The Lord Fellowes, GCB, GCVO, QSO, PC 11 December 1941 - 29 July 2024
It was with great sadness that we heard the news of the death of Robert Fellowes who became a Trustee in 2000 and was Chair of the Fellowship between 2010 and 2015.
We remain indebted to his huge contribution to the Fellowship during his tenure. Fellows who met Robert will remember his great belief in the power of the Fellowship. He was instrumental in developing our focus on prison reform. In addition, under his Chairmanship, a strategic review at our 50th Anniversary identified the opportunities in developing additional grants and support for Fellows’ UK activities. This remains, alongside the Fellowships themselves, an increasingly important aspect of our current activities.
Robert Fellowes served as Private Secretary to Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for over 20 years, of which he was Principal Private Secretary throughout the 1990s, when he was a key advisor at a time of significant change. Prior to the Royal Household, Robert had served in the Scots Guards followed by a career in banking. He also went on to serve in various roles, including Chair of the Prison Reform Trust and Barclays Private Bank. After retiring from royal duties in 1999, he was made a life peer and sat in the House of Lords as a crossbencher.
Julia Weston, Chief Executive, said: “It was an absolute privilege to have worked with Robert during his time at the Churchill Fellowship. He was a skilled Chair, highly principled, open minded and fair with a great sense of humour. He always said during the interview process and whenever he met Fellows, how humbled he felt at their achievements and commitment to their work. Even after he retired from the board in 2015, he continued to retain his interest in the Fellowship and regularly kept in touch and attended events.
I know Churchill Fellows will want to join me in sending our condolences to Robert’s family and friends.”