PORTLAND, Ore. — English nobility rarely reaches Oregon these days, and the baron visiting this former British outpost seems determined to keep his presence low-key.
To wit, John Jacob Astor, 3rd Baron Astor of Hever, took pains over coffee Wednesday in Portland to describe his digs back in England, a property once owned by Winston Churchill, as a farm.
His 20-year-old son, the Honorable Charles Gavin John Astor, remarked he didn’t like that term for their home.
“It is a farm, though,” said the senior Astor, a chipper 65-year-old who drives a Hyundai and signs his emails “Johnnie.” He noted the farm has sheep and horses.
“It’s more of an estate,” quibbled his son.
The genial Astors — Eton men, both — are heading to Astoria, named for their ancestor, the original John Jacob Astor, who established it as the first U.S. settlement on the Pacific.
Astoria is celebrating its bicentennial. The Astors and accompanying family members say they’re touched to be honored guests.
The current Lord Astor showed up punctually Wednesday morning in the lobby of The Nines hotel. He wore a pink shirt, khakis, loafers and a blue blazer that would fit the dress code of the Arlington Club, where Portland real-estate mogul Jordan Schnitzer planned to host lunch.
Astor raved about Portland, which he first visited with his parents and grandparents 50 years ago on the occasion of Astoria’s 150th anniversary. He punted on a question about the causes of rioting and looting in London, noting he was traveling in San Francisco this week when the disruption broke out.
Back home Astor, a member of the House of Lords, enjoys organized outings to shoot pheasants and ducks. The skier and car buff, who serves as a defense minister, hails from one of Britain’s most colorful and accomplished families.
Ancestor John Jacob Astor (1763-1848) built a fur-trading empire and became the wealthiest person in the United States. He financed the Astor Expedition, which discovered the Rocky Mountain route later used by hundreds of thousands of settlers.
Other generations of John Jacob Astors have made marks on history, including a millionaire great-grandson who went down on the Titanic. He was the grandfather of Jackie Astor Drexel, a New York cousin who is also in Oregon with the family this week.
Viscountess Nancy Astor, married to the current lord’s great-uncle, was the first woman to sit as a member of Parliament in the British House of Commons. Once, asked by Churchill what disguise he should wear to a masquerade ball, Lady Astor reportedly suggested the prime minister come sober.
“She was very witty,” Johnnie Astor said.
Lord Astor is a good deal more diplomatic, judging by his demeanor during a tour of the Portland Art Museum, where he viewed an exhibit titled “The Allure of the Automobile.” He’s proud of an uncle who championed Britain’s first disabilities law. A cavalry veteran who saw combat in Northern Ireland and braved Hong Kong riots, Lord Astor visited Afghanistan in March, describing military progress.
Astor’s wife, Lady Astor of Hever, who introduces herself as Liz, is a striking woman who wrote a book, “Loving Olivia,” about the couple’s autistic daughter. Olivia, 18, is traveling with the family to Astoria.
Her elder brother Charles treats his sister with affection. He said that if she felt like it, Olivia could list every movie filmed in Astoria, ranging from “The Goonies” to “Free Willy.”
Charles speaks warmly of Britain’s Prince William and his new wife, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. Kate’s sister, Pippa Middleton, worked for a time in the kitchen of Charles’ uncle’s house in Scotland.
But in Astoria, Britain’s royals have nothing on the Astors. Astoria’s first-family members plan to appear in a parade Saturday and participate in other 200-year events.
Then Lord Astor will dash home, missing the Mayor’s Ball. He’s due in Parliament on Monday.
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