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Baroness D'Souza

The Right Honourable
The Baroness D'Souza
CMG PC
Baroness D’Souza of Wychwood (cropped).jpg
Lord Speaker
In office
1 September 2011 – 31 August 2016
Monarch Elizabeth II
Preceded by The Baroness Hayman
Succeeded by The Lord Fowler
Convener of the Crossbench Peers
In office
6 November 2007 – 31 August 2011
Preceded by The Lord Williamson of Horton
Succeeded by The Lord Laming
Lord Temporal
Assumed office
1 July 2004
Nominated by Tony Blair
Appointed by Elizabeth II
Personal details
Born Frances Gertrude Claire Russell
(1944-04-18) 18 April 1944 (age 73)
Sussex, United Kingdom
Nationality British
Political party Crossbench
Other political
affiliations
Non-affiliated (2011–2016)
Spouse(s) Stanislaus Joseph D'Souza
(1959–1974 & 2003–present)
Martin John Griffiths (1985–94)
Alma mater University College London
Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford
Committees Procedure Committee (2005–present)
House (2007–present)
Selection; Privileges; Liaison; Administration and Works (2007–2011)

Frances Gertrude Claire D'Souza, Baroness D'Souza, CMG, PC (née Russell; born 18 April 1944) is a British scientist and Lord Temporal. She was previously Lord Speaker, having held the office from 1 September 2011 to 31 August 2016.

Frances Gertrude Claire Russell, the daughter of Robert Anthony Gilbert and Pauline (née Parmet) Russell, was educated at St Mary's School, Princethorpe, and went to University College London to read anthropology, graduating BSc in 1970. She subsequently undertook further study at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, obtaining the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (D.Phil.) in 1976. She worked for the Nuffield Institute of Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition from 1973–77, Oxford Polytechnic (now Oxford Brookes University) from 1977–80, and was an independent research consultant for the United Nations from 1985-88.

She married Dr Stanislaus D'Souza, with whom had two children, but divorced in 1974. From 1985 to 1994 she was married to Martin Griffiths. In 2003 she and D'Souza remarried. Their elder daughter is the journalist Christa D'Souza.

D'Souza was invested as a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1999.

D'Souza was created a Lord Temporal as Baroness D'Souza, of Wychwood in the County of Oxfordshire, on 1 July 2004. She sat as a crossbencher in the House of Lords, where she was the Convenor of the Crossbench Peers from 2007 to 2011 with attendance "well above average".


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