Henry Ponsonby

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The Right Honourable  Major-Gen. Sir Henry Ponsonby  GCB
Private Secretary to the Sovereign
In office 1870 – 1895
Monarch	Victoria
Preceded by	Gen. The Hon. Sir Charles Grey
Succeeded by	Lt. Col. The Rt. Hon. Sir Arthur Bigge
Nationality	British

Sir Henry Frederick Ponsonby GCB (10 December 1825–21 November 1895) was the son the British Army general, Sir Frederick Cavendish Ponsonby, and Private Secretary to Queen Victoria.

Ponsonby rose to the rank of Colonel in the Grenadier Guards and fought in the Crimean War. On 30 April 1861, he married Hon. Mary Elizabeth Bulteel, a daughter of John Crocker Bulteel MP and they had five children:

• Alberta Victoria Ponsonby (d. 15 October 1945)
• Magdalen Ponsonby (d. 1 July 1934)
• John Ponsonby (25 March 1866–26 March 1952)
• Frederick Edward Grey Ponsonby (16 September 1867–20 October 1935)
• Arthur Augustus William Harry Ponsonby (16 February 1871–24 March 1946)

In Mrs. Brown, he was portrayed by Geoffrey Palmer whose close friend and frequent co-star, Dame Judi Dench played Queen Victoria.

Court offices
Preceded by Sir Thomas Myddleton-Biddulph	Keeper of the Privy Purse 1878–1895	Succeeded by Sir Fleetwood Edwards
Preceded by Sir Charles Grey	Private Secretary to the Sovereign 1870–1895	Succeeded by Sir Arthur Bigge