Sir Henry William George Elwes (born 24 October 1935) is a retired British politician and public servant. He served as a District and County Councillor in Gloucestershire for 32 years and was
Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire between 1992 and 2010.
Early life
Elwes was born on 24 October 1935.
He was educated at
Eton College, a
public boys boarding school
A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exten ...
in
Eton Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England.
Eton may also refer to:
Places
*Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England
* Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States
* Éton, a commune in the Meuse dep ...
near
Windsor, Berkshire.
Military service
As part of
National Service, Elwes was
commissioned in the
Scots Guards as a
second lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank.
Australia
The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...
on 4 December 1954. He was given the
service number 438925.
He transferred to the Army Emergency Reserve of Officers on 24 June 1956 as a second lieutenant with seniority from 4 December 1954.
This ended his active service. Also on 24 June 1956, he was granted the
acting rank of
lieutenant with seniority from 31 May 1956.
On 27 May 1959, he transferred to the Regular Army Reserve of Officer (Class III) in the confirmed rank of lieutenant, retaining his seniority.
Career
Elwes was a member of
Cirencester Rural District Council from 1959 to 1974. In 1971, he joined
Gloucestershire County Council. He served as Vice-Chairman of the council from 1976 to 1983 and in 1991, and Chair from 1983 to 1985. He retired from politics in 1991.
Elwes is the
Pro-Chancellor of the
University of Gloucestershire. His appointment was announced in March 2012,
and he was installed in October 2012.
Personal life
Elwes married Carolyn Cripps in 1962.
They live in
Colesbourne Park, (known as 'England's Greatest Snowdrop Garden'), an estate owned by his family since 1600.
The botanist
Henry John Elwes is his great-grandfather.
Elwes suffered serious injuries when he fell three floors through a building he was inspecting. His life was saved by Great Western Air Ambulance Charity and he subsequently made an excellent recovery.
Honours
He was nominated for
High Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1976
and 1977.
He was appointed High Sheriff for 1979,
having been nominated for that year in 1978.
On 24 May 1982, he was commissioned a
Deputy Lieutenant (DL) of
Gloucestershire.
He was appointed
Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire,
Queen 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 Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...
's personal representative in the county of Gloucestershire, on 17 February 1992.
In April 1992, he was appointed
Knight of the Venerable Order of Saint John (KStJ).
In the 2009
Queen's Birthday Honours
The Birthday Honours, in some Commonwealth realms, mark the reigning British monarch's official birthday by granting various individuals appointment into national or dynastic orders or the award of decorations and medals. The honours are present ...
, he was appointed
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, or ...
(KCVO).
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Elwes, Henry
Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
1935 births
Lord-Lieutenants of Gloucestershire
High Sheriffs of Gloucestershire
Knights of the Order of St John
Scots Guards officers
Deputy Lieutenants of Gloucestershire
Living people
Councillors in Gloucestershire
People educated at Eton College