Eric Miéville

Sir Eric Charles Miéville GCIE KCVO CSI CMG (31 January 1896 - 16 September 1971) was a senior British civil servant who served as Assistant Private Secretary to George VI from 1937 to 1945, and who also served as Private Secretary to several Governors-General of India and Canada.

Early life and career

Eric Charles Miéville was born in Acton, London, England, the youngest son of Charles Ernest Mieville (1858–1940), a stockbroker and estate agent and Alice Huleat Garcia Bampfield (1864–1934).^[1] He was educated at St. Paul's School, and joined the Far Eastern Consular Service in 1919 as a student interpreter of Chinese. From 1920 to 1927, he served as a private secretary and local vice-consul to the British Minister in Peking (Beijing).

Canada and India

In 1927, Miéville was appointed secretary to the Governor General of Canada, Freeman Freeman-Thomas, the Lord Willingdon, in which capacity he served until the end of Lord Willingdon's tenure in 1931; he was appointed a CMG in the 1930 New Year Honours list for his services.^[2] Subsequently, he accompanied Freeman-Thomas to India upon his appointment as Governor-General of India and continued to serve as his secretary until the latter's retirement in 1936. For his service as private secretary to the Viceroy, Mieville was appointed a CSI in 1933,^[3] and knighted with the KCIE in 1936. From 1935 to 1936, he concurrently served as secretary on the Viceroy's Executive Council.

Assistant Private Secretary to the King

On 20 July 1936, Mieville was appointed Assistant Private Secretary to the Duke of York.^[4] Following the abdication of Edward VIII, he continued his service to the now-George VI until 1945. He was appointed a KCVO in the 1943 Birthday Honours list.^[5]

India again and later life

In 1946, Mieville was appointed the private secretary to the last Viceroy of India, Lord Mountbatten, and played a minor role in the preparations leading up to Indian independence. He was promoted to a Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (GCIE) in 1947, becoming one of the final recipients of the order.^[6]

He died on 16 September 1971, aged 75.

References

Who's Who, 1970, 1971