Background
He was the son of Edward Iliffe, 1st Baron Iliffe and his wife, Charlotte, daughter of Henry Gilding. Iliffe succeeded his father, as the 2nd Baron Iliffe, in 1960.
He was the son of Edward Iliffe, 1st Baron Iliffe and his wife, Charlotte, daughter of Henry Gilding. Iliffe succeeded his father, as the 2nd Baron Iliffe, in 1960.
Iliffe married Renée Merandon du Plessis, a Mauritian of French descent, on 8 December 1938. His best man at the wedding was the architect, Winton Aldridge. During World World War II Iliffe served as an Royal Air Force intelligence officer
After the cessation of hostilities, he returned to the family business.
The family owned the controlling interests in newspapers in Birmingham and Coventry, including the Birmingham Post, the Birmingham Mail and the Coventry Evening Telegraph. The Iliffes were also part owners of the British national newspaper, the Daily Telegraph.
In 1957, Iliffe served as The High Sheriff of Berkshire. Over the following 25 years the couple fully restored the interior and exterior of the derelict mansion.
Iliffe was a cultivated man, deeply interested in the arts and architecture.
On the completion of the restoration, Iliffe presented the house with a large endowment, for its future upkeep, to the National Trust
Following the donation of Basildon Park to the National Trust, Lord and Lady Iliffe remained as tenants, eventually converting the mansion"s former laundry wing into a self-contained house.