Reginald Baliol Brett, 2nd Viscount Esher, (30 June 1852 – 22 January 1930) was a British
historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...
and
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world.
The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...
politician
A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...
, although his greatest influence over military and foreign affairs was as a courtier, member of public committees and behind-the-scenes "fixer", or rather
éminence grise. Behind the scenes, he influenced many pre-
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
military reforms and was a supporter of the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
–
French ''
Entente Cordiale
The Entente Cordiale (; ) comprised a series of agreements signed on 8 April 1904 between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and the French Third Republic, French Republic which saw a significant improvement in Fr ...
''.
Early life and education
Reginald Baliol Brett, known to his family as Regy, was born on 30 June 1852 in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
. His father,
William Baliol Brett, 1st Viscount Esher, was a distinguished barrister who later gained prominence as a
Member of Parliament for his dutiful support of
Benjamin Disraeli
Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman, Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician and writer who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a ...
during the
1867 Reform Act debate. He was
Solicitor General
A solicitor general is a government official who serves as the chief representative of the government in courtroom proceedings. In systems based on the English common law that have an attorney general or equivalent position, the solicitor general ...
in
Disraeli's first ministry in 1868, and later a judge on the
Court of Common Pleas,
Lord Justice of Appeal
A Lord Justice of Appeal or Lady Justice of Appeal is a judge of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, the court that hears appeals from the High Court of Justice, the Crown Court and other courts and tribunals. A Lord (or Lady) Just ...
and
Master of the Rolls
The Keeper or Master of the Rolls and Records of the Chancery of England, known as the Master of the Rolls, is the President of the Court of Appeal (England and Wales)#Civil Division, Civil Division of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales ...
. In 1885, he was raised to the peerage as Baron Esher by Prime Minister
Lord Salisbury
Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (; 3 February 183022 August 1903), known as Lord Salisbury, was a British statesman and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United ...
. On his retirement as Master of the Rolls in 1897, he was created first Viscount Esher. Reginald's mother, Eugénie Mayer (1814–1904), was the French stepdaughter of Colonel
John Gurwood, the editor of
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...
's dispatches who killed himself in 1845.
The young Brett's childhood was spent between London and Heath Farm, the family's modest country house near
Watford
Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne.
Initially a smal ...
, with occasional visits to his mother's family in Paris and to
Lowther Castle in
Westmorland
Westmorland (, formerly also spelt ''Westmoreland''R. Wilkinson The British Isles, Sheet The British IslesVision of Britain/ref>) is an area of North West England which was Historic counties of England, historically a county. People of the area ...
, the home of his father's friend,
William Lowther, 2nd Earl of Lonsdale.
He first attended
Cheam School, where he was tutored by
Arthur Campbell Ainger to prepare him for
Eton College
Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...
. He entered Eton in January 1865, where he was taught by influential master
William Johnson. The exact nature of Brett's relationship with Johnson, a proponent of the ancient Greek practice of
ephebophilia who was forced to resign from Eton in 1872 over an indiscreet letter to a young pupil, has long been a source of speculation. At the very least, Johnson was an eager observer and catalyst of homosexual relationships among his pupils, including Brett, who began romances with Charles D. R. Williamson and
Francis Elliot. Johnson recounted these observations in his letters to Brett and others.
He began studies at
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any ...
in 1870. At Cambridge, Brett was profoundly influenced by the
radical lawyer, politician and professor of international law
William Harcourt and Harcourt's advisor
Lady Ripon, a wealthy
Christian Socialist and radical. Through the Ripons and Harcourt, Brett came to reject his father's Toryism and adopt the Whig principles that would lead him to join the
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world.
The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...
.
When Disraeli unsuccessfully tried to enforce
Anglicanism
Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...
in the
Public Worship Bill, Brett wrote copious letters to the
Marquess of Hartington, leader of the Liberal Party in the
House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...
, and Harcourt was pushed into the limelight as a leading Liberal in the Commons.
