Pritzker Prize for Architecture. Palumbo led the fundraising effort to resurrect and refurbish the Church of St Stephen Walbrook in London, a building by Sir Christopher Wren which had been badly damaged during The Blitz (in World War II) – the sculptor Henry Moore was commissioned by Palumbo to build a stone altar for the church. The former rector of St Stephen Walbrook and founder of The Samaritans, Dr Chad Varah, was also the family chaplain. He was created a life peer, on nomination by Margaret Thatcher, on 4 February 1991 as Baron Palumbo, of Walbrook in the City of London, after the ward and street named after a former river and which is in the name of his redesigned church. He sat in the House of Lords until his retirement on 2 September 2019. Personal life Palumbo married Denia Wigram (the daughter of Lionel Wigram) in 1959 – together they had one son (James Palumbo), and two daughters. They divorced in 1977. After Denia died in 1986, he married Hayat Mrowa (daughter of the Lebanese newspaper publisher Kamel Mrowa, and ex-wife of businessman Ely Calil) with whom he had another son and two daughters. Royal connections Palumbo was a polo teammate of Charles III during his time as the Prince of Wales and the two were close until 1984 when the King publicly criticised Palumbo's plans by Mies van der Rohe near St Paul's Cathedral, with Charles describing it as "a glass stump" which, faced with opposition, were not realised. In 1988, Palumbo became godfather to Princess Beatrice of York, the elder daughter of the Duke of York. Arms References External links Official website Voting record at the Public Whip Restoration of St. Stephen Walbrook church 1935 births Living people English people of Italian descent People educated at Eton College People educated at Scaitcliffe School Alumni of Worcester College, Oxford Conservative Party (UK) life peers Life peers created by Elizabeth II People associated with the University of Portsmouth English socialites Peter