Alan Henry Brooke, 3rd Viscount Brookeborough
Encyclopedia
Alan Henry Brooke, 3rd Viscount Brookeborough, Bt
, DL
(born 30 June 1952), is a Northern Irish
peer
and landowner. He is one of the 92 hereditary peers who remain, for life, in the House of Lords
.
, Millfield
, and the Royal Agricultural College
, Cirencester
.
He joined the British Army
in 1971, being commissioned into the 17th/21st Lancers
. In 1977 he transferred to the Ulster Defence Regiment
, which was to become the Royal Irish Regiment
in 1992. He was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in 1993, and became Honorary Colonel
of the 4th/5th Battalion
, Royal Irish Rangers
in 1997.
), now Viscountess Brookeborough, in 1980. They farm the 1000 acres (4 km²) Colebrooke Park, Brookeborough
, County Fermanagh
, in Northern Ireland.
as the 3rd Viscount Brookeborough
in 1987. Although he lost his automatic right to a seat in the House of Lords, with all other hereditary peers after the passage of the House of Lords Act 1999
, Lord Brookeborough returned to the House as an elected
crossbench peer in 1999.
He has been a Lord-in-Waiting
to The Queen
since 1997. He is President of the Co. Fermanagh Unionist Association and was appointed as an independent member of the NI Policing Board in 2001. The Lord Brookeborough has represented The Queen as HM's Lord-in-Waiting, instead of The Prince of Wales
and Duchess of Cornwall, on the arrival of the U.S. President Barack Obama
and First Lady Michelle Obama
to the United Kingdom on their official state visit
, on 24 May 2011.
Alan Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke
, was a member of the same family.
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
, DL
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(born 30 June 1952), is a Northern Irish
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
peer
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
and landowner. He is one of the 92 hereditary peers who remain, for life, in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
.
Early life and career
Brooke was educated at Harrow SchoolHarrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
, Millfield
Millfield
Millfield is an independent school in Street in Somerset, in south-west England.The school currently has a roll of 1,260 pupils, of whom 910 are boarders...
, and the Royal Agricultural College
Royal Agricultural College
The Royal Agricultural College is a higher education institution located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, UK. Established in 1845, it was the first agricultural college in the English speaking world...
, Cirencester
Cirencester
Cirencester is a market town in east Gloucestershire, England, 93 miles west northwest of London. Cirencester lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames, and is the largest town in the Cotswold District. It is the home of the Royal Agricultural College, the oldest agricultural...
.
He joined the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
in 1971, being commissioned into the 17th/21st Lancers
17th/21st Lancers
The 17th/21st Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1922 to 1993.It was formed in 1922 in England by the amalgamation of the 17th Lancers and the 21st Lancers . From 1930 to 1939 it was deployed overseas; first in Egypt for two years, and then in India for seven...
. In 1977 he transferred to the Ulster Defence Regiment
Ulster Defence Regiment
The Ulster Defence Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army which became operational in 1970, formed on similar lines to other British reserve forces but with the operational role of defence of life or property in Northern Ireland against armed attack or sabotage...
, which was to become the Royal Irish Regiment
Royal Irish Regiment (1684-1922)
The Royal Irish Regiment, until 1881 the 18th Regiment of Foot, was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, first raised in 1684. Also known as the 18th Regiment of Foot and the 18th Regiment of Foot, it was one of eight Irish regiments raised largely in Ireland, its home depot in...
in 1992. He was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in 1993, and became Honorary Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
of the 4th/5th Battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
, Royal Irish Rangers
Royal Irish Rangers
The Royal Irish Rangers was a regular infantry regiment of the British Army.-Creation:...
in 1997.
Personal life
Lord Brookeborough married Janet Elizabeth Cooke (daughter of JP Cooke, of DoaghDoagh
Doagh is a village and townland in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is in the Six Mile Water Valley about two miles southwest of Ballyclare. It had a population of 1,130 people in the 2001 Census....
), now Viscountess Brookeborough, in 1980. They farm the 1000 acres (4 km²) Colebrooke Park, Brookeborough
Brookeborough
Brookeborough is a village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It lies between Enniskillen and Belfast just off the A4 trunk road, about five miles from the County Tyrone boundary....
, County Fermanagh
County Fermanagh
Fermanagh District Council is the only one of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland that contains all of the county it is named after. The district council also contains a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore and Kilskeery road areas....
, in Northern Ireland.
Peerage
Brooke succeeded his fatherJohn Brooke, 2nd Viscount Brookeborough
John Warden Brooke, 2nd Viscount Brookeborough, Bt, PC was a Northern Irish politician, the son of Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, the 1st Viscount Brookeborough.-Early life:...
as the 3rd Viscount Brookeborough
Viscount Brookeborough
Viscount Brookeborough, of Colebrooke in the County of Fermanagh, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1952 for the Ulster Unionist politician and Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, The Rt. Hon. Sir Basil Brooke, 5th Baronet....
in 1987. Although he lost his automatic right to a seat in the House of Lords, with all other hereditary peers after the passage of the House of Lords Act 1999
House of Lords Act 1999
The House of Lords Act 1999 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that was given Royal Assent on 11 November 1999. The Act reformed the House of Lords, one of the chambers of Parliament. For centuries, the House of Lords had included several hundred members who inherited their seats;...
, Lord Brookeborough returned to the House as an elected
Representative peer
In the United Kingdom, representative peers were those peers elected by the members of the Peerage of Scotland and the Peerage of Ireland to sit in the British House of Lords...
crossbench peer in 1999.
He has been a Lord-in-Waiting
Lord-in-Waiting
Most Lords in Waiting are Government whips in the House of Lords who are members of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. As members of the Royal Household their duties are nominal, though they are occasionally required to meet visiting political and state leaders on visits...
to The Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
since 1997. He is President of the Co. Fermanagh Unionist Association and was appointed as an independent member of the NI Policing Board in 2001. The Lord Brookeborough has represented The Queen as HM's Lord-in-Waiting, instead of The Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
and Duchess of Cornwall, on the arrival of the U.S. President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and First Lady Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States...
to the United Kingdom on their official state visit
State visit
A state visit is a formal visit by a foreign head of state to another nation, at the invitation of that nation's head of state. State visits are the highest form of diplomatic contact between two nations, and are marked by ceremonial pomp and diplomatic protocol. In parliamentary democracies, heads...
, on 24 May 2011.
Family
Field MarshalField Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
Alan Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke
Alan Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke
Field Marshal The Rt. Hon. Alan Francis Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke, KG, GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO & Bar , was a senior commander in the British Army. He was the Chief of the Imperial General Staff during the Second World War, and was promoted to Field Marshal in 1944...
, was a member of the same family.