Francis Knollys, 1st Viscount Knollys, (16 July 1837 – 15 August 1924) was a British courtier. He served as Private Secretary to the Sovereign from 1901 to 1913.

Background and education

Knollys was the son of Sir William Thomas Knollys (1797–1883), of Blount's Court at

Rotherfield Peppard Rotherfield Peppard (often referred to simply as Peppard by locals) is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Chiltern Hills in South Oxfordshire. It is centred west of Henley-on-Thames, north of Reading, Berkshire and ...

in Oxfordshire, and was educated in Guernsey. He entered the

Royal Military College, Sandhurst The Royal Military College (RMC), founded in 1801 and established in 1802 at Great Marlow and High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, England, but moved in October 1812 to Sandhurst, Berkshire, was a British Army military academy for training infant ...

, in 1851, and was commissioned into the 23rd Foot as an

ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

in 1854.

Career

In the following year, however, Knollys joined the

Department of the Commissioners of Audit Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

as a junior examiner. In 1862, he became

Secretary A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a ...

to the

Treasurer A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The significant core functions of a corporate treasurer include cash and liquidity management, risk management, and corporate finance. Government The treasury ...

to the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...

. In 1870, he was appointed

Private Secretary A private secretary (PS) is a civil servant in a governmental department or ministry, responsible to a secretary of state or minister; or a public servant in a royal household, responsible to a member of the royal family. The role exists in ...

to the Prince of Wales, an office he held until the Prince, Edward, became King in 1901. He was also Groom-in-Waiting to the Prince of Wales 1886–1901. Knollys then became Private Secretary to the Sovereign, an office he filled until 1913 (jointly with

Arthur Bigge, 1st Baron Stamfordham Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur John Bigge, 1st Baron Stamfordham, (18 June 1849 – 31 March 1931) was a British Army officer and courtier. He was Private Secretary to Queen Victoria during the last few years of her reign, and to George V during mos ...

from 1910). He was known for his loyalty and discretion in this role. He was also Gentleman Usher to

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...

1868–1901, and a Lord-in-waiting to Queen Mary 1910–1924.

Personal life

Lord Knollys died in August 1924, aged 87. His titles were inherited by his son, Edward George William Tyrwhitt Knollys, 2nd Viscount Knollys (1895–1966).

In Popular Culture

After his appointment as Private Secretary to the Sovereign, Lord Knollys was well known as the public face of the Court, and is often mentioned in memoirs and fiction of the period. In his 1911 novel "C.Q., or in the Wireless House", Arthur Train wrote of his fixing a scandal (fictitious, this time): "She was still spoken of as one of the most beautiful women in the world; but the exquisite hour of her perfection had passed. Then, perhaps feeling that her supremacy was no longer undisputed, a sense of pique at younger and fresher women had led her into certain too flagrant indiscretions that could not be overlooked. Lord Knollys had intimated that a knighthood might please her husband; and the directorate of the Royal Bank of Edinburgh, of which he was the London manager, by a coincidence no less extraordinary than it was timely, had proposed that he should open a similar branch in New York and temporarily become its resident agent. In other words, royalty had politely indicated that, although it was deeply pained to do so, it must, for policy's sake, at least, withdraw that intimacy which it had previously been pleased to extend".

Honours

Knollys was created a Companion 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 ...

(CB) in 1876, and promoted to Knight Commander (KCB) in 1897 and to Knight Grand Cross (GCB) in 1908. He was also made a Knight Grand Cross 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 ...

(GCVO) in 1901, a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in 1886, and awarded the Imperial Service Order (ISO) in 1903. In the

1902 Coronation Honours The 1902 Coronation Honours were announced on 26 June 1902, the date originally set for the coronation of King Edward VII. The coronation was postponed because the King had been taken ill two days before, but he ordered that the honours list shou ...

list, it was announced he would receive a barony, and he was raised to the peerage as Baron Knollys, of Caversham in the County of Oxford, on 15 July 1902. He took the oath and his seat in the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminste ...

the following month, on 7 August. He became a Privy Councillor in 1910, and in 1911 he was further honoured when he was made Viscount Knollys, of Caversham in the County of Oxford. * GCB: Knight Grand Cross of the

- 1908 (Knight Commander - KCB 1897; Companion - CB, 1876) * GCVO: Knight Grand Cross of the

- ''2 February 1901'' * KCMG : Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George - 1886 * ISO: Imperial Service Order - 1903 * He also received the Queen Victoria 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 establis ...

with a bar for 10 additional years of service to the Royal Family (35 Total Years).

References

Cited source

* *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Knollys, Francis Knollys, 1st Viscount 1837 births 1924 deaths Royal Welch Fusiliers officers Companions of the Imperial Service Order Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst Viscounts in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Permanent Lords-in-Waiting Private Secretaries to the Sovereign People from Oxfordshire Directors of the Great Eastern Railway Francis Civil servants in the Audit Office (United Kingdom) Peers created by Edward VII Viscounts created by George V