Clive Wigram, 1st Baron Wigram
Encyclopedia
Clive Wigram, 1st Baron Wigram GCB
, GCVO
, CSI
, PC
(July 5, 1873-September 3, 1960), was a British
soldier and court official. He was Private Secretary to the Sovereign
from 1931 to 1936.
Wigram was the son of Herbert Wigram. His grandfather Reverend William Pitt Wigram was the ninth and youngest son of Sir Robert Wigram, 1st Baronet
, a prominent merchant. He was educated at Winchester College
(of which he later became a Fellow
), and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich
, and served in the Royal Artillery
between 1893 and 1897 and in the Indian Army
from 1897.
In 1897 Wigram joined the 18th (King George's Own) Bengal Lancers, and served on the Tirah Expedition in the North West Frontier from 1897 to 1898. From 1899 to 1904 he was Aide-de-Camp
to the Viceroy of India Lord Curzon
, an office he had already filled in 1895 (under the Earl of Elgin
) and also served in 1900 with Kitchener's Horse in the Second Boer War
, where he was mentioned in despatches.
Between 1905 and 1906 Wigram served as Assistant Chief of Staff to the Prince of Wales
in India
, and in the following year he was promoted major
and was appointed Equerry
to the Prince of Wales, an office he held until the Prince became King in 1910. While in India he played first-class cricket
for the Europeans club
. Wigram then served as Assistant Private Secretary and Equerry to the King from 1910 to 1931. In 1915 he was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel, and later to brevet
Colonel
. In 1919 he was promoted to Colonel.
In 1931 Wigram was promoted to Private Secretary to the Sovereign and held office until he retired in 1936. He also served as Keeper of the Archives
from 1931 to 1945, as an Extra Equerry from 1931 until his death, as a Permanent Lord in Waiting from 1936 to 1960 and was Keeper of the Privy Purse
from 1935 to 1945 and Deputy Constable
of Windsor Castle
from 1936 to 1945. Apart from his careers in the Army and at court he was also a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
and of the Zoological Society of London
, President of Westminster Hospital
and Governor of Wellington College and Haileybury
. He was the first president of the Gloucestershire Boy Scouts
Wigram was made a CB
1918, a KCB
in 1931 and a GCB
in 1933. He also became a LVO
in 1903, a CVO
in 1915, a KCVO
1928 and GCVO
in 1932 and made a CSI
in 1911. He was sworn of the Privy Council
in 1932 and in 1935 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Wigram, of Clewer in the County of Berkshire. He was further honoured in 1937 when he received the Royal Victorian Chain
.
Lord Wigram married Nora Mary, daughter of Sir Neville Francis Fitzgerald Chamberlain
, in 1912. She died in 1956. Lord Wigram survived her by four years and died in September 1960, aged 87. He was succeeded in the barony by his eldest son Neville.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, GCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, CSI
Order of the Star of India
The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...
, PC
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
(July 5, 1873-September 3, 1960), was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
soldier and court official. He was Private Secretary to the Sovereign
Private Secretary to the Sovereign
The Private Secretary to the Sovereign is the senior operational member of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom, as distinct from the Great Officers of the Household. The Private Secretary is the principal channel of communication with Her Majesty's Government and the...
from 1931 to 1936.
Wigram was the son of Herbert Wigram. His grandfather Reverend William Pitt Wigram was the ninth and youngest son of Sir Robert Wigram, 1st Baronet
Sir Robert Wigram, 1st Baronet
Sir Robert Wigram, 1st Baronet was a British merchant shipbuilder and Tory politician who sat in the House of Commons of Great Britain and of the United Kingdom between 1802 and 1807....
, a prominent merchant. He was educated at Winchester College
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
(of which he later became a Fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
), and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich
Royal Military Academy
The Royal Military Academy at Woolwich, in south-east London, was a British Army military academy for the training of commissioned officers of the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers...
, and served in the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
between 1893 and 1897 and in the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
from 1897.