Early political career
Having been a
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
as a young man, Brett began his political career in 1880 as Liberal
Member of Parliament for
Penryn and Falmouth and associate of
Lord Hartington. However, the resolution of the
Great Eastern Crisis
The Great Eastern Crisis of 1875–1878 began in the Ottoman Empire's Rumelia, administrative territories in the Balkan Peninsula in 1875, with the outbreak of several uprisings and wars that resulted in the intervention of international powers, ...
and success of the 187880
Midlothian Campaign had re-energized
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British politican, starting as Conservative MP for Newark and later becoming the leader of the Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party.
In a career lasting over 60 years, he ...
's authority as rightful leader of the Liberals, marginalising Hartington and Brett as
jingoes. Brett remained loyal to Hartington, serving as his
parliamentary private secretary during Hartington's term as
Secretary of State for War
The secretary of state for war, commonly called the war secretary, was a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, which existed from 1794 to 1801 and from 1854 to 1964. The secretary of state for war headed the War Offic ...
(1882–85) and once drove him to a Cabinet meeting on a sleigh through the snow.
[Reid 2006, pp127-31] When Hartington broke with the Liberals to form the
Liberal Unionist Party
The Liberal Unionist Party was a British political party that was formed in 1886 by a faction that broke away from the Liberal Party. Led by Lord Hartington (later the Duke of Devonshire) and Joseph Chamberlain, the party established a political ...
, Brett became the mediator between the factions and was a leading figure at the Liberal Round Table Conference of 1887. After losing an election at
Plymouth
Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...
in 1885, Brett elected to withdraw from public politics in favour of a behind the scenes role.
He was instrumental in the
Jameson raid of 1895, vigorously defending
Cecil Rhodes
Cecil John Rhodes ( ; 5 July 185326 March 1902) was an English-South African mining magnate and politician in southern Africa who served as Prime Minister of the Cape Colony from 1890 to 1896. He and his British South Africa Company founded th ...
. During the
Boer War
The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic an ...
, Esher intervened in the row between
Lord Lansdowne and General
Garnet Wolseley, the Commander-in-Chief, who tended to blame Lansdowne for military failures. Esher's memoranda on the conflict became established civil service procedure.
Courtier and military reforms
In 1895, Brett became
Permanent Secretary
A permanent secretary is the most senior Civil Service (United Kingdom), civil servant of a department or Ministry (government department), ministry charged with running the department or ministry's day-to-day activities. Permanent secretaries are ...
to the
Office of Works, where
Edward, Prince of Wales, was impressed by his zeal and dedication to the elderly
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 Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...
.
In
Kensington Palace, Esher would push the Queen in a wheel chair so she could revisit her childhood. Upon his father's death on 24 May 1899, he succeeded him as 2nd Viscount Esher. In 1901, Lord Esher was appointed a
deputy lieutenant of
Berkshire
Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...
and became
Deputy Governor and Constable of
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a List of British royal residences, royal residence at Windsor, Berkshire, Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, about west of central London. It is strongly associated with the Kingdom of England, English and succee ...
; he lived at Orchard Lea,
Winkfield, on the edge of the
Great Park. After Edward's
coronation
A coronation ceremony marks the formal investiture of a monarch with regal power using a crown. In addition to the crowning, this ceremony may include the presentation of other items of regalia, and other rituals such as the taking of special v ...
in 1902, he gained greater royal influence and shunned political office; by the end of 1903, he met or corresponded with Edward VII daily and meeting with the King's adviser
Lord Knollys three to four times daily.
During this period, he helped edit Queen Victoria's papers, publishing ''Correspondence of Queen Victoria'' in 1907.
Esher Report and military influence
From 1903, Esher was a member of
Lord Elgin's South African War Commission,
which investigated the
British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
's near-failure in the Boer War. In that role, he informed the King of the views of the Commission, party leaders, and
War Office
The War Office has referred to several British government organisations throughout history, all relating to the army. It was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, at ...
civil servants with whom he was still in touch from his days working for Hartington.
Secretary of State for War
The secretary of state for war, commonly called the war secretary, was a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, which existed from 1794 to 1801 and from 1854 to 1964. The secretary of state for war headed the War Offic ...
