- David Beatty, 2nd Earl Beatty
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David Field Beatty, 2nd Earl Beatty (22 February 1905 – 10 June 1972), known as Viscount Borodale from 1919 to 1936, was a British Conservative Party politician.Contents
Family
Beatty was a son of Admiral of the Fleet David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty and his wife Ethel, daughter of the American businessman Marshall Field. He gained the courtesy title of Viscount Borodale in 1919 when his father was created Earl Beatty. He had one brother, Peter Beatty.
Military career
Beatty was educated at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth and the Royal Naval College on the Isle of Wight. In 1919 he gained the rank of Midshipman in the service of the Royal Navy. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 1928. He would later serve in the Leicestershire Yeomanry, part of the Territorial Army, and gained the rank of Lieutenant in 1933.
Political career
From 1931 to 1936 he was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Peckham. During his time in parliament he held the office of Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty from 1931 until 1936. He succeeded as 2nd Earl Beatty on his father's death on 11 March 1936 when he moved to the House of Lords. He also served as a member of the London County Council in 1937. In 1945 he served as Under-Secretary of State for Air in the Caretaker Government after the Second World War.
Marriages and children
Beatty was married four times, firstly to Dorothy Power who he married on the 21 April 1937. He and Dorothy Power were divorced in 1945. He married, secondly Dorothy Rita Furey on the 7 February 1946. He and Dorothy Rita Furey were divorced in 1950 having had one son David (born 1946). Between 1946 and 1950, she conducted an affair with Conservative Party leader Anthony Eden whilst he was separated from his wife. [1]
His third wife was Adelle Dillingham who he married on the 5 July 1951 and divorced in 1958 having had one daughter Diana (born 1952), who is the wife of the 8th Viscount Gage. His fourth wife was Diane Kirk Blundell who he married on the 3 December 1959 and remained married until his death. From his fourth marriage he had a son Nicholas (born 1961) and a daughter Miranda (born 1963).
References
External links
- The Peerage
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by David Beatty, Viscount Borodale
Parliament of the United Kingdom Preceded by
John BeckettMember of Parliament for Peckham
1931–1936Succeeded by
Lewis SilkinPolitical offices Preceded by
Quintin HoggUnder-Secretary of State for Air
1945Succeeded by
John StracheyPeerage of the United Kingdom Preceded by
David BeattyEarl Beatty
1936-1972Succeeded by
David BeattyCategories:- 1905 births
- 1972 deaths
- Earls in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
- Conservative Party (UK) MPs
- Members of the United Kingdom Parliament for English constituencies
- UK MPs 1931–1935
- UK MPs 1935–1945
- Members of the London County Council
- Leicestershire Yeomanry officers
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