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Nicholas James Christopher Lowther, 2nd Viscount Ullswater LVO PC (born 9 January 1942), succeeded his great-grandfather in the Viscountcy of Ullswater in 1949, sitting in the House of Lords as a Conservative . He is one of very few peers to have succeeded a great-grandfather in a title.
Early life
Lowther was the son of John Lowther (1910-1942), and Priscilla Lambert (1917-1945). His father was secretary to HRH The Duke of Kent , and died alongside the Duke in the Dunbeath air crash . He was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge .
Political career
Lowther was made a Lord-in-waiting (whip ) in January 1989 by Margaret Thatcher before becoming Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Employment in July 1990. He was retained by John Major in that role until 1993, when he became Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms (Government Chief Whip in the House of Lords). He remained in this role for a year when he became Minister of State for Housing at the Department of the Environment in 1994 (as well as a Privy Counsellor ) in 1994, but he left the Government in a 1995 reshuffle.
Princess Margaret
In 1998, he became the Private Secretary to Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon and continued in this office until her death in 2002. He was appointed Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order in the special Honours List issued by the Queen after Princess Margaret's demise.
Return to politics
As a member of a Royal Household he could not take part in partisan politics and did not seek to remain in the House of Lords when the House of Lords Act 1999 was passed. But after the death of the Viscount of Oxfuird in January 2003, he won the all-house by-election, enabling him to return to the House of Lords.
On 22 May 2006, Lord Ullswater was nominated for the newly created post of Lord Speaker , and in the election held on 28 June 2006 emerged in third place out of nine candidates. His great-grandfather, James Lowther , served as Speaker of the House of Commons 1905–1921.
Arms
Coat of arms of Nicholas Lowther, 2nd Viscount Ullswater
Coronet
A Coronet of a Viscount
Crest
A Dragon passant Argent
Escutcheon
Or six Annulets three two and one a Crescent for difference
Supporters
On either side a Horse Argent gorged with a Wreath of Laurel Vert and charged on the shoulder with a Portcullis chained Or
Motto
Magistratum Indicat Virum (The office shows the man)
Personal life
Lord Ullswater was an amateur jockey in his youth.
In 1967, he married Susan Weatherby. The couple has two sons and two daughters:
Hon. Emma Mary Lowther, (b. 1968)
Hon. Clare Priscilla Lowther, (b. 1970)
Hon. Benjamin James Lowther (b. 1975)
Hon. Edward John Lowther (b. 1981)
The family lives at Docking in Norfolk.
References
Sorted by (historical) entity at time of grant
England Scotland Great Britain Ireland
Nicholas Preston, 17th Viscount Gormanston
Piers Butler, 18th Viscount Mountgarret
Francis Annesley, 16th Viscount Valentia
Henry Dillon, 22nd Viscount Dillon
John Skeffington, 14th Viscount Massereene
John Caulfeild, 15th Viscount Charlemont
Richard Dawnay, 12th Viscount Downe
Robert Molesworth, 12th Viscount Molesworth
Adam Chetwynd, 11th Viscount Chetwynd
Alan Brodrick, 12th Viscount Midleton
Gustavus Hamilton-Russell, 11th Viscount Boyne
Nicolas Gage, 8th Viscount Gage
Phil Monckton, 13th Viscount Galway
Mervyn Wingfield, 11th Viscount Powerscourt
Michael Flower, 11th Viscount Ashbrook
