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Alexander Charles Robert Vane-Tempest-Stewart, always known as Alistair, was born in 1937, the son of Robin Vane-Tempest Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh, heir to the Londonderry title and Unionist M.P. for County Down between 1931 and 1945.

Alistair had two older sisters, the older of which became well-known as Lady Annabel Birley, and later Lady Annabel Goldsmith. They had an idyllic childhood spent at the family Irish seat, Mount Stewart in County Down, and Wynyard Park in County Durham. The family was immensely wealthy, owning more than 50,000 acres, a colliery empire, also three other houses in addition to Wynyard Park, Mount Stewart and Londonderry House in Park Lane, but by the time Alistair inherited the title in 1955, mismanagement, taxation and the nationalisation of the coal mines had taken their toll: Londonderry House was sold and Mount Stewart, initially bequeathed to Alistair´s aunt, Lady Mairi Bury, was subsequently handed over to the National Trust. Wynyard Park, which Alistair spent much money and effort in renovating, finally proved an overwhelming financial drain and was eventually sold in 1977 to Sir John Hall.

He was descended from an imposing and interesting line of forebears. The first marquis, a title in the Irish peerage, was created in 1816 for Robert Stewart, who had been member for county Down in the Irish House of Commons; he had already been created Baron Londonderry, Viscount Castlereagh, and Earl of Londonderry, to which the 3rd Marquis would add the English titles of Earl Vane and Viscount Seaham.

The second Marquis, Lord Castlereagh, secured the passing of the Act of Union between England and Ireland. By inheriting his title and estates in 1955, when he was just 18, Alistair had to forego university life in order to shoulder his new responsibilities; but instead he created one for himself becoming proficient in French, German and Italian, and also an accomplished pianist. Whilst at Eton he founded a jazz band, called the "Eton Five".

In 1958, he embarked on the first of two unhappy marriages, firstly with Nicolette Harrison, an 18 year old stockbroker´s daughter. Together they had three children, two girls and a boy; the latter, when he was 18 months old was proven by blood tests not to be Alistair´s son, but that of Georgie Fame, the pop-star, with whom Nicolette had had an affair. After the Londonderry´s divorce in 1971 he married Doreen Lake, a principal ballerina at the Royal Ballet, with whom he had two sons, but after 17 years that marriage, too, ended in divorce.

Lord Londonderry is survived by the two daughters of his first marriage and two sons by the second. His eldest son, Frederick Aubrey Vane-Tempest -Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh, succeeded to the title.