John Edward Hollister Montagu, 11th Earl of Sandwich (born 11 April 1943), is a British businessman and politician. He was a crossbench member of the House of Lords from 1995 to 2024.

Biography

Lord Sandwich is the eldest son of Victor Montagu, who disclaimed the earldom of Sandwich in 1964, and his first wife Rosemary Maud (née Peto). He succeeded his father to the earldom in 1995 and was one of the ninety elected hereditary peers that remain in the House of Lords after the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999. He sat as a crossbencher and spoke mainly on international development and asylum issues. He retired from the House on 20 May 2024. Lord Sandwich was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge. His seat is Mapperton House in Dorset. Reflecting the fame of one of their ancestors, the 4th Earl of Sandwich (after whom the sandwich was named in the 18th century), Lord Sandwich and his son, Hon. Orlando Montagu, established a chain of sandwich shops, Earl of Sandwich. These are located in various parts of the United States, Canada and Asia including Disney Springs, Downtown Disney Disneyland Paris, in partnership with Robert Earl, the entrepreneur behind Hard Rock Cafe and Planet Hollywood chains.

Marriage and children

Lord Sandwich married Susan Caroline Hayman, daughter of the Anglican clergyman Perceval Ecroyd Cobham Hayman, on 1 July 1968. She is a former business journalist and policy expert at the European Commission, specialising in the Middle East. She is the committee member of a number of organisations promoting links with the region, including the Saudi British Society, and is a senior adviser for Women in Business International. She is also active in a number of organisations in Dorset, including the Heritage Lottery Fund's South West Committee and the Beaminster Festival, and serves as President of the Dorset Natural History & Archaeological Society. They have three children: