View source for Martin Charteris, Baron Charteris of Amisfield

{{Short description|British officer and courtier (1913–1999)}}
{{EngvarB|date=November 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix    = [[Lieutenant Colonel]] [[The Right Honourable]]
| name                = The Lord Charteris of Amisfield
| honorific-suffix    = {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|GCB|GCVO|OBE|QSO|PC}}
| image               = Sir Martin Charteris in 1962.jpg
| caption             = Charteris in 1962
| office              = [[Private Secretary to the Sovereign]]
| term_start          = 1 April 1972
| term_end            = 12 November 1977
| monarch             = [[Elizabeth II]]
| 1blankname          = Deputy
| 1namedata           = [[Philip Moore, Baron Moore of Wolvercote|Philip Moore]]
| predecessor         = Sir [[Michael Adeane]]
| successor           = [[Philip Moore, Baron Moore of Wolvercote|Philip Moore]]
| order2              = [[Private Secretary to the Sovereign|Assistant Private Secretary to the Sovereign]]
| term_start2         = 1 January 1954
| term_end2           = 1 April 1972
| monarch2            = Elizabeth II
| 1blankname2         = Private Secretary
| 1namedata2          = Sir [[Alan Lascelles]] (until 1953) <br/> Sir [[Michael Adeane]] (from 1954)
| office3             = [[Member of the House of Lords]]<br>[[Lord Temporal]]
| term_start3         = 7 February 1978
| term_end3           = 23 December 1999<br>[[Life Peerage]]
| birth_date          = {{birth date|1913|9|7|df=y}}
| birth_place         = [[London]], England<ref>''England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837–1915''</ref>
| death_date          = {{death date and age|1999|12|23|1913|9|7|df=y}}
| death_place         = [[Cheltenham]], [[Gloucestershire]], England<ref>''England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916–2007''</ref>
| nationality         = British
| alma_mater          = [[Royal Military College, Sandhurst]]
| spouse              =  Hon. (Mary) Gay Hobart Margesson (m. 1944 - his death)
| module              = {{Infobox military person |embed=yes
   |branch       = [[British Army]]
   |serviceyears = 1933–1951
   |rank         = [[Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant-Colonel]]
   |unit         = [[King's Royal Rifle Corps]]
   |commands     = 
   |battles      = [[Second World War]]
   |awards       = 
  }}
}}

[[Lieutenant-Colonel]] '''Martin Michael Charles Charteris, Baron Charteris of Amisfield''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|GCB|GCVO|OBE|QSO|PC}} (7 September 1913 – 23 December 1999) was a [[British Army]] officer and courtier of Queen [[Elizabeth II]].<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/the_queens_diamond_jubilee/9074791/Her-Majestys-A-Team.html ''Daily Telegraph'' "Her Majesty's A-team"]</ref> Charteris was the longest-serving [[Assistant Private Secretary to the Sovereign]], having served for over 18 years in that position. Later, he became [[Private Secretary to the Sovereign]].

==Early life and education==
Charteris was the second of two sons born to Hugo Francis Charteris, Lord Elcho (1884–1916), and [[Violet Benson (English artist)|Lady Violet Catherine Manners]] (died 1971). His paternal grandparents were [[Hugo Charteris, 11th Earl of Wemyss|the 11th Earl of Wemyss]] and [[Mary Constance Wyndham]], and his maternal grandparents were [[Henry Manners, 8th Duke of Rutland|the 8th Duke of Rutland]] and [[Violet Manners, Duchess of Rutland|Violet Lindsay]]. His father, a barrister, was killed in action in Egypt in the First World War, and his mother remarried in 1922. His brother, [[David Charteris, 12th Earl of Wemyss|David]], succeeded as 12th [[Earl of Wemyss]] following the death of their grandfather in 1937.<ref name="burke">{{cite book |title= [[Burke's Peerage|Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knighthood]]|publisher=Burke's Peerage & Gentry |editor= Mosley, Charles |editor-link=Charles Mosley (genealogist) |edition=107 |year= 2003 |page= 4124 |ref=Burke |isbn=0-9711966-2-1}}</ref>

