Sir George Rothe Bellew, (13 December 1899 – 6 February 1993), styled

The Honourable ''The Honourable'' (British English) or ''The Honorable'' (American English; see spelling differences) (abbreviation: ''Hon.'', ''Hon'ble'', or variations) is an honorific style that is used as a prefix before the names or titles of certain ...

after 1935, was a long-serving

herald A herald, or a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is commonly applied more broadly to all officers of arms. Heralds were originally messengers sent by monarchs or noblemen to ...

at the

College of Arms The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional Officer of Arms, officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. Educated at the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

, he was appointed

Portcullis Pursuivant Portcullis Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary is a junior officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. The office is named after the ''Portcullis chained Or'' badge of the Beauforts, which was a favourite device of King Henry VII. King Henry's ...

in 1922. Having been

Somerset Herald Somerset Herald of Arms in Ordinary is an officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. In the year 1448 Somerset Herald is known to have served the Duke of Somerset, but by the time of the coronation of King Henry VII in 1485 his successor a ...

for 24 years, he was promoted to the office of

Garter Principal King of Arms The Garter Principal King of Arms (also Garter King of Arms or simply Garter) is the senior King of Arms, and the senior Officer of Arms of the College of Arms, the heraldic authority with jurisdiction over England, Wales and Northern Ireland. ...

in 1950, the highest heraldic office in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

and

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

. He served in that capacity until his resignation in 1961. As Garter, Bellew oversaw the funeral of

George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until Death and state funeral of George VI, his death in 1952. ...

, proclaimed the late King's daughter,

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

, as Queen and took a leading role in the organisation of her

Coronation A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a coronation crown, crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the ...

in 1953. After his retirement, Bellew was Secretary of the

Order of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the George C ...

(until 1974) and Knight Principal of the

Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor The Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor was formed in 1908 in the United Kingdom and received royal recognition in 1912. Its patron was Queen Elizabeth II until her death in 2022. It is a registered charity and seeks to uphold and advise on the ...

(until 1962). He lived for many years at Dower House in

Old Windsor Old Windsor is a large village and civil parish, in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. It is bounded by the River Thames to the east and the Windsor Great Park to the west. Etymology The name originates from old ...

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...

, but later moved to

Farnham Farnham ( /ˈfɑːnəm/) is a market town and civil parish in Surrey, England, around southwest of London. It is in the Borough of Waverley, close to the county border with Hampshire. The town is on the north branch of the River Wey, a trib ...

and died in 1993, aged 93.

Life

Early life and heraldic career before 1950

Born in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

, on 13 December 1899, Bellew was the son of the Hon. Richard Eustace Bellew by his second wife Gwendoline Marie Josephine, elder daughter of William Reginald Joseph Fitzherbert Herbert Huddleston of

Clytha Clytha is a hamlet and historical area in Monmouthshire, Wales. Overview It lies just off the A40 road, to the south of Llanarth and west of Raglan. It contains Clytha Park and Clytha Castle and Llanarth Estate Office, Ty Gwynt and Pit House ...

.Crisp 1918, pp. 70, 72–73Godfrey and Wagner 1963, pp. 72–73 His father was the younger son of the second

Baron Bellew Baron Bellew, of Barmeath in the County of Louth, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created on 17 July 1848 for Sir Patrick Bellew, 7th Baronet, who had previously represented Louth in the House of Commons as a Whig and also served as ...

. Bellew's elder brother, Edward Bellew, 5th Baron Bellew, inherited the

baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knig ...

y; because their father had died before inheriting the title, Bellew and his other siblings took the style of the son of a

by a Royal Warrant of Precedence in 1935. The same year, he married Ursula Kennard Cull (died 1994), eldest daughter of Anders Eric Knös Cull (died 1968), a merchant banker and founder of Cull & Co., of Warfield House,

, and had one son, Richard George Bellew (born 1936); through her mother, Ursula Bellew was a descendant of

James Robinson Planché James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...

, sometime

. Following schooling at

Wellington College Wellington College may refer to: *Wellington College, Berkshire, an independent school in Crowthorne, Berkshire, England ** Wellington College International Shanghai ** Wellington College International Tianjin * Wellington College, Wellington, Ne ...

