Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor

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Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor (19 May 1879–30 September 1952) was a businessman and politician and a member of the prominent Astor family.

Born in New York City in the United States, he was the son of the extremely wealthy William Waldorf Astor (1848-1919) (later 1st Viscount Astor), and Mary Dahlgren Paul (1858-1894). He grew up in New York City but when he was 12 the family moved to England where he received an education at Eton College and at New College, Oxford.

The family's wealth allowed Waldorf Astor many choices but his interest in politics would dominate his life. In 1906, he married the American divorcée Nancy Witcher Langhorne who was born on exactly the same day as he was. A few years later he entered politics, in 1910 being elected Conservative Member of Parliament for Plymouth and then in 1918 Plymouth Sutton.

As a wedding gift, Astor's father had given him and his bride the family estate at Cliveden. There, Nancy Astor undertook a redecoration of the house, installing electricity for the first time. The young couple's lavish entertaining at the estate is often referred to as the 'golden period' at Cliveden when guests such as Winston Churchill, Arthur Balfour, Rudyard Kipling, Lord Curzon of Kedleston, and others of the British elite gathered for parties, fox hunting, and other pastimes of the wealthy. This prominent circle became known as the "Cliveden Set" and were very influential over the affairs of state. Waldorf Astor was a friend and supporter of David Lloyd George and during the First World War he served as the Prime Minister's Parliamentary Secretary. From 1919 until 1921 he served in government as Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health.

On the death of his father, Waldorf Astor inherited a fortune that included the influential newspaper The Observer. In addition, he succeeded as 2nd Viscount Astor and automatically became a member of the House of Lords, and his seat in the House of Commons was forfeited. His wife Nancy then became the party's candidate in the subsequent by-election. On 28 November 1919, she became the second woman elected to the House of Commons, after Constance Markievicz). On 1 December, she became the first woman member to take her seat in the House (Markievicz had declined to do so in accordance with her party's policy). She was to be re-elected many times, serving until 1945.

Lord Astor was active in charitable causes and served as a governor of the Peabody Trust and Guy's Hospital. Still involved in political matters, he was Chairman of the Royal Institute of International Affairs from 1935 to 1949 and also served as Lord Mayor of Plymouth from 1939 to 1944. He took over a successful thoroughbred racing stable from his father and expanded it further, winning many important races throughout Britain including the prestigious St. Leger Stakes in 1927.

During the military buildup in Germany in the 1930s, the Astors promoted an entente with Germany which was seen by some as appeasement of Hitler and led to much criticism of the family. However, Lady Astor was often fiercely critical of the Nazis, and Lord Astor had protested to Hitler about his treatment of the Jews. In 1940, they urged Neville Chamberlain to resign and supported Churchill as his replacement. His son David, who became owner and editor of The Observer in 1948, would never forgive Claud Cockburn and his newssheet The Week for its attacks on the "Cliveden Set".

Although the Astor family donated the Cliveden Estate in Buckinghamshire to the National Trust, Lord Astor lived there until his death in 1952 and his wife remained until her death in 1964.

Children:

William Waldorf Astor, 3rd Viscount Astor (1907-1966)
The Hon. Nancy Phyllis Louise Astor (later Countess of Ancaster) (1909-1975)
The Hon. Francis David Langhorne Astor (1912-2001)
The Hon. Michael Langhorne Astor (1916-1979)
The Hon. John Jacob Astor (born 1918)

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