He was educated at [[Lockers Park School]] in Hertfordshire,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lockerspark.co.uk/about-us/old-boys/famous-old-boys/|title=Distinguished Old Boys Lockers Park}}</ref> [[Eton College|Eton]] and the [[Royal Military College, Sandhurst]], and was commissioned in the [[King's Royal Rifle Corps]]. He fought in the Middle East during the [[Second World War]], rising to the rank of [[lieutenant-colonel]]. On his return, he married the Hon. Mary Margesson (a daughter of the [[David Margesson, 1st Viscount Margesson|1st Viscount Margesson]]) on 16 December 1944 in [[Jerusalem]] and they had three children.<ref name="burke"/><ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0093zzy Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4], 5 April 1991</ref> He retired from the Army in 1951.

==Career==
In 1950, he was appointed Private Secretary to Princess Elizabeth, who was then Duchess of Edinburgh and [[heir presumptive]] to the British throne. From her accession in 1952 until 1972, he served as her Assistant Private Secretary under Sir [[Michael Adeane]]. On Adeane's retirement in 1972, he was promoted to [[Private Secretary to the Sovereign|Private Secretary]]. He held this post until his retirement in 1977 and returned to Eton as its [[Provost of Eton|Provost]]. He was granted the honour of being a [[Lord-in-waiting|Permanent Lord in Waiting]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Tomlinson|first=Richard|title=They also serve, who only ush|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/they-also-serve-who-only-ush-why-is-the-queen-followed-by-people-in-antique-clothes-richard-tomlinson-on-the-lords-ladies-women-masters-silver-sticks-and-white-staves-at-court-1564751.html|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|date=20 December 1992}}</ref>

Charteris was noted for his outspoken interview, given to ''[[The Spectator]]'' in 1995, in which he described the [[Sarah, Duchess of York|Duchess of York]] as "vulgar", the [[Charles, Prince of Wales|then Prince of Wales (now Charles III)]] as "whiny", and the [[Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon|Queen Mother]] as "a bit of an [[ostrich]]", who "doesn't look at" what she "doesn't want to see".<ref name="TheSpectator">{{cite magazine |url= http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/7th-january-1995/14/saying-what-everyone-thinks |title= Saying what everyone thinks |author= Noreen Taylor |magazine= [[The Spectator]] |date= 7 January 1995 }}</ref>

==Honours==
===British honours===
*[[Officer of the Order of the British Empire]] (Military Division) in the [[1946 Birthday Honours]]<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=37598 |date=13 June 1946 |page=2769 |supp=y}}</ref>
*[[Member of the Royal Victorian Order]] in the [[1953 Coronation Honours]]<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=39863 |date=1 June 1953 |page=2947 |supp=y}}</ref>
*[[Companion of the Order of the Bath]] in the [[1958 Birthday Honours]]<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=41404 |date=12 June 1958 |page=3514 |supp=y}}</ref>
* [[Knight Commander]] of the Royal Victorian Order in the [[1962 Birthday Honours]]<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=42683 |date=2 June 1962 |page=4311 |supp=y}}</ref>
*Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the [[1972 Birthday Honours]]<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=45678 |date=3 June 1972 |page=6257 |supp=y}}</ref>
*[[Knight Grand Cross]] of the Royal Victorian Order in the [[1976 New Year Honours]]<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=46777 |date=1 January 1976 |page=4 |supp=y}}</ref>
*Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath 11 August 1977<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=47303 |date=19 August 1977 |page=10753}}</ref>
*Companion of the [[Queen's Service Order]] in the [[1978 New Year Honours]]<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=47420 |date=31 December 1977 |page=42 |supp=y}}</ref>
*Created a [[life peer]] as '''Baron Charteris of Amisfield''', of [[Amisfield, East Lothian|Amisfield]] in the [[East Lothian|District of East Lothian]] on 7 February 1978<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=47459 |date=9 February 1978 |page=1685}}</ref>
*Recipient of the [[Royal Victorian Chain]] 7 July 1992<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=52987 |date=10 July 1992 |page=11675}}</ref>
{{Infobox COA wide
|escutcheon = Quarterly: 1st and 4th Argent a fess Azure within a double tressure flory counterflory Gules (Charteris); 2nd and 3rd Or a lion rampant Gules armed and langued Azure (Wemyss); over all at the fess point a crescent Sable for difference.
|crest = A dexter hand issuant paleways holding between the thumb and forefinger in bend sinister a pair of sculptor's callipers all Proper.
|supporters = Dexter a scribe soberly attired holding in his exterior hand a quill pen Proper, sinister an Officer of the King's Royal Rifle Corps in the uniform worn circa 1904 Proper.
|motto = Ecce Charta Mea <ref>{{cite book|title=Debrett's Peerage |date=1985}}</ref>}}

