Robin Janvrin
Encyclopedia
Robin Berry Janvrin, Baron Janvrin, GCB
, GCVO
, QSO
, PC (born 20 September 1946, Cheltenham
, England
, UK) was the Private Secretary
to Queen Elizabeth II
from February 1999 to September 2007. Janvrin was also a Trustee, Queen's 80th Birthday Trust.
, Robin Berry Janvrin is the son of Vice-Admiral Sir Hugh Richard Benest Janvrin
and Nancy Edyth Fielding. He was educated at Marlborough College
, Britannia Royal Naval College
, Dartmouth
, and Brasenose College, Oxford
from which he received a First class
bachelor's
degree in 1969, and of which he was made an Honorary Fellow in 1999. In 1962, he was selected to attend Camp Rising Sun
in upstate New York.
in 1964, was commisisoned as an acting sub-lieutenant on 1 September 1966, promoted lieutenant
on 4 March 1971, and served until 2 July 1975. He then joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
. He was a Second Secretary in 1975, and was appointed First Secretary
at the mission to NATO in 1976. He was officially appointed an Officer of the Diplomatic Service on 7 February 1979. Janvrin was First Secretary in New Delhi
from 1981 to 1984, during which time he was made a Member of the 4th Class of the Royal Victorian Order
for services during the state visit
by The Queen
to India
.
Janvrin was then Counsellor
and Deputy Head of Department for the Personnel Department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office from 1985 to 1987.
On 1 June 1987 he was recruited as Press Secretary
to The Queen, though it was initially thought that he would be appointed Assistant Press Secretary. On 19 October 1990 he became Assistant Private Secretary
to The Queen, and in 1996 the Deputy Private Secretary. He was promoted to Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in the 1994 New Year Honours
, and Knight Commander (KCVO) in the 1998 New Year Honours, and was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 1997 New Year Honours. In February 1999 he succeeded Sir Robert Fellowes
(later Lord Fellowes) as Private Secretary to the Queen
. He was promoted to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2003 New Year Honours.
In December 2006, it was announced that he would retire in September 2007, to be replaced by Christopher Geidt
. He was promoted to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in the 2007 Queen's Birthday Honours
. On 24 July 2007, it was announced that Janvrin would be made a life peer
, as one of the ten public servants whom the Prime Minister
may nominate for a peerage, upon their retirement, per Parliament. His title was gazetted as Baron Janvrin, of Chalford Hill
in the County of Gloucestershire
on 10 October 2007. On the day of his retirement, 8 September 2007, Janvrin was promoted to Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, (GCVO) by The Queen
. In October, Her Majesty
appointed Lord Janvrin to be a Permanent Lord-in-Waiting
in the Royal Household.
In the 2008 New Year's Honours List of New Zealand
, Lord Janvrin was made a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for "services to New Zealand as Private Secretary to The Queen".
On 7 January 2008 he took up his appointment of Deputy Chairman, HSBC Private Bank (UK). Janvrin is also Chairman of The Leadership Council
, a research and thought leadership body in the UK.
in Stephen Frears
' The Queen
(2006) starring Oscar
-winner Dame Helen Mirren
. The film, which deals with the immediate aftermath of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales
, in 1997, inaccurately portrays Janvrin, then Deputy Private Secretary to the Sovereign, as Private Secretary (or at least heavily implies as much, though it is never explicitly said), an office to which he would only be appointed two years after the events depicted in the film. Apparently this was due to the fact that Robert Fellowes
, then the Private Secretary, was an in-law of the deceased Diana and this would present complications for the film script.
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...
, QSO
Queen's Service Order
The Queen's Service Order was established by Queen Elizabeth II on 13 March 1975, awarded by the government of New Zealand "for valuable voluntary service to the community or meritorious and faithful services to the Crown or similar services within the public sector, whether in elected or...
, PC (born 20 September 1946, Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, UK) was the Private Secretary
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...
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,...
from February 1999 to September 2007. Janvrin was also a Trustee, Queen's 80th Birthday Trust.
Early life
A native of GloucestershireGloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, Robin Berry Janvrin is the son of Vice-Admiral Sir Hugh Richard Benest Janvrin
Richard Janvrin
Vice Admiral Sir Richard Janvrin KCB DSC was a Royal Navy officer who became Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff.-Naval career:...
and Nancy Edyth Fielding. He was educated at Marlborough College
Marlborough College
Marlborough College is a British co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils, located in Marlborough, Wiltshire.Founded in 1843 for the education of the sons of Church of England clergy, the school now accepts both boys and girls of all beliefs. Currently there are just over 800...
, Britannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College is the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy, located on a hill overlooking Dartmouth, Devon, England. While Royal Naval officer training has taken place in the town since 1863, the buildings which are seen today were only finished in 1905, and...
, Dartmouth
Dartmouth, Devon
Dartmouth is a town and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the banks of the estuary of the River Dart, which is a long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes...
, and Brasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College, originally Brazen Nose College , is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. As of 2006, it has an estimated financial endowment of £98m...
from which he received a First class
British undergraduate degree classification
The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading scheme for undergraduate degrees in the United Kingdom...
bachelor's
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in 1969, and of which he was made an Honorary Fellow in 1999. In 1962, he was selected to attend Camp Rising Sun
Camp Rising Sun
Camp Rising Sun is an invitation-only, international, full-scholarship, leadership summer program for students aged 14–16. Operated by the Louis August Jonas Foundation , a non-profit organization, the program lasts for seven weeks...
in upstate New York.
Career
Janvrin entered the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
in 1964, was commisisoned as an acting sub-lieutenant on 1 September 1966, promoted lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
on 4 March 1971, and served until 2 July 1975. He then joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the...
. He was a Second Secretary in 1975, and was appointed First Secretary
Diplomatic rank
Diplomatic rank is the system of professional and social rank used in the world of diplomacy and international relations. Over time it has been formalized on an international basis.-Ranks:...
at the mission to NATO in 1976. He was officially appointed an Officer of the Diplomatic Service on 7 February 1979. Janvrin was First Secretary in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
from 1981 to 1984, during which time he was made a Member of the 4th Class of the Royal Victorian Order
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...
for services during the state visit
State visit
A state visit is a formal visit by a foreign head of state to another nation, at the invitation of that nation's head of state. State visits are the highest form of diplomatic contact between two nations, and are marked by ceremonial pomp and diplomatic protocol. In parliamentary democracies, heads...
by The Queen
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,...
to 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...
.
Janvrin was then Counsellor
Consul (representative)
The political title Consul is used for the official representatives of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, and to facilitate trade and friendship between the peoples of the two countries...
and Deputy Head of Department for the Personnel Department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office from 1985 to 1987.
On 1 June 1987 he was recruited as Press Secretary
Press secretary
A press secretary or press officer is a senior advisor who provides advice on how to deal with the news media and, using news management techniques, helps their employer to maintain a positive public image and avoid negative media coverage....
to The Queen, though it was initially thought that he would be appointed Assistant Press Secretary. On 19 October 1990 he became Assistant Private Secretary
Private Secretary
In the United Kingdom government, a Private Secretary is a civil servant in a Department or Ministry, responsible to the Secretary of State or Minister...
to The Queen, and in 1996 the Deputy Private Secretary. He was promoted to Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in the 1994 New Year Honours
New Year Honours
The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the New Year annually in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen Elizabeth II...
, and Knight Commander (KCVO) in the 1998 New Year Honours, and was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 1997 New Year Honours. In February 1999 he succeeded Sir Robert Fellowes
Robert Fellowes, Baron Fellowes
Robert Fellowes, Baron Fellowes, GCB, GCVO, QSO, PC is a former Private Secretary to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 1990–1999, and is also known as a brother-in-law of Diana, Princess of Wales.-Family background:...
(later Lord Fellowes) as Private Secretary to the Queen
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...
. He was promoted to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2003 New Year Honours.
In December 2006, it was announced that he would retire in September 2007, to be replaced by Christopher Geidt
Christopher Geidt
Sir Christopher Edward Wollaston MacKenzie Geidt, KCVO, OBE is currently the Private Secretary to Queen Elizabeth II.Geidt joined the Royal Household in 2002 after serving with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the United Nations in Sarajevo, Geneva, and Brussels...
. He was promoted to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in the 2007 Queen's Birthday Honours
Queen's Birthday Honours
The Queen's Birthday Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the celebration of the Queen's Official Birthday in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen...
. On 24 July 2007, it was announced that Janvrin would be made a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
, as one of the ten public servants whom the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
may nominate for a peerage, upon their retirement, per Parliament. His title was gazetted as Baron Janvrin, of Chalford Hill
Chalford
Chalford is a village in the Frome Valley of the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England. It is about 8 km upstream of Stroud. It gives its name to Chalford parish, which covers the villages of Chalford, Chalford Hill, France Lynch, Bussage and Brownshill, spread over 2 mi² of the...
in the County of Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
on 10 October 2007. On the day of his retirement, 8 September 2007, Janvrin was promoted to Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, (GCVO) by The Queen
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,...
