Born in 1889, Sir Richard was exposed to politics from a young age – his father was a Conservative MP.
At the outbreak of the First World War, Sir Richard was recovering from a breakdown. Instead of joining the forces, he became a lorry driver for the Red Cross in France.
He returned to politics in 1929, joining the Labour Party and becoming a minister in Ramsay MacDonald’s Labour government the following year.
As British Ambassador to the Soviet Union between 1940-1942, Sir Richard played a key role in bringing Russia and Britain together as allies. He became Chancellor in 1947. He died in 1952, aged 62.