Anthony Berry
Encyclopedia
Sir Anthony George Berry (12 February 1925 – 12 October 1984) was a British
politician
, the Conservative
Member of Parliament
for Enfield Southgate, and a Whip
in Margaret Thatcher
's government
. He was killed in the Brighton hotel bombing
.
, Berry was the sixth and youngest son of the newspaper magnate the 1st Viscount Kemsley
, and his wife Mary (née Holmes).
He married firstly, at Westminster
in 1954, the Hon Mary Cythia Roche (born 1934), a daughter of 4th Baron Fermoy. Mary's sister, Frances
, married John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer and so Anthony Berry was an uncle of Diana, Princess of Wales
and great-uncle of The Duke of Cambridge (second in line to the throne).
Sir Anthony and his wife Mary had four children: Alexandra Mary (born 1955), Antonia Ruth and Joanna Cynthia
(twins, born 1957), and Edward Anthony Morys (born 1960). They divorced in 1966.
He then married Sarah Clifford-Turner at Chelsea
in 1966 and had two more children: George (born 1967), and Sasha Jane (born 1969).
, and served in Margaret Thatcher's government
after the Conservatives won the general election in 1979
. He served as Vice-Chamberlain of the Household
between 1979 and 1981, Comptroller of the Household
from 1981 to 1983 and was appointed Treasurer of the Household
in 1983. He was knighted
in December 1983. At the time of his death he was Deputy Chief Whip in Thatcher's government.
, when a bomb was planted in the Grand Hotel
in Brighton
during the Conservative Party
's conference. He was 59. His wife Lady Berry was injured in the blast, but survived.
His death in office triggered a by-election in Enfield Southgate
, which was won by Michael Portillo
.
In September 1986, Patrick Magee who carried out the bombing, received eight life sentences, but was released from prison in 1999 under the terms of the Good Friday agreement.
Since Magee's release, Berry's daughter, Jo Berry (a mother of three living in North West England) has received attention for her series of controversial meetings with the Brighton bomber, as part of her quest to come to terms with the bombing and, in her own words, "to bring something positive out of it". Some of their discussions were filmed for an Everyman programme, shown on BBC2
on Thursday 13 December 2001. She has received some criticism from other families of IRA victims for these meetings.
A ceremony was held in Berry's Enfield Southgate constituency on 12 October 2009, the 25th anniversary of the bombing, at which his widow (now Lady Donoghue, wife of Lord Donoghue
) and her daughter Sasha unveiled a plaque in his honour at the newly renamed Sir Anthony Berry House in Chaseville Parade, Winchmore Hill.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Enfield Southgate, and a Whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
in Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
's government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
. He was killed in the Brighton hotel bombing
Brighton hotel bombing
The Brighton hotel bombing happened on 12 October 1984 at the Grand Hotel in Brighton, England. The bomb was planted by Provisional Irish Republican Army member Patrick Magee, with the intention of assassinating Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her cabinet who were staying at the hotel for the...
.
Personal life
Born in Eton, BerkshireEton, Berkshire
Eton is a town and civil parish in Berkshire, England, lying on the opposite bank of the River Thames to Windsor and connected to it by Windsor Bridge. The parish also includes the large village of Eton Wick, 2 miles west of the town, and has a population of 4,980. Eton was in Buckinghamshire until...
, Berry was the sixth and youngest son of the newspaper magnate the 1st Viscount Kemsley
James Berry, 1st Viscount Kemsley
James Gomer Berry, 1st Viscount Kemsley GBE was a Welsh newspaper publisher.Berry was born the son of John Mathias and Mary Ann Berry, the third of three brothers from Merthyr Tydfil in Wales....
, and his wife Mary (née Holmes).
He married firstly, at Westminster
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
in 1954, the Hon Mary Cythia Roche (born 1934), a daughter of 4th Baron Fermoy. Mary's sister, Frances
Frances Shand Kydd
Frances Ruth Shand Kydd was the first wife of John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer and the mother of Diana, Princess of Wales...
, married John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer and so Anthony Berry was an uncle of Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
and great-uncle of The Duke of Cambridge (second in line to the throne).
Sir Anthony and his wife Mary had four children: Alexandra Mary (born 1955), Antonia Ruth and Joanna Cynthia
Jo Berry
Joanna Cynthia Berry was born in 1957 and is the daughter of Anthony Berry and Hon. Mary Burke Roche an aunt of Diana, Princess of Wales and great-aunt of Prince William, the heir to the throne. Anthony Berry was killed by the IRA in the Brighton hotel bombing on 12 October 1984...