St John Brodrick was resentful of Esher's influence, which paralysed Brodrick's scope for operation,
and the government was much weakened in October 1903, when
Joseph Chamberlain
Joseph Chamberlain (8 July 1836 – 2 July 1914) was a British statesman who was first a radical Liberal Party (UK), Liberal, then a Liberal Unionist after opposing home rule for Ireland, and eventually was a leading New Imperialism, imperial ...
and Hartington resigned over the former's plans for
Tariff Reform
Protectionism, sometimes referred to as trade protectionism, is the economic policy of restricting imports from other countries through methods such as tariffs on imported goods, import quotas, and a variety of other government regulations. ...
.
In 1903, Esher was appointed to chair the Report of the War Office (Reconstitution) Committee, a sub-committee of the Elgin Commission which became known as the Esher Committee.
The sub-committee consisted of Esher, Admiral Sir
John Fisher, and Colonel Sir
George Clarke. To advance the King's desired reforms of the Army, Esher formed an uneasy alliance with Clarke to directly undermine Secretary of State for War
H. O. Arnold-Forster, an opponent of reform. On 7 December, Arnold-Foster advised the
militia
A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...
must be absorbed into the Army to save ÂŁ2,000,000. Encouraged by the King, Esher wanted prime minister
Arthur Balfour
Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour (; 25 July 184819 March 1930) was a British statesman and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1902 to 1905. As Foreign Secretary ...
to look to party first, while at the same time warning the King's Secretary that, "the Prime Minister will have to take matters into his own hands". Esher's role, playing both Crown and Parliament against each other by confidential memoranda was kept secret for sixty-seven years. It was decided on 19 December a Reserve Force should be set up "in commission". On 12 January, Esher told the minister to accept his sub-committee's recommendation, even though Arnold-Foster had not even been told of the agenda. Despite the intrigues, the King approved of the committee's work. The sub-committee produced the
Esher Report in February and March 1904, recommending radical reform of the British Army, including the establishment of the
Army Council and the
Committee of Imperial Defence, a permanent secretariat. The King successfully urged adoption of its recommended reforms by Balfour.
Esher cultivated a friendship with Colonel Sir Edmund Ward, secretary to the
Army Council, in order to control minute-taking, the Council agenda, and quorum at meetings. In 1904, Esher told Ward he had "proof of the Army Order" and a plan toward Army decentralisation, called "Traverse". Believing the
royal prerogative
The royal prerogative is a body of customary authority, Privilege (law), privilege, and immunity recognised in common law (and sometimes in Civil law (legal system), civil law jurisdictions possessing a monarchy) as belonging to the monarch, so ...
had been circumvented "without reference to the Sovereign", Esher marched into Arnold-Foster's office to remind him that precedent under Victoria had been to yield to arguments from the monarch, which had already been put forward by the Adjutant-General.
After 1904, all War Office appointments were approved and often suggested by Esher. He approved the establishment of the
Territorial Force
The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry in ...
, although he saw it as a step toward conscription, a step not taken. Many of Esher's recommendations were implemented between 1905 and 1918 under Secretary of State for War
Richard Haldane, assisted by Esher's protégé, the young Major-General
Douglas Haig
Field marshal (United Kingdom), Field Marshal Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig (; 19 June 1861 – 29 January 1928) was a senior Officer (armed forces), officer of the British Army. During the First World War he commanded the British Expeditionary F ...
.
Haldane's initial Liberal reforms were thrown out by the
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...
, and the resulting documents more closely resembled Esher's original efforts. Esher's biographer Peter Fraser thus argued "the
Haldane reforms owed little to Haldane." Although Edward VII urged Esher's appointment as Secretary of State for War, he declined it, along with many other public offices, including the
Viceroyalty of India.
In 1909, Esher was appointed a
Deputy Lieutenant of the
County of London
The County of London was a county of England from 1889 to 1965, corresponding to the area known today as Inner London. It was created as part of the general introduction of elected county government in England, by way of the Local Government A ...
and the King's Aide-de-Camp. He gained a reputation as a disciple of national efficiency, an able administrator, and a silky, smooth influence as a courtier. He was accused of being an arch-insider, undemocratic and interfering. However, the King favoured Esher, and his influence over the Army grew, with a focus on to averting conflict in Europe. Despite his close political connections, including included
Lord Tweedmouth and
Lord Rosebery, his undemocratic reputation and ties to the monarch prevented further political ambition or any high cabinet office. He founded the Society of Islanders, established on the principle of "two for one Keels", an expression of British naval supremacy in order to maintain global peace.
