor/. Retrieved 5 November 2019. 
  11. "The Friends of St. George's & Descendants of the Knights of the Garter Annual Review 2007/08". 2008. p. 479. 

External links[]

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Henry Kerby
Member of Parliament for Arundel and Shoreham
1971 – February 1974
Constituency abolished
New constituency Member of Parliament for Shoreham
February 1974 – 1992
Succeeded by
Michael Stephen
Political offices
Preceded by
Grey Gowrie
Minister for the Arts
1985–1990
Succeeded by
David Mellor
Government offices
Preceded by
Sir Hugo White
Governor of Gibraltar
1997–2000
Succeeded by
Sir David Durie
Court offices
Preceded by
The Rt Hon. The Lord Camoys
Lord Chamberlain
2000–2006
Succeeded by
The Rt Hon. The Earl Peel
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