Gove, who will take over from Fraser Nelson on 4 October, will be joined by the former Daily Telegraph and Spectator editor Charles Moore, who has been named as chair.
Nelson, who joined the Spectator in 2006 and became editor in 2009, said in a blogpost that Gove was his "clear successor", having been tipped as a future editor during his time as a journalist on titles including the Times and as a Spectator contributor.
By accepting the role, Gove has fulfilled a lifelong ambition, having first declared his ambition to edit the
Spectator during class when he was seven years old in his home town of Aberdeen.
Gove, 57, who stepped down from parliament at the general election, served in the governments of David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak.
Gove has been given approval from the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, which scrutinises any job taken by an ex-minister with two years of leaving government, on the condition he does not lobby government on the magazine's behalf. A spokesperson for Gove declined to comment.
In 2016, Gove was responsible for scuppering Boris Johnson's bid to lead the Conservatives by announcing his surprise entry into the race.
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