19 Facts About Robert Carr

Robert Carr served as a Member of Parliament for 26 years, and later served in the House of Lords as a life peer.

Leonard Robert Carr was born in North Finchley on 11 November 1916.

Robert Carr was educated at Westminster School and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he read Natural Sciences, graduating in 1938.

In 1943, Carr married Joan Twining, and they had a son and two daughters.

Robert Carr first sought the Conservative nomination in Barnet ahead of the 1950 election, but lost to Reginald Maudling.

Robert Carr was instead elected Member of Parliament for Mitcham in 1950 and served there until 1974, when the seat was merged and he moved to Carshalton.

Robert Carr was a parliamentary private secretary to Anthony Eden from to 1951 to 1955, and a parliamentary secretary to the labour ministry after Eden became prime minister.

Robert Carr was a supporter of the European Economic Community, and was amiable to Edward Heath's election as Conservative Party leader in 1965, even though he had supported Maudling despite Maudling having earlier defeated Robert Carr for the Barnet nomination.

In 1971, Robert Carr escaped injury when The Angry Brigade anarchist group exploded two bombs outside his house.

In 1972, Robert Carr served a brief period as Lord President of the Council and then was appointed Home Secretary following Reginald Maudling's resignation.

The day after her election the new leader, Margaret Thatcher met with Robert Carr, according to her at his request, before she formed shadow cabinet.

Robert Carr stated that Carr made it clear that the only post that he would accept would be that of Shadow Foreign Secretary.

Robert Carr told him that she could not promise that and confided in her memoirs that at that stage, she was still considering appointments and was "not convinced" that she would offer Carr any role in the shadow cabinet.

Robert Carr proceeded to appoint Maudling as Shadow Foreign Secretary and saw Carr again later to inform him of her decision.

Robert Carr was created a life peer as Baron Robert Carr of Hadley, of Monken Hadley in Greater London, in 1976.

Robert Carr served on the board for a number of companies, including Cadbury Schweppes, Prudential Assurance, and Securicor.

Robert Carr died from bronchopneumonia at a nursing home in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, 17 February 2012, at the age of 95.

Robert Carr's body was buried in the graveyard of St Peter's Church in Farmington, Gloucestershire.

Robert Carr was survived by his wife, Joan, and two daughters.