Background
The son of Captain William Palmer, Viscount Wolmer, in turn son of Roundell Palmer, 3rd Earl of Selborne, and the Honourable Grace Ridley, Lord Selborne succeeded to his grandfather"s titles in 1971.
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The son of Captain William Palmer, Viscount Wolmer, in turn son of Roundell Palmer, 3rd Earl of Selborne, and the Honourable Grace Ridley, Lord Selborne succeeded to his grandfather"s titles in 1971.
He was educated first at Saint Ronan"s School, Hawkhurst, and at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1961, proceeding to complete a Master of Arts.
He is one of the hereditary peers elected to remain in the House of Lords after the passing of the House of Lords Acting 1999. He was chairman of the Hops Marketing Board from 1978-1982, of the Agricultural and Food Research Council (AFRC) from 1982-1989 and of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) from 1991-1997. From 1994-1995, he was director of the Lloyds Bank and between 1995 and 2004 of Lloyds Trustee Savings Bank Group.
Selborne was President of the Royal Agricultural Society of England from 1987-1988, of the Royal Institute of Public Health and Hygiene from 1991 to 1997 and of the Royal Geographical Society from 1997-2000.
From 1996-2006 he was the Chancellor of the University of Southampton and between 2003-2009 he was chairman of the trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew. In 1989 he was Master of the Worshipful Company of Mercers.
In 1991, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society. He is also a Fellow of the Linnean Society and the Institute of Biology, Vice-Patron of the Royal Entomological Society, and Patron of the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management.
Since 1969, he has been married to Joanna van Antwerp James (Countess of Selborne, Lady Selborne).
The couple have four children:
Lady Emily Palmer,
William Palmer, Viscount Wolmer,
Honorary George Palmer,
Honorary Luke Palmer. The family live near Selborne, Hampshire.
Royal Society]
Lord Selborne was Treasurer of King Edward"s School, Witley between 1972-1983, and a member of the Apple and Pear Development Council between 1969-1973. He was also a member of the National Economic Development Council Food Sector Group in 1991-1992 and a member of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution 1993 to 1998.