Geoffrey Hardy-Roberts
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Brigadier Brigadier ( ) is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore (rank), commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several t ...
Sir Geoffrey Paul Hardy-Roberts (16 May 1907 – 9 April 1997) was a
British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
officer,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
politician and courtier, who served as
Master of the Household The Master of the Household is the operational head (see Chief operating officer) of the "below stairs" elements of the Royal Households of the United Kingdom. The role has charge of the domestic staff, from the Royal Kitchens, the pages and footm ...
between 1967 and 1973. He was
High Sheriff of Sussex The office of Sheriff of Sussex was established before the Norman Conquest. The Office of sheriff remained first in precedence in the counties until the reign of Edward VII when an Order in Council in 1908 gave the Lord-Lieutenant the prime office ...
in 1965.


Biography

Hardy-Roberts was born Geoffrey Paul Francis Jacques Roberts, the son of Alfred Walter Roberts and Marguerite, the daughter of Paul Nathan who had changed his name to Hardy. Geoffrey changed his surname by
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in 1937. 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 ...
and the
Royal Military College, Sandhurst The Royal Military College (RMC) was a United Kingdom, British military academy for training infantry and cavalry Officer (armed forces), officers of the British Army, British and British Indian Army, Indian Armies. It was founded in 1801 at Gre ...
, before commissioning into the
9th Queen's Royal Lancers The 9th Queen's Royal Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, first raised in 1715. It saw service for three centuries, including the First and Second World Wars. The regiment survived the immediate post-war reduction in forces, ...
in 1926. He initially served in India and was promoted to lieutenant in 1929. In 1933, he returned to the United Kingdom and served as Adjutant of his regiment between 1933 and 1935. He retired from the army with the rank of captain in 1937. On 28 April 1938, he was elected unopposed to the
London County Council The London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today ...
to fill a casual vacancy. He sat as a
Municipal Reform Party The Municipal Reform Party was a local party allied to the parliamentary Conservative Party in the County of London. The party contested elections to both the London County Council and metropolitan borough councils of the county from 1906 to 194 ...
councillor representing Lewisham West and held the seat until elections were resumed after the
Second World War 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 ...
in 1946. Hardy-Roberts' commission was reactivated in 1939 following the outbreak of war. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1941 and that same year was invested as an
Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
. He saw active service in the
Western Desert Campaign The Western Desert campaign (Desert War) took place in the Sahara Desert, deserts of Egypt and Libya and was the main Theater (warfare), theatre in the North African campaign of the Second World War. Military operations began in June 1940 with ...
and the Italian Campaign, before working as Chief of Staff to General Sir Miles Dempsey between 1943 and 1945. In 1944, Hardy-Roberts was appointed a CBE and
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while serving in the North-West Europe Campaign of 1944–1945, and he was made a
Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a caregi ...
in 1945. He also made an Officer of the
Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...
by the United States government. In the
1945 United Kingdom general election The 1945 United Kingdom general election took place on Thursday 5 July 1945. With World War II, the Second World War still fresh in voters’ minds, the opposition Labour Party (UK), Labour Party under the leadership of Clement Attlee won a lan ...
, Hardy Roberts stood as the Conservative candidate in
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, but narrowly lost the usually safe Conservative seat to Arthur Palmer of the Labour Party. Between 1946 and 1967 he worked as Secretary-Superintendent of
Middlesex Hospital Middlesex Hospital was a teaching hospital located in the Fitzrovia area of London, England. First opened as the Middlesex Infirmary in 1745 on Windmill Street, it was moved in 1757 to Mortimer Street where it remained until it was finally clos ...
and was a Justice of the Peace in Sussex. He resigned his commission from the Regular Reserve of Army Officers in 1958 and was granted the rank of brigadier. In 1964, he served as Deputy Lieutenant for
West Sussex West Sussex is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Surrey to the north, East Sussex to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Hampshire to the west. The largest settlement is Cr ...
and he became
High Sheriff of Sussex The office of Sheriff of Sussex was established before the Norman Conquest. The Office of sheriff remained first in precedence in the counties until the reign of Edward VII when an Order in Council in 1908 gave the Lord-Lieutenant the prime office ...
in 1965. In 1967, he was appointed Master of the Household of
Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
, serving in the position until 1973. From 1967 to his death in 1997, Hardy-Roberts was also an 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 ...
to the Queen. He was created a
Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order 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 ...
in 1972.


Honour


Foreign honour

* : Honorary Commander of the
Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia The Most Esteemed Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia () is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country and awarded by the sovereign. The order was instituted on 15 April 1966 and gazetted on 30 June 1966 ...
(P.S.M.) (1972)


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hardy-Roberts, Geoffrey 1907 births 1997 deaths 9th Queen's Royal Lancers officers British Army brigadiers of World War II Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Companions of the Order of the Bath Conservative Party (UK) councillors Conservative Party (UK) parliamentary candidates Deputy lieutenants of Sussex Equerries Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst High sheriffs of Sussex Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Masters of the Household Officers of the Legion of Merit People educated at Eton College Military personnel from London Honorary commanders of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia