  {{infobox officeholder |honorific-prefix = the right honourable |name = the lord soames |honorific-suffix = gcmg gcvo ch cbe pc |office = governor of southern rhodesia |monarch = elizabeth ii |term_start = 11 december 1979 |term_end = 18 april 1980 |predecessor = humphrey gibbs |successor = canaan banana (president of zimbabwe) |office1 = leader of the house of lords |primeminister1 = margaret thatcher |term_start1 = 5 may 1979 |term_end1 = 14 september 1981 |predecessor1 = the lord peart |successor1 = the baroness young |office2 = lord president of the council |primeminister2 = margaret thatcher |term_start2 = 5 may 1979 |term_end2 = 14 september 1981 |predecessor2 = michael foot |successor2 = francis pym |office3 = european commissioner for external relations |president3 = franÃ§ois-xavier ortoli |term_start3 = 6 january 1973 |term_end3 = 5 january 1977 |predecessor3 = jean-franÃ§ois deniau |successor3 = wilhelm haferkamp |office4 = european commissioner for trade |president4 = franÃ§ois-xavier ortoli |term_start4 = 6 january 1973 |term_end4 = 5 january 1977 |predecessor4 = ralf dahrendorf |successor4 = wilhelm haferkamp |office5 = british ambassador to france |term_start5 = september 1968 |term_end5 = 27 october 1972 |predecessor5 = patrick reilly |successor5 = edward tomkins |office6 = shadow foreign secretary |primeminister6 = edward heath |term_start6 = 11 november 1965 |term_end6 = 13 april 1966 |predecessor6 = reginald maudling |successor6 = alec douglas-home |office7 = minister of agriculture, fisheries and food |primeminister7 = harold macmillanalec douglas-home |term_start7 = 27 july 1960 |term_end7 = 16 october 1964 |predecessor7 = john hare |successor7 = fred peart |office8 = secretary of state for war |primeminister8 = harold macmillan |term_start8 = 6 january 1958 |term_end8 = 27 july 1960 |predecessor8 = john hare |successor8 = john profumo |constituency_mp9 = bedford |term_start9 = 23 february 1950 |term_end9 = 31 march 1966 |predecessor9 = thomas skeffington-lodge |successor9 = brian parkyn |birth_name=arthur christopher john soames |birth_date =  |birth_place = penn, united kingdom |death_date =  |death_place = |party = [[conservativ
1920_births 1987_deaths Ambassadors_of_the_United_Kingdom_to_France British_Army_personnel_of_World_War_II British_European_Commissioners British_Secretaries_of_State British_diplomats Burials_at_St_Martin\'s_Church,_Bladon Commanders_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire Conservative_Party_(UK)_MPs Conservative_Party_(UK)_life_peers Deaths_from_pancreatitis Diplomatic_peers Governors_of_Southern_Rhodesia Knights_Grand_Cross_of_the_Order_of_St_Michael_and_St_George Knights_Grand_Cross_of_the_Royal_Victorian_Order Leaders_of_the_House_of_Lords Lord_Presidents_of_the_Council Lords_of_the_Admiralty Members_of_the_Order_of_the_Companions_of_Honour Members_of_the_Parliament_of_the_United_Kingdom_for_English_constituencies Members_of_the_Privy_Council_of_the_United_Kingdom People_educated_at_West_Downs_School Secretaries_of_State_for_War_(UK) UK_MPs_1950a51 UK_MPs_1951a55 UK_MPs_1955a59 UK_MPs_1959a64 UK_MPs_1964a66