The Right Honourable
The Lord Hussey of North Bradley
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
In office
11 September 1996 – 27 December 2006
Life peerage
Personal details
Born
Marmaduke James Hussey

(1923-08-29)29 August 1923
Died27 December 2006(2006-12-27) (aged 83)
NationalityBritish
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1959)​
Children2
Parents
RelativesJames Waldegrave, 13th Earl Waldegrave (brother-in-law)
William Waldegrave, Baron Waldegrave of North Hill (brother-in-law)
EducationRugby School, Trinity College
Alma materTrinity College, Oxford
OccupationChairman of the Board of Governors of the BBC

Marmaduke James Hussey, Baron Hussey of North Bradley (29 August 1923 – 27 December 2006), known as Duke Hussey, was Chairman of the Board of Governors of the BBC from 1986 to 1996, serving two terms in that role.

Early life

The son of the athlete and colonial administrator Eric Hussey and his wife, Christine Elizabeth Morley, Marmaduke Hussey was educated at Rugby School and Trinity College, Oxford. He served in the Grenadier Guards in the Second World War and was severely injured and captured at Anzio, having to have a leg amputated while a prisoner-of-war, which resulted in his repatriation.[1][2]

Career

After returning to civilian life, Hussey joined Associated Newspapers, where he had a long career, culminating in being appointed managing director. He subsequently joined Times Newspapers as chief executive and managing director, a post he held from 1971 to 1980.[3]

In 1986 he was appointed as Chairman of the BBC, upon the death of Stuart Young, thanks in part to his close connections to the ruling Conservatives.[2]

Within three months of joining the BBC, Hussey had forced the resignation of the Director-General, Alasdair Milne, following a series of rows in recent years between the BBC and the Conservative government.[4] In 1992 Hussey appointed John Birt as Director-General of the BBC, but fell out with him over his management style and Panorama's controversial interview with Diana, Princess of Wales in 1995,[5] later commenting that Birt had been his "greatest mistake".[6]

Hussey retired from the BBC in 1996, and on 11 September 1996 was made a life peer as Baron Hussey of North Bradley in the County of Wiltshire, taking a seat in the House of Lords.[7]

Hussey gave up several boardroom appointments when he joined the BBC, but he remained chairman of the board of the Royal Marsden Hospital until 1998.[2]

Personal life

On 25 April 1959, Hussey married Lady Susan Waldegrave, youngest daughter of Geoffrey Waldegrave, 12th Earl Waldegrave. She was a Woman of the Bedchamber to Elizabeth II and is a godmother to William, Prince of Wales. They had two children:[2] James Arthur (b. 1961) and Katharine Elizabeth (b. 1964) who married Sir Francis Brooke.

Death

Hussey died at the age of 83 on 27 December 2006.[3]

Hussey is known as 'Marmalade Hussey' in the satirical magazine Private Eye. Hussey is portrayed by Richard Cordery in season 5 of The Crown.

Arms

Coat of arms of Marmaduke Hussey, Baron Hussey of North Bradley
Crest
A greyhound sejant sable grasping in the dexter paw a caduceus or.
Escutcheon
Argent on three bars sable five crowns in cross or.
Supporters
On either side a hind argent unguled and gorged with a collar or pendent therefrom by a string sable a bugle horn or virolled and stringed sable.
Motto
Malevolis Resiste[8]

References

  1. ↑ "Marmaduke James Hussey, Baron Hussey of North Bradley : Genealogics".
  2. 1 2 3 4 Obituary, The Guardian, 27 December 2006.
  3. 1 2 Lord Hussey of North Bradley: Obituary, The Times; accessed 26 March 2016.
  4. ↑ "Obituary: Lord Hussey of North Bradley". BBC News. 27 December 2006.
  5. ↑ "I wanted Birt out, says his old boss at BBC". The Guardian. 29 October 2001. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  6. ↑ Demetriou, Danielle (27 October 2001). "Hussey says Birt was his greatest mistake". Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  7. ↑ "No. 54527". The London Gazette. 17 September 1996. p. 12351.
  8. ↑ Debrett's Peerage. 2000.

Further reading

  • Hussey, Marmaduke (2001). Chance Governs All: a memoir. London: Macmillan. ISBN 0333902564.
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