David Field Beatty, 2nd Earl Beatty (22 February 1905 – 10 June 1972), known as Viscount Borodale from 1919 to 1936, was a British Conservative politician.

Family

Beatty was a son of Admiral of the Fleet David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty and his wife Ethel, daughter of the American businessman Marshall Field. He gained the courtesy title of Viscount Borodale in 1919 when his father was created Earl Beatty. He had one brother, Peter Beatty.

Military career

Beatty was educated at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth and the Royal Naval College on the Isle of Wight. In 1919 he gained the rank of Midshipman in the service of the Royal Navy. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 1928. He would later serve in the Leicestershire Yeomanry, part of the Territorial Army, and gained the rank of Lieutenant in 1933.

Political career

Between 1931 and 1936 he was Member of Parliament for Peckham. During his time in parliament he held the office of Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty from 1931 until 1936. He succeeded as 2nd Earl Beatty on his father's death on 11 March 1936 when he moved to the House of Lords. He also served as a member of the London County Council in 1937. In 1945 he served as Under-Secretary of State for Air in the Caretaker Government after the Second World War.

Marriages and children

Beatty was married four times, firstly to Dorothy Power who he married on the 21 April 1937. He and Dorothy Power were divorced in 1945. He married, secondly Dorothy Rita Furey on the 7 February 1946. He and Dorothy Rita Furey were divorced in 1950 having had one son David (born 1946). His third wife was Adelle Dillingham who he married on the 5 July 1951 and divorced in 1958 having had one daughter Diana (born 1952), who is the wife of the 8th Viscount Gage. His fourth wife was Diane Kirk Blundell who he married on the 3 December 1959 and remained married until his death. From his fourth marriage he had a son Nicholas (born 1961) and a daughter Miranda (born 1963).