View source for Grey Ruthven, 2nd Earl of Gowrie

Alexander Patrick Greysteil Ruthven, 2nd Earl of Gowrie, (born in Dublin 26 November 1939), usually known as Grey Gowrie, is a Scottish hereditary peer. He is the elder brother of the writer [[Malise Ruthven]]


==Background==
The ''Independent'' describes Gowrie's family background as follows:
His father, a commando in the [[SAS]], was killed in action during the Second World War. His mother worked in Intelligence with [[Freya Stark]], so their two small sons - Gowrie and his younger brother, [[Malise Ruthven|Malise]] - were left with their grandparents in Ireland.<ref>Angela Lambert, [http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/grey-by-name-passionate-by-nature-the-famously-charming-lord-gowrie-critic-and-booker-prize-judge-discusses-of-his-love-affair-with-literature-1508754.html Grey by name, passionate by nature: The famously charming Lord Gowrie, critic and Booker Prize judge, discusses of his love affair with literature], The Independent, 5 October 1993.</ref>

==Northern Ireland==
Gowrie was a Minister of State at the [[Northern Ireland Office]] from 15 September 1981 to 10 June 1983.<ref>David Butler and Gareth Butler, Twentieth Century British Political Facts 1900-2000, Macmillan, 2000, p.41.</ref>

He has said of this period:
::In my day in Ireland, mornings began with a report from Long Kesh, from the H Blocks (I was Prisons Minister), from all the bewildering nomenclature of the Maze. Then came news from a dark nowhere we called Liaison.<ref>[http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/lord-gowrie-the-long-road-to-forgiveness-600783.html Lord Gowrie: The long road to forgiveness], Independent, 17 March 2003.</ref>

==Notes==
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[[Category:Old Etonians|Gowrie, Grey]][[Category:Oxford alumni|Gowrie, Grey]][[Category:Conservative Party|Gowrie, Grey]][[Category:House of Lords|Gowrie, Grey]][[Category:UK Ministers|Gowrie, Grey]][[Category:NIO Ministers|Gowrie, Grey]]