Pyers Southwell, 7th Viscount Southwell
Thomas Vesey, 7th Viscount de Vesci
Edward Hewitt, 9th Viscount Lifford
William Ward, 8th Viscount Bangor
William Ward, 8th Viscount Doneraile
Henry Pomeroy, 11th Viscount Harberton
Robert Maude, 9th Viscount Hawarden
John Skeffington, 7th Viscount Ferrard
Charles Monck, 7th Viscount Monck
Foley Vereker, 9th Viscount Gort
United Kingdom
Edward Jervis, 8th Viscount St Vincent
Robert Dundas, 10th Viscount Melville
Jeremy Addington, 8th Viscount Sidmouth
Paul Pellew, 10th Viscount Exmouth
Thomas Stapleton-Cotton, 6th Viscount Combermere
Peter Clegg-Hill, 9th Viscount Hill
Thomas Hardinge, 8th Viscount Hardinge
Alexander Hood, 4th Viscount Bridport
Christopher Portman, 10th Viscount Portman
Francis Brand, 7th Viscount Hampden
Henry Smith, 5th Viscount Hambleden
Michael Holland-Hibbert, 6th Viscount Knutsford
Christopher Brett, 5th Viscount Esher
Giles Goschen, 4th Viscount Goschen
Matt Ridley, 5th Viscount Ridley
Charles Colville, 5th Viscount Colville of Culross
Christopher Gully, 6th Viscount Selby
Patrick Knollys, 4th Viscount Knollys
Wenworth Beaumont, 4th Viscount Allendale
Alastair Akers-Douglas, 4th Viscount Chilston
Peter Curzon, 4th Viscount Scarsdale
Edward Bigham, 5th Viscount Mersey
Michael Pearson, 4th Viscount Cowdray
Terence Kearley, 3rd Viscount Devonport
William Astor, 4th Viscount Astor
Ivor Guest, 4th Viscount Wimborne
Rhodri Philipps, 4th Viscount St Davids
Jonathan Harmsworth, 4th Viscount Rothermere
Henry Allenby, 4th Viscount Allenby
Frederic Thesiger, 4th Viscount Chelmsford
James Long, 5th Viscount Long
Nicholas Lowther, 2nd Viscount Ullswater
James Younger, 5th Viscount Younger of Leckie
Nicholas Samuel, 5th Viscount Bearsted
Janric Craig, 3rd Viscount Craigavon
Robin Bridgeman, 3rd Viscount Bridgeman
Douglas Hogg, 3rd Viscount Hailsham
Crispin Joynson-Hicks, 4th Viscount Brentford
Adrian Buckmaster, 4th Viscount Buckmaster
Rupert Bathurst, 4th Viscount Bledisloe
David Pollock, 3rd Viscount Hanworth
Hugh Trenchard, 3rd Viscount Trenchard
Jonathan Samuel, 5th Viscount Samuel
David Runciman, 4th Viscount Runciman of Doxford
Nicolas Davidson, 4th Viscount Davidson
William Weir, 3rd Viscount Weir
Piers Inskip, 3rd Viscount Caldecote
Jonathan Berry, 5th Viscount Camrose
Stephen Benn, 3rd Viscount Stansgate
Richard Margesson, 3rd Viscount Margesson
James FitzRoy Newdegate, 4th Viscount Daventry
William Addison, 4th Viscount Addison
Richard Berry, 3rd Viscount Kemsley
Peter Penny, 4th Viscount Marchwood
Henry Montgomery, 3rd Viscount Montgomery of Alamein
John Anderson, 3rd Viscount Waverley
John Sinclair, 3rd Viscount Thurso
Alan Brooke, 3rd Viscount Brookeborough
Jason Cooper, 3rd Viscount Norwich
Christopher Leathers, 3rd Viscount Leathers
Peter Ramsbottom, 4th Viscount Soulbury
Thomas Lyttelton, 3rd Viscount Chandos
Ashley Huggins, 3rd Viscount Malvern
Philip Sidney, 2nd Viscount De L'Isle
Christopher Monckton, 3rd Viscount Monckton of Brenchley
Timothy Lloyd George, 4th Viscount Tenby
Clive Mackintosh, 3rd Viscount Mackintosh of Halifax
Andrew Morrison, 3rd Viscount Dunrossil
James Stuart, 3rd Viscount Stuart of Findhorn
Jonathan Kemp, 3rd Viscount Rochdale
Mark Slim, 3rd Viscount Slim
Richard Head, 2nd Viscount Head
Simon Lennox-Boyd, 2nd Viscount Boyd of Merton
Christopher Mills, 3rd Viscount Mills
Caspar Hare, 3rd Viscount Blakenham
John Eccles, 2nd Viscount Eccles
James Manningham-Buller, 3rd Viscount Dilhorne
Italics in entries mean the titleholder also holds a previously listed viscountcy of greater precedence