Lord Richard Valentine Gascoyne-Cecil (26 January 1948 – 20 April 1978) was a British soldier, Conservative politician and freelance journalist who was killed in Rhodesia whilst covering the country's Bush War.

The second son of the 6th Marquess of Salisbury, Cecil was in Rhodesia with a freelance film-maker, Nick Downie, recording material for a television documentary about the war.

Britain and the United States had already planned negotiations between the Rhodesian government led by Ian Smith, Bishop Abel Muzoriwa and the ZANU PF and ZANLA leaders.

[2] The Cecil family had well established links with Southern Rhodesia, the capital city of which was named Salisbury after the third Marquess (it was renamed Harare in 1982 on the second anniversary of Zimbabwean independence).

The family had extensive land holdings in the country and the fifth Marquess (Cecil's grandfather) was a leading British supporter of the white minority UDI government that ruled Rhodesia from 1965 to 1979.

[6] Cecil's military background and social connections led him to Southern Africa in the mid 1970s, at a time when political unrest in Rhodesia was leading to a state of war between the white-minority government and black nationalist guerrilla forces.

When the Bush War against black nationalists started in earnest in 1976, Cecil used his family connections to gain access to Rhodesian Army counter-insurgency operations.

On 20 April 1978, Cecil and freelance film-maker Nick Downie landed by helicopter in North East Rhodesia with an army "Fireforce" airborne unit.

P. K. van der Byl offered the following comment upon being informed of Cecil's death: "Lord Richard was the finest young man I ever knew and represented the best of everything that made the Englishman great, and built the British Empire."

One factor that had sustained UDI since 1965 was tacit support from some elements in the British establishment who were variously influenced by anti-communism, appreciation of the colonial era's achievements and a wish to safeguard investments.

In his maiden speech to the House, Lord Cranborne urged Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith to end UDI and accept majority rule in Rhodesia under Abel Muzorewa.