Lord Douglas Hurd was born in 1930 and educated at Eton and Trinity College Cambridge, where he achieved a first in history. For six years, he was Sir Edward Heath’s political secretary, first in opposition and then at Ten Downing Street. Margaret Thatcher gave him in succession three Cabinet posts as secretary of state for Northern Ireland, home secretary and foreign secretary; a position he held between 1989 and 1995.
After leaving the Commons, he entered the House of Lords and became deputy chairman of Coutts and senior advisor to Hawkpoint. He is president of the Prison Reform Trust, a president of the Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) and high steward of Westminster Abbey. As well as his memoirs, Douglas Hurd has written several novels.