First Russian Lord: why Queen Elizabeth II awarded the title to a Russian
'25.11.2020'
Source: Ria.ru
British businessman of Russian origin Evgeny Lebedev received the title of Baron, writes Ria.ru.
Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain granted businessman and publisher Yevgeny Lebedev the title of Baron of Hampton and Siberia, according to the government bulletin The Gazette.
“The Queen was delighted with the diploma, sealed by the Great Seal, to confer the life title of Baron of the United Kingdom to Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Lebedev under the name of Baron Lebedev from Hampton in London's Richmond-on-Thames and Siberia in the Russian Federation,” reads the announcement.
Lebedev will become the first peer from Russia and will become a life member of the British House of Lords. The title was awarded for his services in the development of the media industry and charity.
Evgeny Lebedev, the son of Russian businessman Alexander Lebedev, owns Lebedev Holdings Ltd, which publishes the Evening Standard and Independent newspapers.
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The British media wrote that he wanted the title to include the word "Moscow", but according to the rules, the government of the respective country should give permission to use a foreign geographical name. Other details are not provided.
The number of members of the House of Lords is not limited, now there are about 800. Formally, this is the upper house of parliament, but it does not have the power to reject bills if approved by the House of Commons. At the same time, peers can significantly delay the adoption of the document and even convince the deputies of the lower house to revise it.
Unlike elected members of the House of Commons, members of the House of Lords are appointed by the Queen on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. There is also a relatively small group of hereditary lords.
