The Rt Hon Sir John Major KG CH

Sir John entered the House of Commons in 1979, and government in 1983. He joined the cabinet as chief secretary to the treasury in 1987; was appointed secretary of state for foreign and commonwealth affairs in July 1989; and chancellor of the exchequer in October 1989.  

Sir John was appointed prime minister on November 28, 1990 and served in that position until May 1997. In the general election of 1992, he led the Conservatives to an unprecedented fourth term in Office.  

As prime minister, Sir John focused his efforts upon securing peace in Northern Ireland and upholding Britain’s position in the world community as a political, social and economic leader. He was prime minister throughout the first Gulf War and, at home, instigated long-term reforms in education, health and public services. On May 1, 1997, he handed over the strongest economy any incoming UK government had inherited.

Sir John retired from Parliament at the UK general election in May 2001. He has now stepped back from a number of appointments, but is president emeritus of Chatham House, and patron or president of a number of UK and international charities.

On New Year’s Day 1999, HM Queen Elizabeth appointed Sir John a Companion of Honour in recognition of his initiation of the Northern Ireland peace process; and on St George’s Day 2005, a knight companion of the most noble order of the garter.  

In October 2011, Sir John was appointed chairman of The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust, a Commonwealth-wide initiative which was established to create a lasting legacy to Queen Elizabeth II’s 60 years as sovereign.  

Other awards include: The King Abdulaziz Order of Merit (1994); The Grand Cordon of The Rising Sun from The Emperor of Japan (2012); The Sir Winston Churchill Award from the International Churchill Society (2017); The George Bush Award for Excellence in Public Service – the last recipient to be chosen personally by President George H W Bush (2019); The New England Historic and Genealogical Society Lifetime Achievement Award (2020).