Reginald Brett, 2nd Viscount Esher
Encyclopedia
Reginald Baliol Brett, 2nd Viscount Esher, GCVO
, KCB
, PC
, DL
(30 June 1852 – 22 January 1930) was a historian
and Liberal
politician
in the United Kingdom
.
Brett was the son of William Baliol Brett, 1st Viscount Esher
and Eugénie Mayer (1814–1904). Born in London, Brett was educated at Eton
and Trinity College, Cambridge
.
He began his political career in 1880, as MP
for Penryn and Falmouth
. However, five years later, he elected to withdraw from public politics, after losing an election at Plymouth
, in favour of a behind the scenes role. In 1895, he became Permanent Secretary
to the Office of Works
. Upon his father's death on 24 May 1899, he succeeded him as Viscount Esher.
In 1901, Lord Esher was appointed a deputy lieutenant
of Berkshire
and became Deputy Constable and Lieutenant-Governor of Windsor Castle
, and remained close to the royal family until his death. He lived at 'Orchard Lea' at Winkfield
on the edge of the Great Park
. During this period, he helped edit Queen Victoria's
papers, publishing a work called Correspondence of Queen Victoria (1907). He was appointed a deputy lieutenant of the County of London
in 1909. Behind the scenes, he influenced many of the pre-World War I
reforms carried out by the Liberal governments of Henry Campbell-Bannerman
and Herbert Henry Asquith, and was a supporter of the British
–French
Entente Cordiale
. He was a member of Lord Elgin's
South African War Commission, which investigated Britain's near-failure in the Boer War
, and chaired the War Office Reconstitution Committee
, which recommended radical reform of the British Army. He was offered many public offices, including the Viceroyalty of India and the Secretaryship for War
, but declined, accepting instead an appointment to the Privy Council
in 1922. In 1928 he became Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle, an office he held until his death in 1930.
Lord Esher was also a historian; besides the aforementioned work, he also published works on King
Edward VII
and Lord Kitchener. Together with Liberal M. P. Lewis ("Loulou") Harcourt he established the London Museum
, which opened its doors on 5 March 1912.
Lord Esher's younger daughter, Sylvia
, became the last Ranee of Sarawak
on 24 May 1917, following the proclamation of her husband Charles Vyner Brooke
as Raja
h. His second son, Maurice Vyner Baliol Brett, married the famous musical theatre
actress Zena Dare
.
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...
, 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...
, 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...
, DL
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....
(30 June 1852 – 22 January 1930) was a historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
and Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in 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...
.
Brett was the son of William Baliol Brett, 1st Viscount Esher
William Baliol Brett, 1st Viscount Esher
William Baliol Brett, 1st Viscount Esher PC, QC , known as Sir William Brett between 1868 and 1883, was a British lawyer, judge and Conservative politician...
and Eugénie Mayer (1814–1904). Born in London, Brett was educated at Eton
Eton 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 Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
.
He began his political career in 1880, as MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Penryn and Falmouth
Penryn and Falmouth (UK Parliament constituency)
Penryn and Falmouth was the name of a constituency in Cornwall represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 until 1950. From 1832 to 1885 it was a parliamentary borough returning two Members of Parliament , elected by the bloc vote system...
. However, five years later, he elected to withdraw from public politics, after losing an election at Plymouth
Plymouth (UK Parliament constituency)
Plymouth was a parliamentary borough in Devon, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons in 1298 and again from 1442 until 1918, when the borough was merged with the neighbouring Devonport and the combined area divided into three single-member constituencies.-In the...
, in favour of a behind the scenes role. In 1895, he became Permanent Secretary
Permanent Secretary
The Permanent secretary, in most departments officially titled the permanent under-secretary of state , is the most senior civil servant of a British Government ministry, charged with running the department on a day-to-day basis...
to the Office of Works
Office of Works
The Office of Works was established in the English Royal household in 1378 to oversee the building of the royal castles and residences. In 1832 it became the Works Department within the Office of Woods, Forests, Land Revenues, Works and Buildings...
. Upon his father's death on 24 May 1899, he succeeded him as Viscount Esher.
