Alistair Basil Cooke, Baron Lexden, OBE (born 20 April 1945[1]), is a British historian, author and politician who sits as a Conservative life peer in the House of Lords.

During this period he served as political adviser to Airey Neave, Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, 1977–79.

[7] Lexden is a frequent contributor to many national newspapers, offering a historical context to modern political life.

[12] He wrote that "Favoured authors likely to deal indulgently with royal reputations can expect to be treated with great kindness by the archivists at Windsor.

For the rest of us it is often a different story" and wrote that he had been refused access to Queen Victoria's journals when researching the Home Rule Crisis of 1886.

We must have clear, objective criteria for access to the Royal Archives without any attempt to censor publication of material that illuminates history".