Jump to content

Lord Claud Hamilton (1889–1975)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lord Claud Hamilton
Hamilton with fellow officers, including Prince Alexander of Teck, in Nieuport, March 1915
Born(1889-11-10)10 November 1889
Mayfair, London
Died22 August 1975(1975-08-22) (aged 85)
Spouse
Violet Newall
(m. 1933)
Parents
RelativesJames Hamilton (brother)
Arthur Hamilton (brother)
Military career
ServiceBritish Army
RankCaptain
UnitScots Guards
Grenadier Guards
WarsWorld War I

Lord Claud Nigel Hamilton GCVO CMG DSO (10 November 1889 – 22 August 1975) was a British Army officer and courtier. He was comptroller and treasurer to Queen Mary from 1936 until her death in 1953.[1]

Family and education

[edit]
Lord Claud Hamilton's birthplace, Hampden House, 61 Green Street, Mayfair

Lord Claud was born at Hampden House, 61 Green Street, Mayfair,[2] the seventh (but third surviving) son of James Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Abercorn and Lady Mary Anna Curzon-Howe. He was educated at Wellington College, Berkshire.[3]

On 11 July 1933, he married Violet Ruby Newall (née Ashton), mother of Pamela Newall (later Baroness Sharples).[4] They had no children.[1]

Career

[edit]

Army

[edit]

In 1907, he joined the 3rd Battalion (Lothian Regiment) of the Scots Guards as a Second Lieutenant,[5] and transferred to the Grenadier Guards in 1909, having been promoted to the rank of Captain the previous year.[6] During the First World War, he was mentioned in despatches in 1914 for having "commanded a machine-gun for five days and nights without relief, with great effect and under severe fire."[7]

The same year, he was made a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order. In 1916, he was made an MVO as courtier to the Prince of Wales,[8] and in 1918 he became an Officer of the Order of the Crown of Italy[9] and was awarded the Croix de Guerre.[10]

Royal household

[edit]

In 1919, Lord Claud was employed as an equerry to Edward, Prince of Wales and made a CMG in 1920 for services to the Prince on his overseas visits.[11]

In 1921, Hamilton was promoted as Deputy Master of the Household,[12] made an Extra Equerry to King George V a year later[13] and an Equerry in 1924.[14]

In 1932, he was promoted to a CVO,[15] and to a GCVO in 1937.[16]

In 1936, he was one of the escorts of the gun carriage at the King's funeral[17] and became Queen Mary's Comptroller, Treasurer and Extra Equerry that year. He served in these offices until her death in 1953, when he became an Extra Equerry to Elizabeth II until his own death in 1975 aged 85.[18]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Lord Claud Hamilton". The Daily Telegraph. 23 August 1975. p. 6. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  2. ^ "Births". The Times. The Times Digital Archive. 12 November 1889. p. 1.
  3. ^ Gliddon, Gerald (2002). The aristocracy and the Great War. Norwich: Gliddon Books. p. 452. ISBN 978-0-947893-35-4. OCLC 231975360.
  4. ^ "Baroness Sharples, made lively contributions to politics for decades after her husband's murder in Bermuda – obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 24 May 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  5. ^ "No. 28087". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 December 1907. p. 8610.
  6. ^ "No. 28227". The London Gazette. 23 February 1909. p. 1450.
  7. ^ "No. 28992". The London Gazette. 1 December 1914. p. 10187.
  8. ^ "No. 12947". The Edinburgh Gazette. 5 June 1916. p. 988.
  9. ^ "No. 30595". The London Gazette (Supplement). 22 March 1918. p. 3726.
  10. ^ "No. 30638". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 April 1918. p. 4717.
  11. ^ "No. 32086". The London Gazette. 15 October 1920. p. 9986.
  12. ^ "No. 32212". The London Gazette. 1 February 1921. p. 855.
  13. ^ "No. 32705". The London Gazette. 19 May 1922. p. 3868.
  14. ^ "No. 32920". The London Gazette. 21 March 1924. p. 2423.
  15. ^ "No. 33898". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1932. p. 7.
  16. ^ "No. 34365". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 January 1937. p. 693.
  17. ^ "No. 34279". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 April 1936. p. 2771.
  18. ^ "No. 39981". The London Gazette. 6 October 1953. p. 5318.
[edit]
Political offices
Preceded by Deputy Master of the Household
1922–1924
Succeeded by