- Philip Kerr, 11th Marquess of Lothian
Philip Henry Kerr, 11th Marquess of Lothian KT CH PC (1882–1940) was a British politician and diplomat.
Philip Kerr was the son of Lord Ralph Drury Kerr, the third son of
John Kerr, 7th Marquess of Lothian . He was born inLondon and educated at theThe Oratory School andNew College, Oxford .He served in the
South African government from 1905–10 after which he returned to England to found and edit the "Round Table Journal". In 1916, he was appointedDavid Lloyd George 's private secretary and was active in the Paris Peace Conference. For these services he was appointed a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) in March 1920.He was a member of what was called "
Milner's Kindergarten ". This was more a group of colonial officers who deemed themselves reformist than an actual political faction. They believed the colonies should have more say in the Commonwealth. In the terms of the era they were liberal, but in modern terms they might be deemedright wing as most of them only had interest in elevating the status of white colonials, rejected independence, and had a paternalistic view of non-whites. Philip Kerr became more liberal on these issues than them, admiringMohandas Gandhi and trying, if not entirely succeeding, to be more progressive than them on racial issues.He came from an aristocratic family who were staunch members of the
Roman Catholic Church . He himself considered becoming a priest or monastic at times, but in adulthood he became disillusioned with the faith. His close friendship to Nancy Astor led to their both converting to theChurch of Christ, Scientist together. The reaction of his family to this eventually led to his support ofAnti-Catholicism . A confirmed bachelor having never been romantically linked with any female, he left no heirs and the marquessate was inherited by his first cousin, Peter Kerr.Lord Lothian was best known in the United States for having aided "
Washington Post " ownerEugene Meyer scoop the world on reporting Britain's King Edward VIII's relationship withWallis Simpson , eventually leading to Edward's abdication of the crown.He was a Director of
United Newspapers 1921-2, served for four months in 1931 asChancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and wasUnder-Secretary of State for India 1931-2.Speaking on 24 June, 1933, at
Gresham's School , he said "There probably never was a time of more uncertainty in the world than today. Every kind of political and economic philosophy is seeking approbation, and there is every kind of uncertainty about social and personal habits." [The Times , 26 June 1933, page 8.]He was later British Ambassador to the
United States of America , from 1939 to 1940. He felt initial sympathy for Germany over theTreaty of Versailles and so at first he favored appeasement, but later abandoned the idea. Devoted to the very end to the religion to which he had converted, he died having refused medical treatment as aChristian Scientist .Lord Lothian bequeathed
Blickling Hall to the National Trust.His kinsman is the Conservative politician
Michael Ancram MP, who is now the 13th Marquess.References
*Cowling, Maurice, "The Impact of Hitler - British Policies and Policy 1933-1940",
Cambridge University Press , 1975, p.411, ISBN 0-521-20582-4
* [http://www.houseofdavid.ca/rou_tab.pdf Round Table Movement - Past and Future, 1913]
* [http://www.houseofdavid.ca/dyarch.htm Papers relating to the application of the principle of DYARCHY T0 THE GOVERNMENT OF- INDIA, 1920]
*"Lord Lothian, Philip Kerr, 1882-1940" by J. R. M Butler, St. Martin's Press (1960), ASIN: B0007ITY2A
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.