In 1901, Lord Esher was appointed 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....
of Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
and became Deputy Constable and Lieutenant-Governor 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...
, and remained close to the royal family until his death. He lived at 'Orchard Lea' at Winkfield
Winkfield
Winkfield is a village and civil parish in the Bracknell Forest unitary authority of Berkshire, England.-Geography:According to the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 15,271...
on the edge of the Great Park
Windsor Great Park
Windsor Great Park is a large deer park of , to the south of the town of Windsor on the border of Berkshire and Surrey in England. The park was, for many centuries, the private hunting ground of Windsor Castle and dates primarily from the mid-13th century...
. During this period, he helped edit Queen Victoria's
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
papers, publishing a work called Correspondence of Queen Victoria (1907). He was appointed a deputy lieutenant of the County of London
County of London
The County of London was a county of England from 1889 to 1965, corresponding to the area known today as Inner London. It was created as part of the general introduction of elected county government in England, by way of the Local Government Act 1888. The Act created an administrative County of...
in 1909. Behind the scenes, he influenced many of the pre-World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
reforms carried out by the Liberal governments of Henry Campbell-Bannerman
Henry Campbell-Bannerman
Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman GCB was a British Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1905 to 1908 and Leader of the Liberal Party from 1899 to 1908. He also served as Secretary of State for War twice, in the Cabinets of Gladstone and Rosebery...
and Herbert Henry Asquith, and was a supporter of the British
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
–French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Entente Cordiale
Entente Cordiale
The Entente Cordiale was a series of agreements signed on 8 April 1904 between the United Kingdom and the French Republic. Beyond the immediate concerns of colonial expansion addressed by the agreement, the signing of the Entente Cordiale marked the end of almost a millennium of intermittent...
. He was a member of Lord Elgin's
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:...
South African War Commission, which investigated Britain's near-failure in the 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...
, and chaired the War Office Reconstitution Committee
Esher Report
The Esher Report of 1904, chaired by Lord Esher, recommended radical reform of the British Army, such as the creation of an Army Council, a General Staff and the abolition of the office of Commander-in-Chief of the Forces and the creation of a Chief of the General Staff, laid down the character of...
, which recommended radical reform of the British Army. He was offered many public offices, including the Viceroyalty of India and the Secretaryship for War
Secretary of State for War
The position of Secretary of State for War, commonly called War Secretary, was a British cabinet-level position, first held by Henry Dundas . In 1801 the post became that of Secretary of State for War and the Colonies. The position was re-instated in 1854...
, but declined, accepting instead an appointment to 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 1922. In 1928 he became Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle, an office he held until his death in 1930.
Lord Esher was also a historian; besides the aforementioned work, he also published works on King
British monarchy
The monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties...
Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
and Lord Kitchener. Together with Liberal M. P. Lewis ("Loulou") Harcourt he established the London Museum
London Museum
The London Museum was inaugurated on 21 March 1912 by King George V with Queen Mary and Princess Mary and Prince George at Kensington Palace. It opened for public visitation on 8 April, admitting more than 13.000 visitors during the day. Two years later the collections were removed to Lancaster...
, which opened its doors on 5 March 1912.
Lord Esher's younger daughter, Sylvia
Sylvia Brett
Sylvia Leonora, Lady Brooke, Ranee of Sarawak, born The Hon. Sylvia Leonora Brett, , was the consort to Vyner of Sarawak, last of the White Rajahs.-Early life:...
, became the last Ranee of Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
on 24 May 1917, following the proclamation of her husband Charles Vyner Brooke
Charles Vyner Brooke
Vyner, Rajah of Sarawak, GCMG was the third and final White Rajah of Sarawak.-Early life:...
as Raja
Raja
Raja is an Indian term for a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya varna...
h. His second son, Maurice Vyner Baliol Brett, married the famous musical theatre
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
actress Zena Dare
Zena Dare
Zena Dare was an English singer and actress who was famous for her performances in Edwardian musical comedy and other musical theatre and comedic plays in the first half of the 20th century, and for her role as Mrs...
.