. In October, Her Majesty
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,...
appointed Lord Janvrin to be a Permanent Lord-in-Waiting
Lord-in-Waiting
Most Lords in Waiting are Government whips in the House of Lords who are members of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. As members of the Royal Household their duties are nominal, though they are occasionally required to meet visiting political and state leaders on visits...
in the Royal Household.
In the 2008 New Year's Honours List of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Lord Janvrin was made a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for "services to New Zealand as Private Secretary to The Queen".
On 7 January 2008 he took up his appointment of Deputy Chairman, HSBC Private Bank (UK). Janvrin is also Chairman of The Leadership Council
The Leadership Council
The Leadership Council is a thought leadership, research and leadership advisory body based in the UK. Founded in 2008, the Council is chaired by Lord Janvrin and publishes research on leadership issues annually.- Members :...
, a research and thought leadership body in the UK.
Marriage
He married Isabelle de Boissonneaux de Chevigny, daughter of Yann de Boissonneaux de Chevigny, in 1977.In popular culture
Janvrin was portrayed by Roger AllamRoger Allam
Roger Allam is an English actor, known primarily for his stage career, although he has performed in film and television. He played Inspector Javert in the original London production of the stage musical Les Misérables....
in Stephen Frears
Stephen Frears
Stephen Arthur Frears is an English film director.-Early life:Frears was born in Leicester, England to Ruth M., a social worker, and Dr Russell E. Frears, a general practitioner and accountant. He did not find out that his mother was Jewish until he was in his late 20s...
' The Queen
The Queen (film)
The Queen is a 2006 British drama film directed by Stephen Frears, written by Peter Morgan, and starring Helen Mirren as the title role, HM Queen Elizabeth II...
(2006) starring Oscar
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
-winner Dame Helen Mirren
Helen Mirren
Dame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award for Best Actress, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, and two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards.-Early life and family:...
. The film, which deals with the immediate aftermath of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
, in 1997, inaccurately portrays Janvrin, then Deputy Private Secretary to the Sovereign, as Private Secretary (or at least heavily implies as much, though it is never explicitly said), an office to which he would only be appointed two years after the events depicted in the film. Apparently this was due to the fact that Robert Fellowes
Robert Fellowes, Baron Fellowes
Robert Fellowes, Baron Fellowes, GCB, GCVO, QSO, PC is a former Private Secretary to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 1990–1999, and is also known as a brother-in-law of Diana, Princess of Wales.-Family background:...
, then the Private Secretary, was an in-law of the deceased Diana and this would present complications for the film script.
Honours
- CB: Companion of the Order of the BathOrder of the BathThe 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...
, 1997- KCB: Knight Commander of the Order of the BathOrder of the BathThe 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...
, 2003- GCB: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the BathOrder of the BathThe 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...
, 16 June 2007
- GCB: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
- KCB: Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
- LVO: Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian OrderRoyal Victorian OrderThe 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...
, 1981-84- CVO: Commander of the Royal Victorian OrderRoyal Victorian OrderThe 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...
, 1994- KCVO: Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian OrderRoyal Victorian OrderThe 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...
, 1998- GCVO: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian OrderRoyal Victorian OrderThe 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...
, 8 September 2007
- GCVO: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
- KCVO: Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
- CVO: Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
- Life Peerage: Life peerLife peerIn the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
, 10 October 2007 - QSO: Companion of the Queen's Service OrderQueen's Service OrderThe Queen's Service Order was established by Queen Elizabeth II on 13 March 1975, awarded by the government of New Zealand "for valuable voluntary service to the community or meritorious and faithful services to the Crown or similar services within the public sector, whether in elected or...
, 2008 - Commemorative Medal for the Centennial of SaskatchewanCommemorative Medal for the Centennial of SaskatchewanThe Commemorative Medal for the Centennial of Saskatchewan also called the Saskatchewan Centennial Medal is a commemorative medal struck to celebrate the first 100 years since Saskatchewan's entrance into Canadian Confederation....
, 2005 - Saskatchewan Distinguished Service Award Distinguished Service Award to Baron Janvrin by the provincial government of Saskatchewan
- The Peerage.com website