Wissenswertes

Came in first place in the National Civil Servants Entrance exams of 1945, but ultimately left the civil service and entered politics instead.

A World War 2 veteran, Heath entered the British Army as a Second Lieutenant in 1939 and was discharged in 1945 as a Lieutenant Colonel.

Admitted to the Privy Council in 1955.

Conservative MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup, 1983-2001 (Bexley, 1950-1974; Bexley, Sidcup, 1974-1983).

Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury, 1970-1974.

Attended Balliol College, Oxford, of which he became an Honorary Fellow in 1969.

He was awarded the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1946 King George V's Honours List for his services during World War II and awarded a Knight of the Order of the Garter in the 1992 Queen's Honours List for his services to public service and government.

Is one of three former Prime Ministers to have declined a peerage, which would have given him a seat in the House of Lords. The other two were Sir Winston Churchill and Sir John Major .

Suffered a pulmonary embolism in August 2003. After that he was frail and confined to a wheelchair, but remained active until four months before his death.

A dedicated One Nation Tory and pro-European, he became increasingly critical of the more right wing direction the Conservatives took under the leadership of his successor Margaret Thatcher . He declined the offer to serve in her cabinet and this long period of disquiet earned him the nickname "The Incredible Sulk". He admitted that when he heard of her resignation as Prime Minister his reaction was to cry "Rejoice, Rejoice, Rejoice".

His time as Prime Minister was in-between Harold Wilson's two non-consecutive times.

Is the only Prime Minister during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II to have never married.