Ralph Stonor, 7th Baron Camoys
Encyclopedia
Ralph Thomas Campion George Sherman Stonor, 7th Baron Camoys, (born 16 April 1940), was Lord Chamberlain
of the United Kingdom
from 1998 to 2000. He was the first Roman Catholic Lord Chamberlain
since the Reformation
.
and Balliol College of the University of Oxford
finishing with an MA degree.
His main career was in banking. He was General Manager
and Director of National Provincial and Rothschild (London) Ltd.
1968, and Managing Director of Rothschild Intercontinental Bank Ltd 1969. After the purchase of Rothschild Intercontinental Bank by American Express in 1975 Camoys became Chief Executive Officer
and Managing Director of Amex Bank Ltd 1975–77, and Chairman between 1977 and 1978. Lord Camoys was Managing Director of Barclays Merchant Bank from 1978 to 1984 and Executive Vice-Chairman from 1984 to 1986. After the widespread reforms of the City of London’s financial structures in 1986 (Big Bang
) Barclays Merchant Bank became the much enlarged Barclays de Zoete Wedd (BZW) of which Lord Camoys was the first Chief Executive from 1986 to 1988 and Deputy Chairman from 1988 to 1998. BZW was to later become Barclays Capital
. He was a Director of Barclays Bank International Ltd between 1980 and 1984 and Barclays Bank Plc between 1984 and 1994.
Camoys was Chairman of Jacksons of Piccadilly
from 1968 to 1985. He was Deputy Chairman of Sotheby's
from 1993 to 1997. He was a director of Mercantile Credit Co Ltd from 1980 to 1984, National Provident Institution from 1982 to 1993, the Administrative Staff College from 1989 to 2000, 3i Group Plc
from 1991 to 2002 and Perpetual
from 1994 to 2000. Camoys was President
of the Mail Users Association from 1977 to 1984.
Lord Camoys has been a member of the Court of Assistants of the Fishmongers Company
since 1980. He served the latter livery company
as Prime Warden 1992–93. He has been a Steward of Henley Royal Regatta
since 1978 and President of The River and Rowing Museum
since 1997.
on 8 March 1976. He was a select committee on the European Economic Community
(EEC) between 1979 and 1981, and a member of the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England from 1985 to 1987 (now English Heritage
) and the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts
from 1987 to 1994.
He was a Lord in Waiting from 1992–97 to Queen Elizabeth II
, and has been a Permanent Lord in Waiting since 2000. He was Lord Chamberlain
of the United Kingdom
from 1998 to 2000, when he retired due to ill health. He followed David George Patrick Coke Ogilvy, 13th Earl of Airlie and was succeeded by Baron Luce. He was the first Roman Catholic Lord Chamberlain
since the Reformation
.
of the Extraordinary Session of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See
from 1991 until 2006.
Lord Camoys was appointed Chairman of The Tablet Trust
in June 2009.
Lord Camoys' ancestral home is Stonor Park, Henley-on-Thames
, Oxfordshire
.
(GCVO) in 1998, and a Privy Counsellor
(PC) in the same year. He has been a Deputy Lieutenant
(DL) of Oxfordshire
since 1993. He received the Nepalese
Order of Gorkha Dadshina Baku, 1st Class, in 1981. He received a Honorary D.Litt.
degree from the University of Sheffield
in 2001. In 2006 he was made Knight Grand Cross of the Papal
Order of St. Gregory the Great
(GCSG) by Pope Benedict XVI
.
Lord Chamberlain
The Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State....
of the United Kingdom
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...
from 1998 to 2000. He was the first Roman Catholic Lord Chamberlain
Lord Chamberlain
The Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State....
since the Reformation
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
.
Education and career
Lord Camoys was educated at Eton CollegeEton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Balliol College of the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
finishing with an MA degree.
His main career was in banking. He was General Manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
and Director of National Provincial and Rothschild (London) Ltd.
