Sir Brian Henry McGrath,

GCVO The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the m ...

, MW (27 October 1925 – 4 June 2016) was the Private Secretary to the

Duke of Edinburgh Duke of Edinburgh, named after the capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh, is a substantive title that has been created four times since 1726 for members of the British royal family. It does not include any territorial landholdings and does not pr ...

. He was educated at

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

. From 1943 to 1946, he served in the

Irish Guards The Irish Guards (IG) is one of the Foot guards#United Kingdom, Foot Guards regiments of the British Army and is part of the Guards Division. Together with the Royal Irish Regiment (1992), Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of the two Irish infant ...

, and after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he joined Cannon Brewery from 1946 to 1948. In 1948, he went to Victoria Wine Ltd, of which he became a director in 1949, and was chairman from 1960 to 1982. He was a Master of Wine. McGrath also held various directorships, including Grants of St James Ltd 1960 (chairman 1975–1982), Allied Breweries Ltd (now Allied-Lyon Plc) 1970–1982, and Broad Street Securities Ltd (chairman 1983–1991). In 1982 he joined the

Office of the Duke of Edinburgh The Royal Households of the United Kingdom are the collective departments that support members of the British royal family. Many members of the royal family who undertake public duties have separate households. They vary considerably in size, f ...

as Assistant Private Secretary, being promoted to Private Secretary and Treasurer in 1984. In 1992 he ceased to be Private Secretary, and from 1993 to 1995 was Head of the Household. He retired as Treasurer in 1995, and in the following year was appointed Extra

Equerry An equerry (; from French language, French 'stable', and related to 'squire') is an officer of honour. Historically, it was a senior attendant with responsibilities for the horses of a person of rank. In contemporary use, it is a personal attend ...

. He died on 4 June 2016, aged 90.

Honours

McGrath was made a CVO in 1988, and advanced to KCVO in 1993, and

in 2001. He was a Younger Brother of the Corporation of

Trinity House The Corporation of Trinity House of Deptford Strond, also known as Trinity House (and formally as The Master, Wardens and Assistants of the Guild Fraternity or Brotherhood of the most glorious and undivided Trinity and of St Clement in the ...

from 1993.

References

1925 births 2016 deaths Equerries Irish Guards officers British Army personnel of World War II People educated at Eton College Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Masters of Wine Members of Trinity House {{wine-bio-stub