Alan Lascelles

The Right Honourable Sir Alan Lascelles GCB GCVO CMG MC
Lascelles in 1943
Private Secretary to the Sovereign
In office 1943–1953
Monarchs	George VI Elizabeth II
Preceded by	Sir Alexander Hardinge
Succeeded by	Sir Michael Adeane
Assistant Private Secretary to the Sovereign
In office 1935–1943
Monarchs	George V Edward VIII George VI
Secretary to the Governor General of Canada
In office 1931–1935
Governor General	The Earl of Bessborough
Preceded by	Sir Eric Miéville
Succeeded by	Shuldham Redfern
Personal details
Born	(1887-04-11)11 April 1887 Sutton Waldron, Dorset, England
Died	10 August 1981(1981-08-10) (aged 94) Kensington, London, England
Spouse	Joan Frances Vere Thesiger ​ ​ (m. 1920; died 1971)​
Children	3
Alma mater	Trinity College, Oxford
Military service
Branch/service	British Army
Years of service	1913-1938
Rank	Captain
Unit	Bedfordshire Yeomanry
Battles/wars	World War I Western Front
Awards	Military Cross

Sir Alan Frederick Lascelles GCB GCVO CMG MC (/ˈlæsəls/; 11 April 1887 – 10 August 1981) was a British courtier and civil servant who held several positions in the first half of the twentieth century, culminating in his position as Private Secretary to both King George VI and to Queen Elizabeth II. He wrote the Lascelles Principles in a 1950 letter to the editor of The Times, using the pen-name "Senex".

Early life and education

Sir Alan was known to his intimates as "Tommy". He was born on 11 April 1887 in the village of Sutton Waldron in Dorset, England, the son of Commander Frederick Canning Lascelles and Frederica Maria Liddell, and the grandson of Henry Lascelles, 4th Earl of Harewood. He was thus a cousin of Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood, who married Mary, Princess Royal, sister of his employers, Edward VIII and George VI.

After attending school at Marlborough College, followed by Trinity College, Oxford, Lascelles served in France with the Bedfordshire Yeomanry during the First World War, where he rose to the rank of Captain and was awarded the Military Cross, after which he became the aide-de-camp to his brother-in-law Lord Lloyd, the Governor of Bombay from 1919 to 1920.

Career

Lascelles then returned to Britain and was appointed Assistant Private Secretary to Edward, Prince of Wales, in 1920, serving in that role until resigning in 1929, citing differences with the prince. From 1931 to 1935, he was Secretary to the Governor General of Canada.

Lascelles became the Assistant Private Secretary to King George V in 1935.

When the Prince of Wales ascended to the throne as King Edward VIII, upon the death of King George V, in January 1936, Lascelles served briefly as the new King's private secretary. Then, when Edward VIII abdicated in December 1936, Lascelles became private secretary to King George VI, some time after the new king's accession.

Lascelles was knighted by King George VI, while aboard a train, during the highly successful 1939 royal tour of Canada and the United States, which he had helped to arrange and manage.

In 1943, Sir Alan was promoted to Private Secretary to King George VI. In 1952, he became Private Secretary to Queen Elizabeth II, a role he held until 1953.

Sir Alan was also Keeper of the Royal Archives from 1943 to 1953.

Sir Alan's papers are now held in the Churchill Archives Centre at Churchill College, Cambridge.

Personal life

On 16 March 1920, Sir Alan married Joan Frances Vere Thesiger (1895–1971).

They had three children:

• John Frederick Lascelles, born 11 June 1922, died 11 September 1951.
• Lavinia Joan Lascelles, born 27 June 1923; married to Major Edward Westland Renton, then briefly to the writer Gavin Maxwell.
• Caroline Mary Lascelles, born 15 February 1927; married 1949 to Antony Lyttelton, 2nd Viscount Chandos; then 1985 to David Erskine, son of Lord Erskine.

Death

Sir Alan Lascelles died on 10 August 1981 at Kensington Palace at the age of 94.

In popular culture

He is portrayed by Pip Torrens in the Netflix series The Crown, where he is portrayed as a strict enforcer of regal protocol and convention. He did not hold back in giving the crown advice contrary to the Queen's views. Queen Elizabeth appreciated his role and work with the palace and frequently took his advice even when it compromised her relationship with her sister Princess Margaret.

In the movie The King's Speech, he is played by Richard Dixon, although the movie credits only state "Private Secretary".

Honours and awards

	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB)
	Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO)
	Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG)
	Military Cross (MC)	(1919)
	1914–15 Star
	British War Medal
	Victory Medal	with palm for Mentioned in Dispatches
	King George V Silver Jubilee Medal	(1935)
	King George VI Coronation Medal	(1937)
	Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal	(1953)
	Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour	(France)

References

Bibliography

Lascelles, Alan (2006). Hart-Davis, Duff (ed.). King's Counsellor: Abdication and War: The Diaries of Tommy Lascelles. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. ISBN 978-0-297-85155-4. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)

Prochaska, Frank (2004). "Lascelles, Sir Alan Frederick (1887-1981), Courtier". In Matthew, H. C. G.; Harrison, Brian; Goldman, Lawrence (eds.). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/31334. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)

Further reading

Lascelles, Alan (1986). Hart-Davis, Duff (ed.). End of an Era, 1887–1920. The Letters and Journals of Sir Alan Lascelles. Vol. 1. London: Hamish Hamilton. ISBN 978-0-241-11960-0.

 ———  (1989). Hart-Davis, Duff (ed.). In Royal Service, 1920–1936. The Letters and Journals of Sir Alan Lascelles. Vol. 2. London: Hamish Hamilton. ISBN 978-0-241-12562-5.

References

• thePeerage.com Person Page 1762, retrieved 8 December 2005
• Janus - The Papers of Sir Alan Lascelles retrieved 8 December 2005
• www.cracroftspeerage.co.uk search for Lascelles