===Foreign honours===
* {{flagu|Malaysia}}: Honorary Grand Commander of the [[Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia]] (1972)<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.istiadat.gov.my/v8/images/stories/1972.pdf|title=Senarai Penuh Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 1972.}}</ref>
*{{flagu|Austria}}: [[Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria|Grand Decoration of Honour in Silver for Services to the Republic of Austria]] in 1966<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.parlament.gv.at/PAKT/VHG/XXIV/AB/AB_10542/imfname_251156.pdf | title = Reply to a parliamentary question | language = de | page=214 | access-date = 18 October 2012 }}</ref>

==Portrayals==
In the first two seasons of the [[Netflix]] series ''[[The Crown (TV series)|The Crown]]'', Charteris was portrayed by [[Harry Hadden-Paton]]. In seasons 3 and 4, the more mature Charteris was played by [[Charles Edwards (English actor)|Charles Edwards]]. Charteris retired in 1977 as Private Secretary. In ''The Crown'' he was portrayed as holding the office much longer than in reality.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/the_queens_diamond_jubilee/9302771/Perfect-10-the-men-and-women-who-have-shaped-the-Queen.html Grice, Elizabeth. "Perfect 10: The Men and Women Who Have Shaped the Queen"] ''The Daily Telegraph'', 1 June 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
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{{s-court}}
{{succession box | title=[[Private Secretary to the Sovereign]] | before=[[Michael Adeane, Baron Adeane|Sir Michael Adeane]] | after=[[Philip Moore, Baron Moore of Wolvercote|Sir Philip Moore]] | years=1972–1977}}
{{s-aca}}
{{succession box | title=[[Provost of Eton]] | before=[[Harold Caccia, Baron Caccia|The Lord Caccia]] | after=[[Antony Acland|Sir Antony Acland]] | years=1978–1991}}
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{{Grand Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Charteris, Martin Baron Charteris of Amisfield}}
[[Category:1913 births|Charteris of Amisfield]]
[[Category:1999 deaths|Charteris of Amisfield]]
[[Category:Companions of the Queen's Service Order|Charteris of Amisfield]]
[[Category:Crossbench life peers|Charteris of Amisfield]]
[[Category:Grand Officers of the Legion of Honour|Charteris of Amisfield]]
[[Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath|Charteris of Amisfield]]
[[Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order|Charteris of Amisfield]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire|Charteris of Amisfield]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Grand Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria]]
[[Category:Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst|Charteris of Amisfield]]
[[Category:King's Royal Rifle Corps officers|Charteris of Amisfield]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War II|Charteris of Amisfield]]
[[Category:People educated at Eton College]]
[[Category:Provosts of Eton College]]
[[Category:Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom|Amisfield, Martin Charteris]]
[[Category:Permanent Lords-in-Waiting|Amisfield, Martin Charteris]]
[[Category:Private Secretaries to the Sovereign]]
[[Category:Assistant Private Secretaries to the Sovereign]]
[[Category:1975 Australian constitutional crisis]]
[[Category:Honorary grand commanders of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia]]
[[Category:Clan Charteris|Martin]]
[[Category:Life peers created by Elizabeth II]]