ish ▁British ▁Army ▁officer ▁and ▁Conserv ative ▁Party ▁politician . ▁He ▁served ▁for ▁nearly ▁twenty ▁years ▁as ▁a ▁Member ▁of ▁Parliament ▁for ▁Wor thing . ▁His ▁main ▁contributions ▁were ▁on ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁defence , ▁on ▁which ▁he ▁was ▁sometimes ▁r oused ▁to ▁out sp oken ▁criticism ▁of ▁the ▁opposition ▁Labour ▁Party . ▁ ▁Early ▁career ▁Prior - Pal mer ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Ireland ▁where ▁his ▁father , ▁Sp un ner ▁Prior - Pal mer , ▁was ▁a ▁land owner ▁in ▁County ▁S lig o . ▁He ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁Well ington ▁College ▁for ▁his ▁school ing , ▁and ▁joined ▁the ▁Army ▁immediately ▁on ▁leaving ▁school . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 6 ▁he ▁was ▁commission ed ▁into ▁the ▁ 9 th ▁Lanc ers . ▁He ▁trained ▁at ▁the ▁Royal ▁Military ▁College , ▁Sand h urst . ▁Later ▁his ▁younger ▁brother ▁George ▁Er roll ▁Prior - Pal mer ▁( 1 9 0 3 – 7 7 ) ▁followed ▁him ▁through ▁Well ington ▁and ▁Sand h urst ▁into ▁the ▁same ▁regiment ▁ ▁Rec re ations ▁During ▁the ▁inter - war ▁period , ▁Prior - Pal mer ▁took ▁an ▁interest ▁in ▁e quest rian ism ▁while ▁continu ing ▁in ▁service ▁with ▁the ▁Lanc ers . ▁He ▁owned ▁a ▁stud ▁which ▁b red ▁horses ▁for ▁the ▁War wick shire ▁H ounds , ▁although ▁he ▁sometimes ▁had ▁to ▁sell ▁up ▁when ▁his ▁leave ▁was ▁cancel led ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁posted ▁abroad . ▁He ▁also ▁enjoyed ▁sail ing ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 2 0 s ,