(twins, born 1957), and Edward Anthony Morys (born 1960). They divorced in 1966.
He then married Sarah Clifford-Turner at Chelsea
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
in 1966 and had two more children: George (born 1967), and Sasha Jane (born 1969).
Career
He was elected as Conservative MP for Southgate (later Enfield Southgate) at the 1964 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1964
The United Kingdom general election of 1964 was held on 15 October 1964, more than five years after the preceding election, and thirteen years after the Conservative Party had retaken power...
, and served in Margaret Thatcher's government
Thatcher Ministry
Margaret Thatcher was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom between 4 May 1979 and 28 November 1990, during which time she led a Conservative government. She was the first woman to hold that office...
after the Conservatives won the general election in 1979
United Kingdom general election, 1979
The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats...
. He served as Vice-Chamberlain of the Household
Vice-Chamberlain of the Household
The Vice-Chamberlain of the Household is usually a junior government whip in the British House of Commons and is an officer of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. He or she is the Deputy to the Lord Chamberlain of the Household. The Vice-Chamberlain's main role is to compile...
between 1979 and 1981, Comptroller of the Household
Comptroller of the Household
The Comptroller of the Household is an ancient position in the English royal household, currently the second-ranking member of the Lord Steward's department, and often a cabinet member. He was an ex officio member of the Board of Green Cloth, until that body was abolished in the reform of the local...
from 1981 to 1983 and was appointed Treasurer of the Household
Treasurer of the Household
The position of Treasurer of the Household is theoretically held by a household official of the British monarch, under control of the Lord Steward's Department, but is, in fact, a political office held by one of the government's Deputy Chief Whips in the House of Commons...
in 1983. He was knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in December 1983. At the time of his death he was Deputy Chief Whip in Thatcher's government.
Death
On 12 October 1984, Berry was killed in the Brighton hotel bombingBrighton hotel bombing
The Brighton hotel bombing happened on 12 October 1984 at the Grand Hotel in Brighton, England. The bomb was planted by Provisional Irish Republican Army member Patrick Magee, with the intention of assassinating Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her cabinet who were staying at the hotel for the...
, when a bomb was planted in the Grand Hotel
Grand Hotel (Brighton)
The Grand Hotel is a Victorian hotel in Brighton on the south coast of England. It is located on Kings Road, the main carriageway along the seafront; one of several major hotels along this road. Following the fashion to include a hotel's parent company in its name, it is also known as the De Vere...
in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
during the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
's conference. He was 59. His wife Lady Berry was injured in the blast, but survived.
His death in office triggered a by-election in Enfield Southgate
Enfield Southgate by-election, 1984
The Enfield Southgate by-election, 1984 was a parliamentary by-election held on 13 December 1984 for the British House of Commons constituency of Enfield Southgate.- Previous MP :...
, which was won by Michael Portillo
Michael Portillo
Michael Denzil Xavier Portillo is a British journalist, broadcaster, and former Conservative Party politician and Cabinet Minister...
.
In September 1986, Patrick Magee who carried out the bombing, received eight life sentences, but was released from prison in 1999 under the terms of the Good Friday agreement.
Since Magee's release, Berry's daughter, Jo Berry (a mother of three living in North West England) has received attention for her series of controversial meetings with the Brighton bomber, as part of her quest to come to terms with the bombing and, in her own words, "to bring something positive out of it". Some of their discussions were filmed for an Everyman programme, shown on BBC2
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
on Thursday 13 December 2001. She has received some criticism from other families of IRA victims for these meetings.
A ceremony was held in Berry's Enfield Southgate constituency on 12 October 2009, the 25th anniversary of the bombing, at which his widow (now Lady Donoghue, wife of Lord Donoghue
Bernard Donoughue, Baron Donoughue
Bernard Donoughue, Baron Donoughue is a British politician, businessman and author.The son of Thomas Joseph Donoughue was educated at Campbell Secondary Modern School and Northampton Grammar School, Lincoln College, Oxford, where he read History and obtained the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1957,...
) and her daughter Sasha unveiled a plaque in his honour at the newly renamed Sir Anthony Berry House in Chaseville Parade, Winchmore Hill.