Esher's involvements in the
Territorials were not limited to the War Office. He was the first chairman appointed in 1908 to the County of London Territorial Forces Association and its president from 1912 to his death, in addition he was appointed
Honorary Colonel of the 5th (Reserve) Battalion of the
Royal Fusiliers in 1908 and held the same appointment with the
6th County of London Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, from 1910 to 1921.
In 1911, Esher helped ease out Lord Knollys, who was then seventy-five years old and a member of the Royal Household since 1862, but who had lost royal confidence over his negotiation of the
Parliament Act 1911. Esher arranged
Lord Stamfordham as his replacement.
Together with
Lewis Harcourt, he established the
London Museum, which opened its doors on 5 March 1912.
Great War
After the outbreak of the First World War, Esher served as an emissary to France and often travelled to France as a respite from the "mephitic" atmosphere of the War Office. In one writer's description, Esher served as ''de facto'' head of British Intelligence in France, reporting on the French domestic and political situation, although he told his son he preferred not to have a formal position where he would have to take orders.
His son Maurice set up a bureau in Paris called ''Intelligence Anglaise,'' keeping his father informed through a small spy network with links to newspaper journalists.
He visited
Prime Minister of France
The prime minister of France (), officially the prime minister of the French Republic (''Premier ministre de la République française''), is the head of government of the French Republic and the leader of its Council of Ministers.
The prime ...
Aristide Briand
Aristide Pierre Henri Briand (; 28 March 18627 March 1932) was a French statesman who served eleven terms as Prime Minister of France during the French Third Republic. He is mainly remembered for his focus on international issues and reconciliat ...
in Paris in January 1915, and Briand told him that the
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The chancellor of the exchequer, often abbreviated to chancellor, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom, and the head of HM Treasury, His Majesty's Treasury. As one of the four Great Offices of State, t ...
,
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. A Liberal Party (United Kingdom), Liberal Party politician from Wales, he was known for leadi ...
, had "a longer view than any of our leaders" and that an earlier opening of the
Salonica front might have prevented the entry of
Bulgaria
Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
into the war. Following the Russian defeats on the Eastern Front,
H. H. Asquith
Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith (12 September 1852 – 15 February 1928) was a British statesman and Liberal Party (UK), Liberal politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916. He was the last ...
's neutrality over Briand's Salonica Plan perplexed Esher, and he perceived the balance of power in cabinet shifting toward a more conservative coalition. He also made contact in Paris with
Maurice Bunau-Varilla, owner and editor of ''
Le Matin'', with the intent of influencing the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
to remain in
the Allied Forces and the United States to join.
By 1916, however, the French war effort was almost spent, and Esher reported that Finance Minister
Alexandre Ribot sought to sue for peace. At the
Chantilly Conference, they discussed combined operations to maintain the momentum. Esher accompanied Haig to the Amiens Conference, but on his return to Paris, was informed of the sinking of the
HMS ''Hampshire'' and death of
Earl Kitchener. Returning to London, Esher spoke with Prime Minister of Australia
Billy Hughes
William Morris Hughes (25 September 1862 – 28 October 1952) was an Australian politician who served as the seventh prime minister of Australia from 1915 to 1923. He led the nation during World War I, and his influence on national politics s ...
. The following month at the Beaugency Conference, they discussed the
Somme Offensive. Esher told
Maurice Hankey, "For heaven's sake put every ounce you have got of will power into this offensive." He also learnt firsthand the French government's scheme for a "Greater Syria" to include British controlled Palestine.
In 1917, he told Lloyd George, now Prime Minister, that diplomacy in Paris was weak and that Lloyd George "was badly served". Ambassador
Lord Bertie was the last of the Victorian imperial envoys and Esher argued he had failed to do enough to persuade France to remain in the war. When offered the ambassadorship himself, Esher crowed, "I cannot imagine anything I would detest more." Following a
French mutiny the next month, Haig and
Henry Wilson lent support to an offensive to bolster the French.
