Robert Fellowes, Baron Fellowes

{{Redirect|Baron Fellowes|other people titled Lord Fellowes|Lord Fellowes (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = The Right Honourable

| name = The Lord Fellowes

| honorific-suffix = {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|GCB|GCVO|QSO|PC}}

| image = Lord Fellowes 2017.jpg

| caption = Fellowes speaking in Parliament for the last time, 18 December 2017.

| office = Private Secretary to the Sovereign

| term_start = 19 October 1990

| term_end = 4 February 1999

| monarch = Elizabeth II

| 1blankname = Deputy

| 1namedata = Kenneth Scott (until 1996)
Robin Janvrin (from 1996)

| predecessor = Sir William Heseltine

| successor = Sir Robin Janvrin

| office1 = Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal

| term_start1 = 12 July 1999

| term_end1 = 10 February 2022
Life peerage

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1941|12|11|df=y}}

| birth_place = Sandringham, Norfolk, England

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2024|07|29|1941|12|11|df=y}}

| death_place = Norfolk, England

| alma_mater = Eton College

| spouse = {{marriage|Lady Jane Spencer|1978}}

| children = 3

| relatives = Diana, Princess of Wales (sister-in-law)
Ronald Ferguson (first cousin)

}}

Robert Fellowes, Baron Fellowes (11 December 1941 – 29 July 2024) was a British courtier who was private secretary to Queen Elizabeth II from 1990 to 1999. He was the brother-in-law of Diana, Princess of Wales, and a maternal first cousin of Ronald Ferguson, the father of Sarah, Duchess of York.

Early life

Fellowes was born in Sandringham on 11 December 1941. He was the son of Sir William Albermarle Fellowes (1899–1986), a major in the Scots Guards and land agent of the Sandringham estate, and his wife Jane Charlotte Ferguson (1912–1986). His maternal grandfather, Brigadier-General Algernon Francis Holford Ferguson (1867–1943), was the great-grandfather of Sarah, Duchess of York. His paternal family hail from Shotesham, Norfolk, and are a landed gentry family, a junior branch of the barons de Ramsey.{{cite book |title= Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knighthood|publisher=Burke's Peerage & Gentry |editor= Mosley, Charles |editor-link=Charles Mosley (genealogist) |edition=107 |year= 2003 |page= 1406 |ref=Burke |isbn=0-9711966-2-1}}

Fellowes was educated at Eton College.{{cite news |title=Lord Fellowes, stalwart private secretary to Queen Elizabeth II during the turbulent 1990s – obituary |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2024/07/31/robert-fellowes-private-secretary-queen-elizabeth-ii/ |access-date=8 August 2024 |work=The Telegraph |date=31 July 2024}} He received a short service commission in the Scots Guards in 1960.{{London Gazette|issue=42137|date=6 September 1960|page=6152|supp=y}} Fellowes played cricket for Norfolk in the 1959 Minor Counties Championship, making one appearance each against Buckinghamshire and the Nottinghamshire Second XI.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/196/196615/196615.html|title=Player profile: Robert Fellowes|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=19 June 2011|archive-date=4 August 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240804153935/https://cricketarchive.com/subscribe|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/196/196615/Minor_Counties_Championship_Matches.html|title=Minor Counties Championship Matches played by Robert Fellowes|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=19 June 2011|archive-date=8 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108054035/http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/196/196615/Minor_Counties_Championship_Matches.html|url-status=live}}

Career

After leaving the Guards in 1963, Fellowes entered the banking industry. He worked for Allen Harvey and Ross Ltd, discount brokers and bankers, from 1964 until 1977.{{London Gazette|issue=43051|date=9 July 1963|page=5880|supp=y}} He was a managing director from 1968. He was first offered a position in the royal household in 1974, but declined until his firm was in a better financial state.

In 1977, Fellowes joined the royal household as assistant private secretary to the sovereign.{{London Gazette| issue = 47145| date = 8 February 1977| page = 1787}} He would spend the next twenty years in the Private Secretary's Office. He became deputy in 1986 succeeding Sir William Heseltine as principal private secretary to the sovereign in 1990.{{London Gazette| issue = 50480| date = 8 April 1986| page = 4821}}{{London Gazette| issue = 52306| date = 19 October 1990| page = 16315}}{{cite news|last=Tomlinson|first=Richard|title=They also serve, who only ush|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/they-also-serve-who-only-ush-why-is-the-queen-followed-by-people-in-antique-clothes-richard-tomlinson-on-the-lords-ladies-women-masters-silver-sticks-and-white-staves-at-court-1564751.html|newspaper=The Independent|date=20 December 1992|access-date=10 September 2017|archive-date=25 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925174213/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/they-also-serve-who-only-ush-why-is-the-queen-followed-by-people-in-antique-clothes-richard-tomlinson-on-the-lords-ladies-women-masters-silver-sticks-and-white-staves-at-court-1564751.html|url-status=live}} Upon his appointment, he was sworn into Her Majesty's Privy Council which entitled him to the prefix The Right Honourable for life. His tenure oversaw Queen Elizabeth II's annus horribilis in 1992 and the death of his sister-in-law, Diana, in 1997.{{cite news |last1=Bates |first1=Stephen |title=Lord Fellowes obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global/2024/aug/05/lord-fellowes-obituary |access-date=8 August 2024 |work=The Guardian |date=5 August 2024}}