National Provincial Bank
National Provincial Bank was a British retail bank which operated in England and Wales from 1833 until its merger into the National Westminster Bank in 1970; it remains a registered company but is dormant...
1968, and Managing Director of Rothschild Intercontinental Bank Ltd 1969. After the purchase of Rothschild Intercontinental Bank by American Express in 1975 Camoys became Chief Executive Officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
and Managing Director of Amex Bank Ltd 1975–77, and Chairman between 1977 and 1978. Lord Camoys was Managing Director of Barclays Merchant Bank from 1978 to 1984 and Executive Vice-Chairman from 1984 to 1986. After the widespread reforms of the City of London’s financial structures in 1986 (Big Bang
Big Bang (financial markets)
The phrase Big Bang, used in reference to the sudden deregulation of financial markets, was coined to describe measures, including abolition of fixed commission charges and of the distinction between stockjobbers and stockbrokers on the London Stock Exchange and change from open-outcry to...
) Barclays Merchant Bank became the much enlarged Barclays de Zoete Wedd (BZW) of which Lord Camoys was the first Chief Executive from 1986 to 1988 and Deputy Chairman from 1988 to 1998. BZW was to later become Barclays Capital
Barclays Capital
Barclays Capital is a global British investment bank. It is the investment banking division of Barclays plc which has a balance sheet of over £1.2 trillion . Barclays Capital provides financing and risk management services to large companies, institutions and government clients. It is a primary...
. He was a Director of Barclays Bank International Ltd between 1980 and 1984 and Barclays Bank Plc between 1984 and 1994.
Camoys was Chairman of Jacksons of Piccadilly
Jacksons of Piccadilly
Jacksons of Piccadilly is a London tea house, begun by Robert Jackson in 1815. It has earned several Royal Warrants, from Queen Victoria, King George V and numerous other royals through the 19th and 20th centuries. The company also claims to have invented the “original” recipe for Earl Grey tea,...
from 1968 to 1985. He was Deputy Chairman of Sotheby's
Sotheby's
Sotheby's is the world's fourth oldest auction house in continuous operation.-History:The oldest auction house in operation is the Stockholms Auktionsverk founded in 1674, the second oldest is Göteborgs Auktionsverk founded in 1681 and third oldest being founded in 1731, all Swedish...
from 1993 to 1997. He was a director of Mercantile Credit Co Ltd from 1980 to 1984, National Provident Institution from 1982 to 1993, the Administrative Staff College from 1989 to 2000, 3i Group Plc
3i
3i Group plc is a multinational private equity and venture capital company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It has offices in 13 countries across Asia, Europe and the Americas and had total assets under management of £12.7 billion as at 31 March 2011...
from 1991 to 2002 and Perpetual
Invesco Perpetual
Invesco Perpetual is an investment company based in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England.-Description and history:It was originally founded by Sir Martyn Arbib as Perpetual Mutual and then Perpetual plc...
from 1994 to 2000. Camoys was President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of the Mail Users Association from 1977 to 1984.
Lord Camoys has been a member of the Court of Assistants of the Fishmongers Company
Worshipful Company of Fishmongers
The Worshipful Company of Fishmongers is one of the 108 Livery Companies of the City of London, being a guild of the sellers of fish and seafood in the City...
since 1980. He served the latter livery company
Livery Company
The Livery Companies are 108 trade associations in the City of London, almost all of which are known as the "Worshipful Company of" the relevant trade, craft or profession. The medieval Companies originally developed as guilds and were responsible for the regulation of their trades, controlling,...
as Prime Warden 1992–93. He has been a Steward of Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held every year on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. The Royal Regatta is sometimes referred to as Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage...
since 1978 and President of The River and Rowing Museum
River and Rowing Museum
The River and Rowing Museum in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England, is located on a site at Mill Meadows by the River Thames. It has three main themes represented by major permanent galleries, the non-tidal River Thames, the international sport of rowing and the local town of...
since 1997.
