William Astor, 4th Viscount Astor

William Waldorf Astor III, 4th Viscount Astor (born 27 December 1951) is an English businessman and politician who sits as a Conservative hereditary Lord Temporal in the House of Lords. He is a member of the Astor family, which is known for its prominence in business, society, and politics in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

The Right Honourable The Viscount Astor
Official portrait, 2017
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for National Heritage
In office 20 July 1994 – 6 July 1995
Prime Minister	John Major
Preceded by	Iain Sproat
Succeeded by	The Lord Inglewood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Social Security
In office 16 September 1993 – 20 July 1994
Prime Minister	John Major
Preceded by	Ann Widdecombe
Succeeded by	James Arbuthnot
Lord-in-waiting Government Whip
In office 11 October 1990 – 16 September 1993
Prime Minister	Margaret Thatcher John Major
Preceded by	The Lord Cavendish of Furness
Succeeded by	The Lord MacKay of Ardbrecknish
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
as a hereditary peer 4 July 1973 – 11 November 1999
Preceded by	The 3rd Viscount Astor
Succeeded by	Seat abolished
Incumbent
as an elected hereditary peer 11 November 1999
Election	1999
Preceded by	Seat established
Personal details
Born	William Waldorf Astor III (1951-12-27) 27 December 1951 (age 73)
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Annabel Jones ​ (m. 1976)​
Children	3
Parents	William Astor, 3rd Viscount Astor Sarah Norton
Relatives	See Astor family
Alma mater	Eton College
Occupation	Politician, businessman

Biography

Astor was a Lord-in-waiting (a House of Lords whip) from 1990 to 1993. He was then made a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Social Security. In 1994, he moved to the Department of National Heritage where he served until leaving the government in 1995.

He was a member of the Founding Council of the Rothermere American Institute at the University of Oxford.^[1]

Viscount Astor is co-founder and former Chairman of Silvergate Media (now Sony Pictures Television Kids) and director of Networkers Plc (since 2007) and trustee of Stanley Spencer Gallery in Cookham.

Political positions

Astor was an early opponent of the HS2 high-speed rail project.^[2]

Marriage and children

Astor married Annabel Lucy Veronica Jones (born 1948), daughter of Timothy Angus Jones and Patricia David Pandora Clifford on 14 January 1976. They have three children:

• Hon Flora Katherine Astor (born 7 June 1976). She is married to Theo Rycroft. They have three children: Nelson (born 2008), Pandora (born 2011) and Lydia (born 2016).
• Hon William Waldorf "Will" Astor IV (born 18 January 1979). He is married to Lohralee Stutz. They have four children: William Waldorf (born 2012), Allegra Annabel (born 2013), Conrad Charles (born 2016) and India Isabel (born 2017).
• Hon James Jacob "Jake" Astor (born 4 March 1981). He is married to Victoria L. Hargreaves. They have two children: Sibyl (born 2015) and Atalanta (born 2017).

The heir to the viscountcy is his elder son, Will.^[3]

His wife Annabel's stepfather was his uncle Michael Langhorne Astor.

Viscountess Astor was previously married to Sir Reginald Sheffield, 8th Baronet by whom she is the mother of Samantha Cameron, wife of former Prime Minister David Cameron.

Arms

Coat of arms of William Astor, 4th Viscount Astor

Coronet A Coronet of a Viscount Crest From a Mount Vert a Falcon rising proper ensigned by three Mullets Gold Escutcheon Or, a falcon resting on a dexter hand couped at the wrist proper and gauntleted gules in chief two fleurs-de-lys of the last Supporters Dexter: a North American Indian; Sinister: a North American fur trapper; each habited accoutred and holding in the exterior hand a Rifle all proper Motto Ad Astra (To the stars)