Lord Home is the only son of former prime minister Sir Alec Douglas-Home, who was notable for being the last PM to serve from the House of Lords, albeit only for four days before disclaiming his peerage.The 15th Earl was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Cambridge, before embarking on a career in business, sitting as director, chairman, or board member of some 26 firms.Notably, Lord Home was until last year chairman of private bank Coutts & Co. and remains chairman of the Grosvenor Group. He is also president of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation and Chief of the Name and Arms of Home as well as heir general to the House of Douglas.Home succeeded to the earldom upon the death of his father in October 1995. Like his father before him, he sits as a Conservative and served as Opposition front bench spokesman for Trade & Industry between 1997 and 1998.In the 2014 New Years Honours, Lord Home was appointed Knight Companion of the Order of the Thistle, an honour previously bestowed upon his father in 1962.
In 1972, Lord Home married Jane Williams-Wynne, of the Williams-Wynne baronets. The couple have three children, the Lady Iona Katherine (born 1980), the Lady Mary Elizabeth (born 1982) and Michael David Alexander, Lord Dunglass.
The Earldom of Home was created by James VI of Scots when he ascended to the throne of England as James I. Alexander Home, 5th Lord Home, was one of the retinue who in 1603 accompanied King James to England, the king staying for a night at Home’s castle of Dunglass on his way down.
On 7 July the king constituted him lieutenant and justiciary over the three marches and he was sworn a privy councillor of England. On March 4, 1605, the king created him 1st Earl of Home and Lord Dunglass.
In 1875 Charles Douglas-Home, 12th Earl of Home, was created Baron Douglas, of Douglas in the County of Lanark, to enable him to sit in the House of Lords as, until 1963, Scottish peers elected only 16 representative peers to sit in the House.