Governmental career
With the death of his father, he became the 7th Baron Camoys as well a member of the House of LordsHouse of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
on 8 March 1976. He was a select committee on the European Economic Community
European Economic Community
The European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...
(EEC) between 1979 and 1981, and a member of the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England from 1985 to 1987 (now English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
) and the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts
Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts
The Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts , a UK body, was established in 1869 "to make enquiry as to the places where manuscripts and private papers of historical interest were located and to report on their contents"....
from 1987 to 1994.
He was a Lord in Waiting from 1992–97 to Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
, and has been a Permanent Lord in Waiting since 2000. He was Lord Chamberlain
Lord Chamberlain
The Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State....
of the United Kingdom
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...
from 1998 to 2000, when he retired due to ill health. He followed David George Patrick Coke Ogilvy, 13th Earl of Airlie and was succeeded by Baron Luce. He was the first Roman Catholic Lord Chamberlain
Lord Chamberlain
The Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State....
since the Reformation
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
.
Religious career
He was a consultorConsultor
A consultor is one who gives counsel, i.e. a counselor.In the Catholic Church, it is a specific title for various advisory positions:*in the Roman Curia, a consultor is a specially appointed expert who may be called upon for advice desired by a department...
of the Extraordinary Session of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See
Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See
The Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See is the office of the Roman Curia that deals with the "properties owned by the Holy See in order to provide the funds necessary for the Roman Curia to function" . It was established by Pope Paul VI on 15 August 1967.- Organization :It is...
from 1991 until 2006.
Lord Camoys was appointed Chairman of The Tablet Trust
The Tablet
The Tablet is a Catholic international weekly review published in London. Contributors to its pages have included Evelyn Waugh, Graham Greene, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Paul VI ....
in June 2009.
Marriage and family life
The seventh Baron married Elisabeth Mary Hyde Parker, daughter of Sir William Stephen Hyde Parker, Bt, in 1966. The couple has the following issue:- The Hon. Alina Mary Stonor (born 1967). She married Simon Barrowcliff in 1994, and has three children.
- The Hon. Emily Mary Julia Stonor (born 1969). She married in 2006 John Dalrymple, 14th Earl of StairJohn Dalrymple, 14th Earl of StairJohn David James Dalrymple, 14th Earl of Stair is a British politician who, since 2008, has been a crossbench member of the House of Lords.-Biography:...
(born 1961). They have a son together. - The Hon. Sophie Ulla Stonor (born 29 Sep 1971). She married the James Stourton, the youngest son of the 26th Baron Mowbray, in 1993. They divorced in 1997 (annulled), and she remarried in 2001 a Bavarian nobleman Moritz Florian Maria Freiherr von Hirsch. They have two sons together.
- The Hon. (Ralph) William Robert Thomas Stonor (born 10 September 1974), heir apparent to the barony. He married in 2004 Lady Ailsa Fiona Mackay, younger daughter of Peter Mackay, 4th Earl of InchcapePeter Mackay, 4th Earl of InchcapeKenneth Peter Lyle Mackay, 4th Earl of Inchcape , known as Peter Inchcape, is an earl in the Peerage of the United Kingdom....
. They have two sons.
Lord Camoys' ancestral home is Stonor Park, Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead...
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
.
Honours
Lord Camoys was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian OrderRoyal 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...
(GCVO) in 1998, and a Privy Counsellor
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...
(PC) in the same year. He has been a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(DL) of Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
since 1993. He received the Nepalese
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
Order of Gorkha Dadshina Baku, 1st Class, in 1981. He received a Honorary D.Litt.
Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters is a university academic degree, often a higher doctorate which is frequently awarded as an honorary degree in recognition of outstanding scholarship or other merits.-Commonwealth:...
degree from the University of Sheffield
University of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
in 2001. In 2006 he was made Knight Grand Cross of the Papal
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
Order of St. Gregory the Great
Order of St. Gregory the Great
The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great , was established on September 1, 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election.It is one of the five orders of knighthood of the Holy See...
(GCSG) by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
.