Arthur Bigge, 1st Baron Stamfordham
| The Right Honourable The Lord Stamfordham GCB, GCVO, GCIE, KCSI, KCMG, ISO, PC, OWL |
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| Private Secretary to the Sovereign | |
| In office 1895–1901 |
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| Monarch | Victoria |
| Preceded by | Sir Henry Ponsonby |
| Succeeded by | Sir Francis Knollys |
| Private Secretary to the Sovereign | |
| In office 1910–1931 |
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| Monarch | George V |
| Preceded by | The Lord Knollys |
| Succeeded by | Sir Clive Wigram |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 18 June 1849 |
| Died | 31 March 1931 (aged 81) |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | Royal Military Academy |
Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur John Bigge, 1st Baron Stamfordham GCB GCVO GCIE KCSI KCMG ISO PC OWL (18 June 1849 – 31 March 1931), was a British soldier and courtier. He was Private Secretary to Queen Victoria during the last few years of her reign, and to King George V during most of his reign. He was the maternal grandfather of Lord Adeane, Private Secretary to Queen Elizabeth II from 1953 to 1972.
Background and education
Bigge was the son of John Frederic Bigge (1814–1885) Vicar of Stamfordham, Northumberland and the grandson of Charles William Bigge (1773–1849) of Benton House, Little Benton, Newcastle on Tyne and Linden Hall, Longhorsley, Northumberland, High Sheriff of Northumberland and a prominent merchant and banker in Newcastle on Tyne. He was educated at Rossall School and the Royal Military Academy and was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1869.[1]
Career
Bigge served in the Zulu War and retired in 1898 with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. He was Private Secretary to Queen Victoria from 1895 to 1901 and to King George V when he was Prince of Wales from 1901[2] and later sovereign from 1910 to 1931.[1] He was sworn of the Privy Council in 1910[3] and elevated to the peerage as Baron Stamfordham, of Stamfordham in the County of Northumberland, in 1911.[4] He exerted considerable influence over King George V,[citation needed] advising the King to change the family name from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor; persuading the King to deny asylum to Tsar Nicholas II and his family, who were thus forced to remain in Russia and who were murdered by the Bolsheviks; and interpreting the King's response Bugger Bognor as assent to the renaming of Bognor as Bognor Regis.[5]
Family
Bigge married Constance Neville (d. 1922) in 1881: they had a son and two daughters.[1] Their only son, John Neville Bigge (b. 1887), was killed in action in 1915.[1][6] A daughter, the Honourable Victoria Eugenie, married Captain Henry Robert Augustus Adeane. She was the mother of Michael Adeane, Baron Adeane, Secretary to Queen Elizabeth II from 1953 to 1972.[7] Lord Stamfordham died, still in office, at St James's Palace on 31 March 1931, aged 81, when the barony became extinct.[1]
Styles
- 1849–1871: Arthur John Bigge
- 1871–1880: Lieutenant Arthur John Bigge
- 1880–1884: Captain Arthur John Bigge
- 1884–1885: Captain Arthur John Bigge, CB
- 1885–1887: Major Arthur John Bigge, CB
- 1887–1893: Major Arthur John Bigge, CB, CMG
- 1893–1895: Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur John Bigge, CB, CMG
- 1895–1901: Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Arthur John Bigge, KCB, CMG
- 1901–1902: Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Arthur John Bigge, GCVO, KCB, CMG
- 1902–1903: Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Arthur John Bigge, GCVO, KCB, KCMG
- 1903–1906: Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Arthur John Bigge, GCVO, KCB, KCMG, ISO
- 1906–1911: Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Arthur John Bigge, GCVO, KCB, KCSI, KCMG, ISO
- 1911–1916: Lieutenant-Colonel the Right Honourable the Lord Stamfordham, GCVO, GCIE, KCB, KCSI, KCMG, ISO
- 1916–1931: Lieutenant-Colonel the Right Honourable the Lord Stamfordham, GCB, GCVO, GCIE, KCSI, KCMG, ISO
Honours
- Knight Commander of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, KCB
- 2 February 1901: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, GCVO[8]
Popular Culture
In the 2003 TV drama The Lost Prince he was portrayed by actor Bill Nighy
References
- ^ a b c d e William M. Kuhn. "Bigge, Arthur John, Baron Stamfordham (1849–1931)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/31883. (subscription or UK public library membership required)
- ^ The London Gazette: no. 27290. p. 1499. 1 March 1901. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
- ^ The London Gazette: no. 28384. p. 4165. 14 June 1910.
- ^ The London Gazette: no. 28512. p. 5168. 11 July 1911.
- ^ Antonia Fraser, ed. (2000). The house of Windsor. A royal history of England. University of California Press. p. 36. ISBN 0-520-22803-0.
- ^ "Heir to Barony killed". The Argus (Melbourne). 26 May 1915. p. 9. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
- ^ thepeerage.com Arthur John Bigge, 1st Baron Stamfordham
- ^ The London Gazette: no. 27285. p. 1145. 15 February 1901. Retrieved 11-10-2012.
| Court offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Henry Ponsonby |
Private Secretary to the Sovereign 1895–1901 |
Succeeded by The Viscount Knollys |
| Preceded by The Viscount Knollys |
Private Secretary to the Sovereign 1910–1931 |
Succeeded by Sir Clive Wigram |
| Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
| New creation | Baron Stamfordham 1911–1931 |
Extinct |
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