Christopher Soames

The Lord Soames
Soames, 45, in a monochrome photograph
Soames in 1966
Governor of Southern Rhodesia
In office
11 December 1979 – 18 April 1980
MonarchElizabeth II
Preceded by
Succeeded byCanaan Banana[nb 2]
Vice-President of the European Commission
In office
6 January 1973 – 5 January 1977
PresidentFrançois-Xavier Ortoli
European Commissioner for External Relations
In office
6 January 1973 – 5 January 1977
PresidentFrançois-Xavier Ortoli
Preceded byJean-François Deniau
Succeeded byWilhelm Haferkamp
Her Majesty's Ambassador to France
In office
September 1968 – 27 October 1972
Preceded byPatrick Reilly
Succeeded byEdward Tomkins
Ministerial offices
Leader of the House of Lords and Lord President of the Council
In office
5 May 1979 – 14 September 1981
Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcher
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Shadow Foreign Secretary
In office
11 November 1965 – 13 April 1966
LeaderEdward Heath
Preceded byReginald Maudling
Succeeded byAlec Douglas-Home
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
In office
27 July 1960 – 16 October 1964
Prime Minister
Preceded byJohn Hare
Succeeded byFred Peart
Secretary of State for War
In office
6 January 1958 – 27 July 1960
Prime MinisterHarold Macmillan
Preceded byJohn Hare
Succeeded byJohn Profumo
Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty
In office
9 January 1957 – 6 January 1958
Prime MinisterHarold Macmillan
Preceded byGeorge Ward
Succeeded byRobert Allan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Air
In office
6 April 1955 – 9 January 1957
Prime MinisterAnthony Eden
Preceded byGeorge Ward
Succeeded byIan Orr-Ewing
Parliamentary offices
Member of the House of Lords
Life peerage
19 April 1978 – 16 September 1987
Member of Parliament
for Bedford
In office
23 February 1950 – 10 March 1966
Preceded byThomas Skeffington-Lodge
Succeeded byBrian Parkyn
Personal details
Born
Arthur Christopher John Soames

(1920-10-12)12 October 1920
Penn, Buckinghamshire, England
Died16 September 1987(1987-09-16) (aged 66)
Odiham, Hampshire, England
Resting placeSt Martin's Church, Bladon
Political partyConservative
Spouse
(m. 1947)
Children5, including Nicholas, Emma and Rupert
ParentArthur Granville Soames (father)
RelativesWinston Churchill (father‑in‑law)
EducationEton College
Alma materRoyal Military College, Sandhurst
Christopher and Mary Soames in Lenzerheide, February 1947

Arthur Christopher John Soames, Baron Soames, GCMG, GCVO, CH, CBE, PC (12 October 1920 – 16 September 1987) was a British Conservative politician who served as a European Commissioner and the last Governor of Southern Rhodesia. He was previously Member of Parliament (MP) for Bedford from 1950 to 1966. He held several government posts and attained Cabinet rank.