Peter Neville Buckley, born on September 23, 1942, was connected to the prominent Cayzer family through his mother, Heather, daughter of Sir August Cayzer, Bt, the third son of Sir Charles Cayzer. Heather’s second husband was Major Edward Richard Buckley, an officer in the Army.

Educated at Eton and later at Manchester Business School, Peter Buckley trained with the accountancy firm McClelland Moores (later Ernst & Young), qualifying as a chartered accountant in 1966. In 1968, he joined British & Commonwealth Shipping (which later became British & Commonwealth Holdings), rising to the role of executive director in 1974. The Cayzer family adeptly diversified their holdings away from shipping, notably into financial services. Demonstrating remarkable foresight, they sold their entire stake in British & Commonwealth—by then under the leadership of money broking magnate John Gunn—just days before the 1987 stock market crash.

The family’s remaining business interests were held through Caledonia Investments, where Buckley became deputy chairman and chief executive following the B&C sale. He assumed the chairmanship in 1994.

Under Buckley’s leadership—he was once described as “Pope-like in his integrity”—Caledonia delivered consistently strong performance, with annual dividend increases for 41 consecutive years. Among his most notable successes was Caledonia’s investment in Close Brothers, the merchant banking group.

However, not all family members were satisfied. His cousin, Sir James Cayzer, grew increasingly critical of how the family’s wealth was being managed. He particularly objected to the system that required family trust shares to be sold to other members at a steep discount from their true asset value. With the support of other relatives, including the 3rd Lord Rotherwick, Sir James voiced concern:

“Some members of the family are not rich,” he said. “If they want to sell their shares, they should get a fair value so they can buy a house or pay for schooling.”

In May 2001, Sir James resigned from the trust’s board and led an effort to pass a motion of no confidence in Buckley’s leadership at an extraordinary general meeting. Buckley countered that the proposed changes would effectively dismantle the trust. The motion was decisively defeated.

Ongoing internal disputes eventually led to a 2004 restructuring of Caledonia, allowing some family members to exit without breaking up the company. Buckley stepped down as chief executive in 2002, though he continued as chairman.

Beyond the boardroom, Buckley had a passion for golf and shooting, but gardening was his true love. He won several awards in RHS camellia competitions and was also deeply interested in rhododendrons. At his 2,000-acre estate in Dumfriesshire, he developed a woodland garden admired by visitors for its harmony with the natural surroundings rather than dominance over them.

Buckley’s commitment to horticulture extended to the Royal Horticultural Society, which he joined as a council member in 1998. He became treasurer in 2002 and president in 2006, succeeding Sir Richard Carew-Pole. Together, they led fundraising efforts for the new glasshouse at Wisley, which opened in 2006—on time and within its £7.8 million budget. Buckley remained deeply involved in all aspects of the RHS, helping to shape its charitable mission.

His corporate leadership extended further: he chaired English & Scottish Investors (1988–2002), Sterling Industries (1988–2005), the Bristow Helicopter Group (1991–2004), and from 1996, Bristow Aviation Holdings. He also held non-executive directorships at The Telegraph Group (until 2001), RHS Enterprises, Kerzner International (formerly Sun International Hotels), Close Brothers Group, and Offshore Logistics (later Bristow Group).

In May of this year, Buckley criticized the Labour government as “a shabby lot” and sought Caledonia shareholders’ approval to donate £75,000 to the Conservative Party. He also decried what he saw as increasing politicisation of the civil service.

In 1967, Peter Buckley married Mary Barabel Stewart, with whom he had two daughters.