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 in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.{{London Gazette|issue=55555|date=16 July 1999|page=7715}}{{cite web|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199899/minutes/991026/ldminute.htm|title=Announcement of his introduction at the House of Lords|author=House of Lords|date=26 October 1999|work=Minutes of proceedings|access-date=26 July 2006|archive-date=7 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170907124402/https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199899/minutes/991026/ldminute.htm|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/ld199697/ldinfo/ld03mem/inf3e.htm|title=House of Lords: Membership |author=House of Lords |date=13 October 1999 |work=Publications & records |access-date=3 January 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604215751/http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/ld199697/ldinfo/ld03mem/inf3e.htm |archive-date=4 June 2011}} He sat as a crossbench peer until his retirement on 10 February 2022.{{cite web|url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/2473/career|title=Lord Fellowes|website=members.parliament.uk|access-date=21 September 2022|archive-date=21 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220921023710/https://members.parliament.uk/member/2473/career|url-status=live}}

Lord Fellowes was introduced to the House of Lords and took his seat formally on 26 October 1999. Lord Fellowes remained technically a member of the royal household, having been appointed an extra equerry to the Queen following his retirement.{{cite web|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200102/ldselect/ldconst/69/6906.htm|title=Select Committee on Constitution Fourth Report: APPENDIX 1|author=House of Lords|date=13 October 1999| work= Publications & records|access-date=3 January 2011}}Court Circular, [https://www.royal.uk/media-centre/court-circulars Buckingham Palace, 24 March 2003] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240614204229/https://www.royal.uk/media-centre/court-circulars |date=14 June 2024 }}{{Cite web |url=https://www.royal.uk/court-circular |title=Court Circular, 28 February 2018 |website=The Royal Family |access-date=29 May 2022 |archive-date=29 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160629182208/https://www.royal.uk/court-circular |url-status=live }} He served as secretary and registrar of the Order of Merit from 2003 to 2022.{{Cite web |url=https://www.royal.uk/court-circular |title=Court Circular, 8 May 2003 and 8 May 2022 |website=The Royal Family |access-date=29 May 2022 |archive-date=29 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160629182208/https://www.royal.uk/court-circular |url-status=live }}

Personal life

On 20 April 1978, Fellowes married Lady Jane Spencer, elder sister of Diana, Princess of Wales, at the Guards' Chapel, Wellington Barracks. He was an assistant private secretary to the Queen at the time. Diana (who married Charles, Prince of Wales, in 1981) was a bridesmaid. Lord Fellowes had three children and five grandchildren:

The Honourable Laura Jane Fellowes (born 19 July 1980); married Nicholas Peter Pettman on 30 May 2009. They have three children.
The Honourable Alexander Robert Fellowes (born 23 March 1983); married Alexandra Finlay on 20 September 2013. They have two children.
The Honourable Eleanor Ruth Fellowes (born 20 August 1985)

Fellowes died in Norfolk on 29 July 2024, at the age of 82.{{cite news |title=Lord Fellowes obituary: Queen Elizabeth's private secretary and brother-in-law of Diana |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/obituaries/article/lord-fellowes-wbtw7ctlk |access-date=31 July 2024 |work=The Times |date=31 July 2024 |archive-date=30 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240730232459/https://www.thetimes.com/uk/obituaries/article/lord-fellowes-wbtw7ctlk |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Furness |first1=Hannah |title=Harry and William's uncle Lord Fellowes dies aged 82 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2024/07/31/harry-william-uncle-robert-fellowes-dies/ |access-date=8 August 2024 |work=The Telegraph|date=31 July 2024}} His funeral was held at St Mary's Church in Snettisham on 28 August 2024 and was attended by his nephews, Princes William and Harry.[https://www.thetimes.com/uk/royal-family/article/prince-william-harry-funeral-uncle-lord-robert-fellowes-scmdvfd06 The Times, "Princes William and Harry attend uncle’s funeral — but sit apart"], 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.

In popular culture

Fellowes was portrayed by Dominic Jephcott in The Queen and by Andrew Havill in series 5 and 6 of The Crown.{{Cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-au/entertainment/celebrity/james-murray-to-play-prince-andrew-in-the-crown/ar-AAMY4Fk|title=James Murray to play Prince Andrew in the Crown|website=MSN|access-date=20 December 2022|archive-date=5 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210805171539/https://www.msn.com/en-au/entertainment/celebrity/james-murray-to-play-prince-andrew-in-the-crown/ar-AAMY4Fk|url-status=live}}

Honours

Fellowes was also a member of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council (PC) from 1990, an extra equerry from 1997, and a life peer from 1999.{{London Gazette| issue = 51116| date = 10 November 1987| page = 13845}}

class="wikitable"
rowspan=3\| 80px	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB)	31 December 1997{{London Gazette\| issue = 54993\| date = 30 December 1997\| page = 2\| supp = y}}
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB)	31 December 1990{{London Gazette\| issue = 52382\| date = 28 December 1990\| page = 3\| supp = y}}
Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB)	31 December 1986{{London Gazette\| issue = 50764\| date = 30 December 1986\| page = 3\| supp = y}}
rowspan=3\| 80px	Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO)	15 June 1996{{London Gazette\| issue = 54427\| date = 14 June 1996\| page = 4\| supp = y}}
Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO)	17 June 1989{{London Gazette\| issue = 51772\| date = 16 June 1989\| page = 4\| supp = y}}
Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO)	11 June 1983{{London Gazette\| issue = 49375\| date = 10 June 1983\| page = 4\| supp = y}}
80px	Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal	6 February 1977
80px	Companion of the Queens Service Order (QSO)	31 December 1998{{cite web \|title=New Year Honours List 1999 \|url=https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/publications/new-year-honours-list-1999 \|access-date=8 August 2024 \|website=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet\|date=31 December 1998 }}