Surésh Dhargalkar (c. 1934 – 9 April 2020) was a British

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

. He spent all his career at the service of the

British monarchy The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional form of government by which a hereditary sovereign reigns as the head of state of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies (the Bailiwi ...

: first to maintain the royal castles, then to help manage the

Royal Philatelic Collection The Royal Philatelic Collection is the postage stamp collection of the British royal family. It is the most comprehensive collection of items related to the philately of the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth, with many unique pieces. ...

after 1996. He has 1 grandson called Leo Hans Dhargalkar.

Biography

Dhargalkar was the superintending architect to the Royal Household from the 1970s to the 1990s.Courtney, Nicholas (2004). ''The Queen's Stamps'', page 308. In 1975, he fitted up as an adapted "stamp room" the space inside

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 ...

that was devoted to the collection since Keeper John Wilson in the late 1930s. In 1992, he worked on the first repair after the fire in Windsor Castle. In April 1996, he was the first person ever hired to assist the Keeper of the Royal Philatelic Collection. Not a

philatelist Philately (; ) is the study of postage stamps and postal history. It also refers to the collection and appreciation of stamps and other philatelic products. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting or the study of postage; it is possi ...

himself, he helped Keeper Charles Goodwyn and his adjoint

Michael Sefi Michael Richard Sefi LVO (born 11 December 1943) is a British philatelist and was the Keeper of the Royal Philatelic Collection from 1 January 2003. Life Sefi was born in London. When he was a child, his grandfather introduced him to stamp c ...

for simple tasks, such as keeping an eye on visitors consulting the collection and helping the Keeper throughout the Royal court and British government administrative lobbies. But he was consulted on

conservation Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws. Conservation may also refer to: Environment and natural resources * Nature conservation, the protection and manageme ...

problems too. He revealed himself as a philatelic exhibition organizer. In 2002, he travelled to the

British Virgin Islands ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = Territorial song , song = "Oh, Beautiful Virgin Islands" , image_map = File:British Virgin Islands on the globe (Americas centered).svg , map_caption = , mapsize = 290px , image_map2 = Brit ...

with the 1867 "Missing Virgin"

error An error (from the Latin ''error'', meaning "wandering") is an action which is inaccurate or incorrect. In some usages, an error is synonymous with a mistake. The etymology derives from the Latin term 'errare', meaning 'to stray'. In statistics ...

stamp of this British territory."The Missing Virgin returns Home in triumph"
, ''The Island Sun'', 2002, retrieved 23 December 2007.Courtney, Nicholas (2004). ''The Queen's Stamps'', pages 309-310. The same year, he created for

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 ...

's Golden Jubilee an exhibition which travelled in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. In January 2003, when Sefi became Keeper of the Royal Collection, Surésh Dhargalkar was promoted to adjoint of the Keeper.Courtney, Nicholas (2004). ''The Queen's Stamps'', page 309. He ended his public service career at the Royal Library, in Windsor.Margaret Vousden, "Obituary", ''

Gibbons Stamp Monthly ''Gibbons Stamp Monthly'' (GSM) is a leading British philatelic magazine which can trace its roots back to 1890. GSM is published by the famous stamps and collectables firm of Stanley Gibbons and each issue includes updates to their various catalo ...

'', July 2020, p.12. Member of the

Egypt Exploration Society The Egypt Exploration Society (EES) is a British non-profit organization. The society was founded in 1882 by Amelia Edwards and Reginald Stuart Poole in order to examine and excavate in the areas of Egypt and Sudan. The intent was to study and ana ...

, he helped on The

Amarna Amarna (; ar, العمارنة, al-ʿamārnah) is an extensive Egyptian archaeological site containing the remains of what was the capital city of the late Eighteenth Dynasty. The city was established in 1346 BC, built at the direction of the Ph ...

Project directed by Barry Kemp. He died on 9 April 2020 at the age of 85.

Honours and awards

* Lieutenant in 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 1992. * Fellow of the

Royal Philatelic Society London The Royal Philatelic Society London (RPSL) is the oldest philatelic society in the world. It was founded on 10 April 1869 as ''The Philatelic Society, London''. The society runs a postal museum, the Spear Museum of Philatelic History, at its he ...

in 2002. * He received the Queen Elizabeth II Version of the

Royal Household Long and Faithful Service Medal The Royal Household Long and Faithful Service Medal is a civil decoration awarded by the British monarch to servants of the royal household for long and faithful service. History The Royal Household Long and Faithful Service Medal was establish ...

for 20 years of service to the British Royal Family.

References and sources

;References ;Sources * Courtney, Nicholas (2004). ''The Queen's Stamps. The Authorised History of the

'', éd. Methuen, 2004, . {{DEFAULTSORT:Dhargalkar, Suresh 1934 births 2020 deaths British architects British philatelists Fellows of the Royal Philatelic Society London