Honorary Fellow David Williamson, Baron Williamson of Horton, dies

Honorary Fellow of Exeter College David Williamson, Baron Williamson of Horton (1952, Literae Humaniores), has died at the age of 81.

Lord Williamson was a senior British and European civil servant who, in 1987, became secretary-general of the European Commission, a post he held for 10 years.

After leaving Brussels, Lord Williamson was created a Life Peer on 5 February 1999 with the title Baron Williamson of Horton and sat as a crossbencher in the House of Lords where he became convenor of the crossbenchers.

As well as being appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in 1984 and a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) in 1998, Lord Williamson was awarded the Knight Commander’s Cross of the Bundesverdienstkreuz by Germany, the Commander Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Polar Star by Sweden and made Commander Légion d’honneur by France. He was sworn of the Privy Council in 2007.

Lord Williamson was made an Honorary Fellow of Exeter College in 2011.

He died on 30 August 2015 and is survived by his wife, Patricia, and their two sons.