Lord Robert Fellowes, brother-in-law of Princess Diana, uncle of Princes Harry and William and private secretary to Queen Elizabeth II, has died aged 82. He was the Queen’s most important advisor between 1990 and 1999.and helped her overcome what she called her «horrible year», 1992, marked by a series of family scandals and the marital problems of three of her children: Charles was in conflict with his wife Diana, Andrew separated from Sarah, Anne divorced, Windsor Castle burned down and public opinion was against the royal family. It was Lord Fellowes who drafted the first draft of the late Queen’s speech to the nation after the death of Princess Diana.
Lord Robert Fellowes born in Sandringham in 1941 by Sir William Fellowes, the estate’s manager from 1936 to 1964, who shot with King George VI. His mother, Jane Fellowes, was the daughter of Brigadier-General Algernon Ferguson, High Sheriff of Northamptonshire and great-grandfather of Sarah, Duchess of York. One of the first people to see him after he was born was the then Princess Elizabeth, who joked: “Robert is the only one of my private secretaries I have ever held in my arms».
He attended Eton College, where he was renowned for his impressive knowledge of cricket, but did not go to university. He enlisted in the Scots Guards and spent three years in the army, from 1960 to 1963, before moving to the city to work for the brokers Allen, Harvey and Ross. In 1977 he became assistant private secretary to the Queen and a year later, in 1978, he married Lady Jane Spencer (Diana was bridesmaid), with whom he had three children: Alexander, Eleanor and Laura, godmother to Princess Charlotte. He rose through the ranks at Buckingham Palace to become Deputy Private Secretary in 1986, before taking over from Sir William Heseltine as Private Secretary in 1990.
After leaving the royal family, Lord Fellowes returned to his previous post in the private sector, that of banker.
Earl Spencer, Diana’s brother, remembered him on social media: “My remarkable brother-in-law, Robert, is no longer with us. A true gentleman, in all the best senses of the word: he was a man of humor, wisdom and absolute integrity. I am deeply proud to have been his brother-in-law.”
Us Weekly reports that, after learning the news of his uncle’s death, Harry spoke to his aunt and cousins, as well as Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer. The Duke of Sussex has maintained a close relationship with the Spencer family over the years, even after leaving royal life in 2020 and moving to the United States with wife Meghan Markle.
Fellowes was linked by a close friendship with Harry and William: She attended the wedding of the Prince and Princess of Wales at Westminster Abbey in 2011 and the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at Windsor Castle in 2018.
Source: Vanity Fair
I’m Susan Karen, a professional writer and editor at World Stock Market. I specialize in Entertainment news, writing stories that keep readers informed on all the latest developments in the industry. With over five years of experience in creating engaging content and copywriting for various media outlets, I have grown to become an invaluable asset to any team.
