Robert Fellowes, Baron Fellowes

Last updated

Lady Jane Spencer
(m. 1978)
The Lord Fellowes
Coronet of a British Baron.svg
Fellowes Escutcheon.png
Private Secretary to the Sovereign
In office
19 October 1990 4 February 1999
Children3
Relatives Diana, Princess of Wales (sister-in-law)
Ronald Ferguson (first cousin)
Alma mater Eton College

Robert Fellowes, Baron Fellowes, GCB , GCVO , QSO , PC (born 11 December 1941) is a British courtier who was Private Secretary to Queen Elizabeth II from 1990 to 1999, and is also known as a brother-in-law of Diana, Princess of Wales and maternal first cousin of Ronald Ferguson, the father of Sarah, Duchess of York.

Contents

Family background

Fellowes is the son of Scots Guards Major Sir William Fellowes, the Queen's land agent at Sandringham, and of his wife Jane Charlotte Ferguson, daughter of Brigadier-General Algernon Francis Holford Ferguson (great-grandfather of Sarah, Duchess of York). The Fellowes of Shotesham in Norfolk are an old country family, junior branch to the Lords De Ramsey (senior branch). [1]

Fellowes married Lady Jane Spencer, elder sister of Diana, Princess of Wales, on 20 April 1978 at Westminster Abbey, when he was an assistant private secretary to the Queen. Diana (who married Charles, Prince of Wales in 1981) was a bridesmaid. Baron and Baroness Fellowes have three children: [1]

Early career

Fellowes played cricket for Norfolk in the 1959 Minor Counties Championship, [2] making one appearance each against Buckinghamshire and the Nottinghamshire Second XI. [3] Fellowes was educated at Eton College and joined the Scots Guards in 1960 on a short service commission. After completion of service in 1963 he entered the banking industry, working for Allen Harvey and Ross Ltd, discount brokers and bankers, 1964–77. He was a managing director from 1968.

Royal service

In 1977, Fellowes was recruited to join the Royal Household as Assistant Private Secretary. He spent the next 20 years in the Private Secretary's Office, becoming Deputy in 1986, and Private Secretary in 1990. [4] [5] [6]

Fellowes left his position in February 1999 to return to private banking, his retirement having been announced implicitly on 1 June 1998 when his successor Robin Janvrin was named. He was created a life peer on 12 July 1999 taking the title Baron Fellowes, of Shotesham in the County of Norfolk [7] [8] in the Queen's Birthday Honours List. [9] He sat as a crossbench peer until his retirement on 10 February 2022. [10]

Lord Fellowes was introduced to the House of Lords and took his seat formally on 26 October 1999. According to reports from the House of Lords, Lord Fellowes remains technically a member of the Royal Household. [11]

Honours and legacy

He was made a Privy Counsellor (PC) in 1990.

He served as Secretary and Registrar of the Order of Merit from 2003 to 2022. [12] He remained an Extra Equerry to the Queen until her death in 2022. [13]

Fellowes is portrayed by actor Andrew Havill in seasons 5 and 6 of The Crown . [14]

Arms

Coat of arms of Robert Fellowes, Baron Fellowes
Coronet
Coronet of a Baron
Crest
A Lion's Head erased Or, murally crowned Argent, charged on the neck with a Fess dancettée Ermine.
Escutcheon
Azure, a Fess indented Ermine, between three Lions' Heads erased Or, murally crowned Argent.
Orders
Order of the Bath circlet (Appointed CB 1987; KCB 1991; GCB 1998)

Royal Victorian Order (Appointed LVO 1983; KCVO 1989; GCVO 1996) Queen's Service Order (Appointed 1999)

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References

  1. 1 2 Mosley, Charles, ed. (2003). Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knighthood (107 ed.). Burke's Peerage & Gentry. p. 1406. ISBN   0-9711966-2-1.
  2. "Player profile: Robert Fellowes". CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  3. "Minor Counties Championship Matches played by Robert Fellowes". CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  4. Tomlinson, Richard (20 December 1992). "They also serve, who only ush". The Independent.
  5. The Gazette, 19 October 1990
  6. [The Times, London, 5 February 1999]
  7. "No. 55555". The London Gazette . 16 July 1999. p. 7715.
  8. House of Lords (26 October 1999). "Announcement of his introduction at the House of Lords". Minutes of proceedings. Retrieved 26 July 2006.
  9. House of Lords (13 October 1999). "House of Lords: Membership". Publications & records. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 3 January 2011.
  10. "Lord Fellowes". members.parliament.uk. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  11. House of Lords (13 October 1999). "Select Committee on Constitution Fourth Report: APPENDIX 1". Publications & records. Retrieved 3 January 2011.
  12. Court Circular, 8 May 2003 and 8 May 2022
  13. Court Circular, 28 February 2018
  14. "James Murray to play Prince Andrew in the Crown". MSN .
Court offices
Preceded by Private Secretary to the Sovereign
1990–1999
Succeeded by
Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom
Preceded by Gentlemen
Baron Fellowes
Followed by