Christopher Patten

Born in 1944, Christopher Francis Patten was educated at St Benedict’s School, Ealing, and Balliol College, Oxford, where he studied Modern History and won a Coolidge Travelling Scholarship to the USA in 1965. He joined the Conservative Research Department in 1966, becoming its youngest-ever Director in 1974. He served as personal assistant and political secretary to Lord Carrington and Lord Whitelaw when they chaired the Conservative Party.

Patten was elected Member of Parliament for Bath in 1979, holding the seat until 1992. During his political career, he served in several key roles, including Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Northern Ireland, Minister for Overseas Development, and Secretary of State for the Environment. He was appointed Chairman of the Conservative Party in 1990 and joined the Privy Council in 1989. In 1992, he became Governor of Hong Kong, overseeing its return to China in 1997.

Patten's later roles included Chair of the Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland, European Commissioner for External Relations (1999-2004), and Chairman of the BBC Trust (2011-2014). He also served as Chancellor of Newcastle University (1999-2009) and Chancellor of the University of Oxford (2003-2024). His achievements were further recognized in 2023 when King Charles III appointed him a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter, Britain’s highest order of chivalry.

Patten’s publications include "East and West" (1998), "Not Quite the Diplomat: Home Truths About World Affairs" (2005), and "What Next? Surviving the 21st Century" (2008). He married Lavender Thornton in 1971, and they have three daughters: Kate, Laura, and Alice. In his free time, he enjoys reading, tennis, and gardening.