Nigel Cecil

Rear Admiral Sir Oswald "Nigel" Amherst Cecil KBE, CB (born 11 November 1925),^[1] is a retired naval officer.

Naval career

Cecil is a paternal grandson of Lord William Cecil and the 2nd Baroness Amherst of Hackney and a maternal grandson of the 1st Baron Cornwallis. He was educated at Ludgrove School and the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth and reached the rank of Commander in 1959.^[2] From 1961–63, Cecil commanded HMS Corunna in the Mediterranean and then HMS Royal Arthur from 1963–65. In 1966, he was promoted to the rank of Captain.^[3]

He returned to Dartmouth to command a training squadron from 1969–71. In 1968 he was made an Esquire (Esq.St.J. the lowest grade) in the Venerable Order of Saint John.^[4]

Cecil received the acting rank of Commodore in 1971 and was sent to South Africa as a Naval attaché to Cape Town until 1973. He was then a director of the Naval Operational Requirements from 1973–75. On 7 January 1975, he was appointed a Naval aide-de-camp to The Queen.^[5] He left this position on being promoted to Rear Admiral on 7 July 1975.^[6][7] He then became the NATO Commander of the South East Mediterranean and Flag Officer of Malta. In 1977, he was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB).^[8]

Cecil left the island with the last of the British Forces in 1979 and on, 16 June 1979, was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE).^[9] He retired from the navy on 15 September 1979.^[10]

On 9 September 1980, Cecil became Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man,^[11] a post he held for five years. Also in 1980, he was promoted to Knight of the Order of Saint John (K.St.J.).^[12]

Cecil lives with his wife of over forty years, on the Isle of Wight.

References