He was educated at Eton College before serving for five years with The Life Guards (Household Cavalry), the senior regiment of the British Army. In the past few years, he has occupied a number of positions including Social Security and Health, Foreign and Commonwealth and Defence affairs, culminating in the appointment as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Ministry of Defence. He has a keen interest in military history and is actually researching the involvement of a family member in the Great War with a view to writing a book.

 
In doing us the honour of accepting the invitation to become Patron of our band, Lord Astor demonstrated the mutual admiration towards the efforts of so many who waged it all during the Great War and other conflicts.