Robert Fellowes, Baron Fellowes

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Robert Fellowes, Baron Fellowes, GCB, GCVO, QSO, PC (b. 1941) was Private Secretary to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 1990–1999.

He was born 1941, son of Major Sir William Fellowes, Agent at Sandringham, and of Jane, daughter of Brigadier-General AFH Ferguson (grandfather of Sarah, Duchess of York). The Fellowes of Shotesham are an old country family. He married Lady Jane Spencer, sister of Diana Princess of Wales. They had three children, Laura Jane Fellowes b. 19 Jul 1980, Alexander Robert Fellowes b. 23 Mar 1983 and Eleanor Ruth Fellowes b. 20 Aug 1985.

He has the unique distinction of not only being brother in law of the late Diana Princess of Wales, but also first-cousin of Sarah, Duchess of York through his mother, Jane.

Robert Fellowes was educated at Eton College and joined the Scots Guards in 1960 on a short service commission. After completion of service in 1963 he entered the banking industry, working for Allen Harvey and Ross Ltd, Discount Brokers and Bankers, 1964–77. He was a managing director from 1968.

In 1977 Fellowes was recruited to join the Royal Household as Assistant Private Secretary. He spent the next twenty years in the Private Secretary's Office, becoming Deputy in 1986, and Private Secretary in 1990. He also held the appointment of Extra Equerry, and was ex officio Keeper of the Queen's Archives while Private Secretary. From 1993 he was also a trustee of the Royal Collection Trust. He retired in 1999 and was given a life peerage, as Baron Fellowes, of Shotesham in the County of Norfolk.

After retirement from the Royal Household, Lord Fellowes became Vice-Chairman, and then Chairman, of Barclays Private Banking. He is also a company director, and a trustee of the Rhodes Trust, and the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust. He is also Vice-Chairman of the Commonwealth Institute. He became Chair of the Prison Reform Trust in 2001.

Lord Fellowes received the following honours:

GCB 1998 (KCB 1991, CB 1987) GCVO 1996 (KCVO 1989, LVO 1983) QSO 1999. He was made a Privy Counsellor in 1990.