In 1897 Wigram joined the 18th (King George's Own) Bengal Lancers, and served on the Tirah Expedition in the North West Frontier from 1897 to 1898. From 1899 to 1904 he was Aide-de-Camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to the Viceroy of India Lord Curzon
George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston
George Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston, KG, GCSI, GCIE, PC , known as The Lord Curzon of Kedleston between 1898 and 1911 and as The Earl Curzon of Kedleston between 1911 and 1921, was a British Conservative statesman who was Viceroy of India and Foreign Secretary...
, an office he had already filled in 1895 (under the Earl of Elgin
Victor Bruce, 9th Earl of Elgin
Victor Alexander Bruce, 9th Earl of Elgin, 13th Earl of Kincardine, KG, GCSI, GCIE, PC , known as Lord Bruce until 1863, was a British statesman who served as Viceroy of India from 1894 to 1899.-Background and education:...
) and also served in 1900 with Kitchener's Horse in the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
, where he was mentioned in despatches.
Between 1905 and 1906 Wigram served as Assistant Chief of Staff to the Prince of Wales
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and in the following year he was promoted major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
and was appointed Equerry
Equerry
An equerry , and related to the French word "écuyer" ) is an officer of honour. Historically, it was a senior attendant with responsibilities for the horses of a person of rank. In contemporary use, it is a personal attendant, usually upon a Sovereign, a member of a Royal Family, or a national...
to the Prince of Wales, an office he held until the Prince became King in 1910. While in India he played first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
for the Europeans club
Europeans cricket team
The Europeans cricket team was an Indian first-class cricket team which took part in the annual Bombay tournament. The team was founded by members of the European community in Bombay who played cricket at the Bombay Gymkhana....
. Wigram then served as Assistant Private Secretary and Equerry to the King from 1910 to 1931. In 1915 he was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel, and later to brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
. In 1919 he was promoted to Colonel.
In 1931 Wigram was promoted to Private Secretary to the Sovereign and held office until he retired in 1936. He also served as Keeper of the Archives
Royal Archives
The Royal Archives, also known as the Queen's Archives, are a division of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. It is operationally under the control of the Keeper of the Royal Archives, who is customarily the Private Secretary to the Sovereign.Although Sovereigns have kept...
from 1931 to 1945, as an Extra Equerry from 1931 until his death, as a Permanent Lord in Waiting from 1936 to 1960 and was Keeper of the Privy Purse
Keeper of the Privy Purse
The Keeper of the Privy Purse and Treasurer to the King/Queen is responsible for the financial management of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom....
from 1935 to 1945 and Deputy Constable
Constable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions.-Etymology:...
of Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
from 1936 to 1945. Apart from his careers in the Army and at court he was also a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
and of the Zoological Society of London
Zoological Society of London
The Zoological Society of London is a charity devoted to the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats...
, President of Westminster Hospital
Westminster Hospital
Westminster Hospital was a hospital in London, England, founded in 1719. In 1834 a medical school attached to the hospital was formally founded....
and Governor of Wellington College and Haileybury
Haileybury and Imperial Service College
Haileybury and Imperial Service College, , is a prestigious British independent school founded in 1862. The school is located at Hertford Heath, near Hertford, from central London, on of parkland occupied until 1858 by the East India College...
. He was the first president of the Gloucestershire Boy Scouts
Wigram was made a CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
1918, a KCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
in 1931 and a GCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
in 1933. He also became a LVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
in 1903, a CVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
in 1915, a KCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
1928 and GCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
in 1932 and made a CSI
Order of the Star of India
The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...
in 1911. He was sworn of the Privy Council
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
in 1932 and in 1935 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Wigram, of Clewer in the County of Berkshire. He was further honoured in 1937 when he received the Royal Victorian Chain
Royal Victorian Chain
The Royal Victorian Chain is an award, instituted in 1902 by King Edward VII as a personal award of the Monarch...
.
Lord Wigram married Nora Mary, daughter of Sir Neville Francis Fitzgerald Chamberlain
Neville Francis Fitzgerald Chamberlain
Sir Neville Francis Fitzgerald Chamberlain KCB KCVO KPM was a British Army officer, and later Inspector-General of the Royal Irish Constabulary who resigned in the aftermath of the 1916 Easter Rising in Ireland...
, in 1912. She died in 1956. Lord Wigram survived her by four years and died in September 1960, aged 87. He was succeeded in the barony by his eldest son Neville.