, Bellew went up to

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church ( la, Ædes Christi, the temple or house, '' ædēs'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, the college is uniqu ...

."Bellew, Hon. Sir George Rothe"
''Who Was Who'', online ed. (Oxford University Press, 2014). Retrieved 19 August 2015. Subscription required. He arrived at the

in 1922, when he was appointed

. After four years in that capacity, he was promoted to the office of Somerset Herald and went on to serve as the College’s registrar from 1935 to 1946. His heraldic career was interrupted by

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, when Bellew rose to the rank of

Squadron Leader Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr in the RAF ; SQNLDR in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly sometimes S/L in all services) is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also ...

in the

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR) was established in 1936 to support the preparedness of the U.K. Royal Air Force in the event of another war. The Air Ministry intended it to form a supplement to the Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF ...

and was

mentioned in despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

."Sir George Bellew", ''The Times'', 9 February 1993. Having spent 24 years as

, he succeeded Sir

Algar Howard Sir Algar Henry Stafford Howard (7 August 1880 – 14 February 1970) was a senior British Army officer and long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. He served as the Garter Principal King of Arms from 1944 to 1950 before re ...

in 1950, the highest position in the College of Arms and the leading herald in England and Wales.

Gartership

As Garter, Bellew was tasked with overseeing the State Funeral of

in 1952, but many of the details had been prepared in advance. Along with officially proclaiming the King’s successor,

, he was also effectively the senior assistant to the

Earl Marshal Earl marshal (alternatively marschal or marischal) is a hereditary royal officeholder and chivalric title under the sovereign of the United Kingdom used in England (then, following the Act of Union 1800, in the United Kingdom). He is the eig ...

in organising the new Queen’s Coronation, a complex and demanding operation. He advocated (in opposition to most of the Coronation Executive Committee) the broadcast of the service on television and designed the heraldic statues which guarded Westminster Abbey’s doors during the ceremony—a "notable success", according to ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

''."The Hon Sir George Bellew", ''The Independent'', 11 February 1993, p. 31 A

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are the ...

since 1950, he was appointed a Knight Commander of the

Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, o ...

in 1953 in recognition for his service during the Coronation. Bellew's Gartership also witnessed changes to the fabric of the College of Arms. Although it had survived the

Blitz Blitz, German for "lightning", may refer to: Military uses *Blitzkrieg, blitz campaign, or blitz, a type of military campaign *The Blitz, the German aerial campaign against Britain in the Second World War *, an Imperial German Navy light cruiser b ...

, structural problems with the roof and brickwork forced the heralds to decide between leaving the College's buildings on Queen Victoria Street or attempting expensive repairs. In 1954, they approached the Ministry of Works to ask for financial assistance in the building work; the Ministry agreed to cover half the cost. A successful public appeal for the remaining funds followed and the restoration work carried out. The College of Arms Trust was established in 1956 to oversee funds for the building's maintenance. Garter is ''ex officio'' the officer of arms of the

, England's senior

Order of Chivalry An order of chivalry, order of knighthood, chivalric order, or equestrian order is an order (distinction), order of knights, typically founded during or inspired by the original Catholic Military order (religious society), military orders of the ...

. The post of Secretary of the Order had been created in the early 20th century and had been held by

courtier A courtier () is a person who attends the royal court of a monarch or other royalty. The earliest historical examples of courtiers were part of the retinues of rulers. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the official r ...

s since then, not always in friendly relations with other officers. In 1952, Bellew and most of the chapter came to an agreement that a herald be appointed to the post; after appealing to Sir

Alan Lascelles Sir Alan Frederick "Tommy" Lascelles, (; 11 April 1887 – 10 August 1981) was a British courtier and civil servant who held several positions in the first half of the twentieth century, culminating in his position as Private Secretary to both ...

, the Sovereign's Private Secretary, the Queen agreed and

Anthony Wagner Sir Anthony Richard Wagner (6 September 1908 – 5 May 1995) was a long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. He served as Garter Principal King of Arms before retiring to the post of Clarenceux King of Arms. He was one of ...

was given the position.

