Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Simon Claud Michael Bland (4 December 1923 – 11 August 2022) was a British soldier and courtier. Bland was born in London on 4 December 1923. The son of the diplomat Sir

Nevile Bland Sir George Nevile Maltby Bland (6 December 1886 – 19 August 1972) was a British diplomat who served as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Netherlands from 1938 through the war years until 1948. He also authored or edited ...

, he served with the Scots Guards in the Second World War and during the

Malaya Emergency The Malayan Emergency, also known as the Anti–British National Liberation War was a guerrilla war fought in British Malaya between communist pro-independence fighters of the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA) and the military forces ...

and was the assistant military adviser to the High Commission in Karachi (1959–60). In 1961, he was appointed Assistant Private Secretary to Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester; he then served as

Comptroller A comptroller (pronounced either the same as ''controller'' or as ) is a management-level position responsible for supervising the quality of accounting and financial reporting of an organization. A financial comptroller is a senior-level executi ...

and Private Secretary in his household from 1963 until the Duke's death in 1974, and was also Private Secretary to his eldest son, Prince William of Gloucester, from 1968 until the Prince's death in 1972. He subsequently served as Private Secretary, Comptroller and

Equerry An equerry (; from French ' stable', and related to 'squire') is an officer of honour. Historically, it was a senior attendant with responsibilities for the horses of a person of rank. In contemporary use, it is a personal attendant, usually up ...

to Prince William's younger brother Richard (who became Duke of Gloucester in 1974) and to his mother Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, until retirement in 1989."Bland, Lt-Col Sir Simon (Claud Michael)"
''Who's Who'' (online ed., Oxford University Press, December 2018). Retrieved 13 June 2019. Bland was appointed a Member (Fourth Class) of the Royal Victorian Order in the

1967 Birthday Honours The Queen's Birthday Honours 1967 were appointments by many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries, on the occasion of the official birthday ...

, and was promoted twice, firstly to Commander in the

1973 Birthday Honours The Queen's Birthday Honours 1973 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were published on 2 June 1973 for ...

and then to Knight Commander in the

1982 Birthday Honours Queen's Birthday Honours are announced on or around the date of the Queen's Official Birthday in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The dates vary, both from year to year and from country to country. All are published in supplem ...

. Bland died at home on 11 August 2022, at the age of 98. His funeral for which The Queen was represented by the Lady Elton, (Her Majesty’s Lady in Waiting) held on September 8, 2022, was the last official duty performed by The Queen; who died later that same day.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bland, Simon 1923 births 2022 deaths Scots Guards officers Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order British Army personnel of World War II British Army personnel of the Malayan Emergency Members of the British Royal Household British expatriates in Pakistan