Rupert McGuigan was Private Secretary to The Princess Royal between 1997 and 1999. He was born in 1941 and educated at

Marlborough College Marlborough College is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Independent school (United Kingdom), independent boarding school) for pupils aged 13 to 18 in Marlborough, Wiltshire, England. Founded in 1843 for the sons of Church ...

, and Magdalene College, Cambridge, where he graduated in law. McGuigan worked for BP Ltd from 1964 until 1972, when he joined the Diplomatic Service. From 1974 to 1977 he was

1st Secretary Diplomatic rank is a system of professional and social rank used in the world of diplomacy and international relations. A diplomat's rank determines many ceremonial details, such as the order of precedence at official processions, table seatings ...

in New Delhi, and then 1978–1981 in

Kingston Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the five most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames, ...

. From 1981 to 1985 he was in the

Permanent Under Secretary of State A permanent secretary (also known as a principal secretary) is the most senior civil servant of a department or ministry charged with running the department or ministry's day-to-day activities. Permanent secretaries are the non-political civil se ...

's Department of the

Foreign and Commonwealth Office The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, department of the Government of the United Kingdom. Equivalent to other countries' Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ministries of fore ...

. From 1985 to 1988 he was 1st Secretary in Bridgetown. From 1989 to 1993 he was

Counsellor Counselor or counsellor may refer to: A professional In diplomacy and government * Counsellor of State, senior member of the British royal family to whom the Monarch can delegate some functions in case of unavailability * Counselor (dipl ...

in Lagos, and then 1994-196

. He retired from the

in 1997 and joined the

Office of the Princess Royal The Royal Households of the United Kingdom are the collective departments that support members of the British royal family. Many members of the royal family who undertake public duties have separate households. They vary considerably in size, ...

. The Household of The Princess Royal provides the administrative support to Anne, Princess Royal, daughter of

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 ...

. It is based at

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...

, and is headed by the Private Secretary. The Household is separate from the Royal Household and is funded from the

Civil List A civil list is a list of individuals to whom money is paid by the government, typically for service to the state or as honorary pensions. It is a term especially associated with the United Kingdom and its former colonies of Canada, India, New Zeal ...

annuity paid to The Princess Royal for her public duties - which is however reimbursed to HM Treasury by Her Majesty The Queen.

References

Alumni of Magdalene College, Cambridge 1941 births Members of the British Royal Household British diplomats Living people People educated at Marlborough College {{UK-diplomat-stub