Grey Ruthven, 2nd Earl of Gowrie
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Alexander Patrick Greysteil Ruthven, 2nd Earl of Gowrie (born 26 November 1939) was a Conservative Party politician often known as Grey Gowrie; he works in the arts.
He was educated at Eton College and Balliol College, Oxford. He obtained the earldom on the death of his grandfather in 1955, joining the Conservative frontbench in 1972 as a whip. He was later Minister for the Arts and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Gowrie resigned as Minister for the Arts in 1985 stating it was impossible for him to live in London on the £33,000 salary provided for the post.
After leaving government, he became Chairman of Sotheby's and later of the Arts Council of Great Britain. At the Arts Council he secured the role as a distributor of funds from the national lottery and had its charter renewed as the Arts Council of England.
[edit] Family
He is the son of Major Hon. Alexander Hardinge Patrick Hore-Ruthven and the late Pamela Margaret Fletcher (who later married Major Derek Cooper, OBE, MC, of the Life Guards)[1]. He married Alexandra Bingley, daughter of Colonel Robert Bingley, on 1 November 1962. He and Alexandra Bingley were divorced in 1974. They had one son:
He married Adelheid Gräfin von der Schulenberg, daughter of Fritz Dietlof Graf von der Schulenberg, on 2 November 1974.
| Preceded by Alexander Hore-Ruthven |
Earl of Gowrie 1955– |
Succeeded by Current incumbent |
| Preceded by Walter Hore-Ruthven |
Baron Ruthven of Gowrie 1956– |
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Paul Channon |
Minister of State for the Arts 1983–1985 |
Succeeded by Richard Luce |
| Preceded by The Lord Cockfield |
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 1984–1985 |
Succeeded by Norman Tebbit |
| Media Offices | ||
| Preceded by The Lord Palumbo |
Chair of the Arts Council of England 1994–1998 |
Succeeded by Gerry Robinson |
