This Is Your Life: Robert Boothby

Baron BOOTHBY of Buchan and Rattray Head (1900-1986)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Robert Boothby, politician, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at the BBC Television Centre.

Educated at Eton College and Magdalen College, Oxford, Robert entered politics in the early 1920s, and was elected MP for Aberdeen and Kincardine East in 1924. He was Parliamentary Private Secretary to Chancellor of the Exchequer Winston Churchill from 1926 to 1929 and held junior ministerial office as Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food in 1940–41, and was a prominent commentator on public affairs on radio and television, often taking part in the long-running BBC radio programme Any Questions.

He held the seat until its abolition in 1950, when he was elected for its successor constituency of East Aberdeenshire. Re-elected a final time in 1955, he gave up the seat in August 1958 when he was raised to the peerage - as a life peer with the title Baron Boothby, of Buchan and Rattray Head in the County of Aberdeen.

"Well now!"

programme details...

Edition No: 229
Subject No: 230
Broadcast date: Thu 17 Oct 1963
Broadcast time: 8.35-9.00pm
Recorded: Mon 14 Oct 1963 8.00pm
Venue: TC4 BBC Television Centre
Series: 9
Edition: 3

on the guest list...

John Noble Stephens
Lord Gladwyn
Compton Mackenzie
Jennie Lee
General le Gentilhomme
Madame Marjorie Gentilhomme
Noel Coward
Thelma Hensall
Penelope - goddaughter

production team...

Researcher: Suzanne Twiston-Davies
Writer: Peter Moore
Director: Michael Goodwin
Producer: Vere Lorrimer
Executive Producer: T Leslie Jackson

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

Life on the Hustings

a cross-party celebration

Compton Mackenzie

Robert Boothby on This Is Your Life

Series 9 subjects