John Jacob Astor, 1st Baron Astor of Hever educated at Eton College and at New College, Oxford. Upon his father's death in 1919, John Jacob V inherited Hever Castle near Edenbridge, Kent, where he lived the life of an English country gentleman. John Jacob Astor V represented Great Britain in rackets at the 1908 Summer Olympics, winning the gold medal in the men's doubles competition together with Vane Pennell, and winning bronze in the men's singles event. Astor had been the British Public Schools rackets champion in 1904–05, and in the same year as his Olympic competition he played singles and doubles in the British Army rackets championships.
Irene Astor, Baroness Astor of Hever 12 days old), the youngest of four children of military officer Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig (1861–1928), and Dorothy Maud Vivian (1879–1939). Her brother was George Haig, 2nd Earl Haig (1918–2009). During World War II she worked for the Red Cross and was also involved in the Girls' Training Corps. She married Gavin Astor, later the 2nd Baron Astor of Hever, eldest son of John Jacob Astor, 1st Baron Astor of Hever (1886–1971), and Violet Mary Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound (1889–1965) on 4 October 1945. She became Lady Astor of Hever when her husband succeeded to the barony on the death of his