Retirement

Having served as Garter for 11 years, Bellew retired in 1961 and was succeeded by

, then

Richmond Herald Richmond Herald of Arms in Ordinary is an officer of arms of the College of Arms in England. From 1421 to 1485, Richmond was a herald to John, Duke of Bedford, George, Duke of Clarence, and Henry, Earl of Richmond, all of whom held the Honour ( ...

. He then served as Secretary of the

until 1974, which included responsibility for the Orders' finances, and received a third knighthood when he was appointed a Knight Commander of the

Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved Bathing#Medieval ...

.Begent and Chesshyre 1999, p. 144 He was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and Knight of the Order of St John. Having been Knight Principal of the

from 1957 to 1962, he was its Deputy Knight Principal from then until 1971. In the aftermath of World War II, he and his wife purchased Woodside Dower House in Old Windsor, Berkshire; then a ruin, he took a keen interest in renovating it and hosting parties there. While Secretary of the Order of the Garter, he entertained friends and colleagues at the house after the order's annual service in June. In later years, he lived at The Grange in

and died on 6 February 1993.

Legacy and appraisal

Bellew's successor as Garter, Sir Anthony Wagner, referred to him in his 1988 memoirs; he wrote that Bellew seemed "in early years a temperamental, combative Irishman not easy to live with though always possessed of great feeling for ceremonial and heraldic design and a skillful pen and pencil. In later years I have found him ever more charming".Wagner 1988, p. 59 According to ''The Independent'', Bellew enjoyed creating colourful grants of arms, drew inspiration from medieval heraldry and allowed multi-coloured wreaths to be used and adorned with badges for the first time in

English heraldry English heraldry is the form of coats of arms and other heraldic bearings and insignia used in England. It lies within the so-called Gallo-British tradition. Coats of arms in England are regulated and granted to individuals by the English kings ...

. As Garter, he managed the financial affairs of the College well, maintaining "a firm hand on the tiller", and, when faced with the task of organising the Coronation, his knowledge of tradition was complemented by his eye for design: "At heart he was a designer, an artist and a perfectionist in all things", remarks his obituary in ''

The ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' ''Times''.

Publications

* Bellew, Sir George Rothe (n.d.). ''St. George's Chapel, Windsor and the History of the Most Noble Order of the Garter''. London: Pitkin Pictorials. OCL
200062583
* — (1960). ''The Story of Salisbury Hall''. W. J. Goldsmith. OCL
30242508
* — (1971). ''Britain's Kings and Queens''. London: Pitkin Pictorials. . OCL
1031506

Likenesses

*
Sir George Rothe Bellew
' by

Cecil Beaton Sir Cecil Walter Hardy Beaton, (14 January 1904 – 18 January 1980) was a British fashion, portrait and war photographer, diarist, painter, and interior designer, as well as an Oscar–winning stage and costume designer for films and the theat ...

, bromide print on white card mount, 1953 7³/₈ in. × 7¹/₂ in. (186 mm × 191 mm). Held in the Photographs Collection at the National Portrait Gallery (given by Cecil Beaton, 1968).

Arms

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

* Begent, Peter J.; Chesshyre, Hubert (1999). ''The Most Noble Order of the Garter: 650 Years''. London: Spink and Son Ltd. * Crisp, Frederick Arthur (1918).
Visitation of Ireland
'' Volume 6. Privately printed. * Godfrey, W. H.; Wagner, Sir Anthony Richard (1963).
Survey of London, Monograph 16: College of Arms, Queen Victoria Street
'. London: Guild & School of Handicraft. OCL
2696644
* Kidd, Charles; Williamson, David (eds.) (2000). ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage''. London: Macmillan. . OCL
44009198
* Wagner, Sir Anthony Richard (1967). ''Heralds of England''. London:

Her Majesty's Stationery Office The Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI) is the body responsible for the operation of His Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO) and of other public information services of the United Kingdom. The OPSI is part of the National Archives of the Un ...

. OCL
730086174
* Wagner, Sir Anthony Richard (1988). ''A Herald's World''. Privately published. {{DEFAULTSORT:Bellew, George Rothe 1899 births 1993 deaths Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford British people of Spanish descent English officers of arms Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London Irish knights Knights Bachelor Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Knights of the Order of St John People educated at Wellington College, Berkshire People from Dublin (city) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War II Garter Principal Kings of Arms Royal Air Force squadron leaders