Phillipe Pétain, the new French commander-in-chief, was deemed too defensive, and Esher sent
Charles Ă Court Repington
Charles à Court Repington, (29 January 1858 – 25 May 1925), known until 1903 as Charles à Court, was an English soldier, who went on to have a second career as an influential war correspondent during the First World War. He is also credited ...
on a "charm offensive". With support from
Minister of Munitions
The Minister of Munitions was a British government position created during the First World War to oversee and co-ordinate the production and distribution of munitions for the war effort. The position was created in response to the Shell Crisis o ...
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...
and
Lord Milner for dramatic action, Esher entered diplomatic conversation with the
War Policy Committee, a unique departure in the management of British policy. However, bad weather and sickness of war made Esher ill in 1917, and he was encouraged by the King to holiday at
Biarritz
Biarritz ( , , , ; also spelled ; ) is a city on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the French Basque Country in southwestern France. It is located from the border with Spain. It is a luxu ...
.
Partly on Esher's advice, the War Office undertook major re-organization in 1917, unifying all British military commands at the Imperial War Office. Esher was at the famous Crillon Club dinner meeting in Paris on 1 December 1917, at which with
Georges Clemenceau, they took critical decisions over the strategy for 1918. The Allied Governments proposed a unified Allied Reserve, despite negative press and publicity in the Commons. As cabinet enforcer, Esher visited
Henry Wilson on 9 February 1918, during the crisis over his succession to
William Robertson as
Chief of the Imperial General Staff. Esher became instrumental in remonstrating against the war effort with loose press articles in
Lord Northcliffe's newspapers and ''
The Morning Post
''The Morning Post'' was a conservative daily newspaper published in London from 1772 to 1937, when it was acquired by ''The Daily Telegraph''.
History
The paper was founded by John Bell. According to historian Robert Darnton, ''The Morning ...
''. In France, Esher established a ''rapprochement'' with the press to help hold the Clemenceau government together, at a time when England was at the zenith of her military strength.
As the war concluded, Esher learned that the King wanted his resignation as Deputy-Governor of Windsor. In fact, he coveted the post of
Keeper of the Royal Archives.
Lord Stamfordham demanded his resignation in favour of historian Sir
John Fortescue, but Esher remained as Governor. Professionalization also warned Maurice Hankey against becoming secretary to the
Paris Peace Conference, which to Esher's mind was beyond his competence. Esher also persuaded his friend not to desert the
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...
for the
League of Nations
The League of Nations (LN or LoN; , SdN) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920), Paris Peace ...
. Domestic unrest and
trade unionism, which Esher loathed, as it threatened peace and stability, also destabilized his position as President of the Army of India Committee. Ever skeptical of political changes, "omnivorous" introductions to the Viceroy's work forced him to decline a solicitous offer to chair a sub-committee of the Conditions of the Poor.
Post-war work
Esher was admitted to the
Privy Council in 1922. In 1928 he became
Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle, an office he had always wanted, holding it until his death in 1930.
Lord Esher was also a historian; besides the aforementioned work, he also published works on
King
King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
Edward VII
Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910.
The second child ...
and
Lord Kitchener. In February 1920, he proofread Haig's ''History of the General Head Quarters 1917–1918''. That summer, Esher's critique of a ''Life of Disraeli'' appeared in ''Quarterly Review''. His memoir, ''Cloud-capp'd Towers'', was published in 1927. After his death, his sons published four volumes of his ''Journals and Letters'' (1934–1938).
Honours and arms
British honours
* KCB : Knight Commander the
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by King George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. Recipients of the Order are usually senior British Armed Forces, military officers or senior Civil Service ...
– announced in the
1902 Coronation Honours list on 26 June 1902 – invested by King Edward while on board his yacht
HMY ''Victoria and Albert'' on 28 July 1902 (gazetted 11 July 1902)
* GCVO: Knight Grand Cross of the
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the m ...
(previously KCVO)
Arms
Personal life
Family
In 1879, Reginald Brett married Eleanor Van de Weyer, daughter of Belgian ambassador
Sylvain Van de Weyer and granddaughter of Anglo-American financier
Joshua Bates. They had four children.
* Their elder son,
Oliver Sylvain Baliol Brett became 3rd Viscount Esher and was a Fellow of the
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...
. He married Antoinette Heckscher, daughter of
August Heckscher.
* Their second son, Maurice Vyner Baliol Brett, married the famous
musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, ...
actress
Zena Dare.
* Their older daughter,
Dorothy, was a painter and member of the
Bloomsbury Group
The Bloomsbury Group was a group of associated British writers, intellectuals, philosophers and artists in the early 20th century. Among the people involved in the group were Virginia Woolf, John Maynard Keynes, E. M. Forster, Vanessa Bell, a ...
. She studied at the
Slade School of Fine Arts and spent years in
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...
.
* Their younger daughter,
Sylvia, became the last Ranee of
Sarawak
Sarawak ( , ) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia. It is the largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia. Sarawak is located in East Malaysia in northwest Borneo, and is ...
on 24 May 1917, following the proclamation of her husband
Charles Vyner Brooke
Charles Vyner Brooke, (full name Charles Vyner de Windt Brooke, 26 September 1874 – 9 May 1963) was the third and last White Rajah of the Raj of Sarawak.
Early life
Charles Vyner Brooke was the son of Charles Brooke and Margaret de Windt ( ...
as
Raja
Raja (; from , IAST ') is a noble or royal Sanskrit title historically used by some Indian subcontinent, Indian rulers and monarchs and highest-ranking nobles. The title was historically used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
T ...
h.
Esher found his son, Oliver, a job as an additional secretary to
John Morley and he was on good terms with Captain Sinclair, Campbell-Bannerman's secretary.
Sexuality
Although married with children, Lord Esher had
homosexual
Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" exc ...
inclinations. His flirtations with young men were regarded with tolerant amusement in polite society, and the years before his marriage were marked by a series of what Esher described as "rapturous" love affairs with various young men, beginning with his time at Eton. His marriage in no way stopped or curtailed these activities, and he told a friend he could not remember a single day when he was not in love with one young man or another. He later anonymously published a book of verse called ''Foam'', in which he glorified "golden lads". According to his biographer
James Lees-Milne
(George) James Henry Lees-Milne (6 August 1908 – 28 December 1997) was an English writer and expert on country houses, who worked for the National Trust from 1936 to 1973. He was an architectural historian, novelist and biographer. His extens ...
, Esher "never deliberately concealed his infatuations" but explicitly confided them to only a few, including Esher's son Maurice, to whom Maurice wrote prurient and even romantic letters during the boy's time at Eton.
One of Esher's most significant male companions was his private secretary Lawrence Burgis, who met Esher when he was attending
King's School, Worcester
The King's School, Worcester is a Private schools in the United Kingdom, private co-educational day school refounded by Henry VIII of England, Henry VIII in 1541. It occupies a site adjacent to Worcester Cathedral on the banks of the River Sev ...
. Although Burgis's was
heterosexual
Heterosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between people of the opposite sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, heterosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions ...
and the relationship likely was not physically unconsummated, they remained closely acquainted until Esher's death in 1930. After
British entry into World War I, Esher personally intervened to have Burgis appointed as an aide-de-camp to the
British Expeditionary Force Commander of Intelligence
John Charteris so that he could avoid front-line service on the
Western Front. Esher also had Burgis appointed as a secretary to the
Cabinet Office
The Cabinet Office is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for supporting the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, prime minister and Cabinet ...
, and Burgis later used this position to keep verbatim records of Prime Minister
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...
's
War Cabinet meetings in defiance of the
Official Secrets Act 1911, providing one of the most important records of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.
References
Bibliography
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External links
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The Papers of Lord and Lady Esherheld at
Churchill Archives Centre
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Esher, Reginald Brett, 2nd Viscount
1852 births
1930 deaths
19th-century English LGBTQ people
Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge
Bisexual male politicians
Reginald
Deputy lieutenants of Berkshire
Deputy lieutenants of the County of London
Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath
Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
LGBTQ members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
LGBTQ peers
British bisexual men
English bisexual politicians
Brett, Reginald
Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Brett, Reginald
People educated at Eton College
Brett, Reginald
Brett, Reginald
UK MPs who inherited peerages
Viscounts in the Peerage of the United Kingdom