Bryan Godfrey-Faussett
Encyclopedia
Captain Sir Bryan Godfrey Godfrey-Faussett GCVO
, CMG
(1863 – 20 September 1945) was a British
naval officer and courtier
. He was a friend of King George V
, whose aide-de-camp
he was.
, was born in Waterford
and educated at Stubbington School. He began his Royal Navy
training aboard HMS Britannia
in 1877, and subsequently became a midshipman
in 1879 and a lieutenant
in 1887. Aside from studies at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich and the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth
from 1883 to 1884, he was at sea for much of this time in both home and foreign waters. Shortly after his promotion to lieutenant, he transferred to HMS Dolphin
, but contracted a serious fever and was sent home from Port Said
. He returned to the West Indies in 1889, after a year's convalescence, aboard HMS Bellerophon
.
. His naval career continued, briefly serving as an instructor on HMS Britannia, and including a posting to HMS Osborne, the royal yacht, from 1896 until 1897. He was promoted commander
on 13 July 1899, but was soon after to be attached to Prince George's entourage again.
Godfrey-Faussett again served as aide-de-camp to the prince, now the Duke of York
, during his tour of the British Empire from 1900–1901. Upon George's accession as Prince of Wales
in 1901, Godfrey-Faussett was made his Equerry
-in-Ordinary, and would accompany the Prince and Princess
on their visit to India from 1905–1906. In the latter year, he was promoted captain
, made an MVO
on 11 March 1906, and retired from active service on 31 October 1906 to attend the Prince.
In 1907, he married Eugénie Fanny Eveline Dudley Ward, by whom he would have two sons: George Bryan (b. 1909) and David Frederick (b. 1913). Prince George and his wife were the godparents of the former, and their son Edward
, then Prince of Wales, was the godfather of the latter, indicating Godfrey-Faussett's intimacy with the royal family. On 11 August 1908, he was made a CMG
. Upon George's accession as George V, Godfrey-Faussett was made an Equerry-in-Ordinary to the King, travelled to India with the royal pair for their Delhi Durbar
. On 19 June 1911, he was promoted a CVO
.
Department in 1917. This period brought him into contact with Admiral Beatty
, made First Sea Lord
in 1916 after the Battle of Jutland
. Unfortunately, Beatty's marriage was failing disastrously at the time, and the result was to be a decade-long love affair between Beatty and Eugénie. After the war, in 1919, he was promoted KCVO
.
Godfrey-Faussett continued to serve as Equerry-in-Ordinary to King George until the monarch's death in 1936, receiving a promotion on 1 January 1932 to GCVO
. During the reign of Edward VIII
, he left his post as Equerry-in-Ordinary to become an Extra Equerry, on 21 July 1936. He would remain an Extra Equerry to Edward VIII and George VI
until his death in 1945.
During the First World War
, he served in HMS Thistle, 1914, and acted as Naval Equerry to King George V, 1915-18. He also worked for a short period in the Paravane Department of the Admiralty, 1917. He continued as Equerry-in-Ordinary to King George V and King Edward VIII and as Extra Equerry to King George VI until his death on 20 September 1945. He was survived by his elder son George; his younger son, David, one of the Swordfish
pilots who attacked the Bismarck
, was killed in 1942 when he flew into the sea during a night flight.
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, CMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(1863 – 20 September 1945) was a British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
naval officer and courtier
Courtier
A courtier is a person who is often in attendance at the court of a king or other royal personage. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together...
. He was a friend of King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
, whose aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
he was.
Early life and naval career
Godfrey-Faussett, a descendant of the archaeologist Rev. Bryan FaussettBryan Faussett
Bryan Faussett , was an English antiquary.Faussett was born on 30 October 1720 at Heppington, near Canterbury, was the eldest of the thirteen children of Bryan Faussett of Staplehurst, Kent, by his wife Mary, daughter of Henry Godfrey of Heppington and Lydd...
, was born in Waterford
Waterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
and educated at Stubbington School. He began his Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
training aboard HMS Britannia
HMS Prince of Wales (1860)
HMS Prince of Wales was one of six 121-gun screw-propelled first-rate three-decker line-of-battle ships of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 25 January 1860...
in 1877, and subsequently became a midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
in 1879 and a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in 1887. Aside from studies at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich and the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth
Britannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College is the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy, located on a hill overlooking Dartmouth, Devon, England. While Royal Naval officer training has taken place in the town since 1863, the buildings which are seen today were only finished in 1905, and...
from 1883 to 1884, he was at sea for much of this time in both home and foreign waters. Shortly after his promotion to lieutenant, he transferred to HMS Dolphin
HMS Dolphin
Numerous Royal Navy vessels have been named HMS Dolphin after the dolphin.* The first seven Dolphins were small ketches and fireships., launched in 1731, was a 20-gun post ship, renamed Firebrand in 1755 and Penguin in 1757., launched in 1751, was a 24-gun post ship...
, but contracted a serious fever and was sent home from Port Said
Port Said
Port Said is a city that lies in north east Egypt extending about 30 km along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal, with an approximate population of 603,787...
. He returned to the West Indies in 1889, after a year's convalescence, aboard HMS Bellerophon
HMS Bellerophon (1865)
HMS Bellerophon was a central battery ironclad built for the Royal Navy in the mid-1860s.-Design and description:In this ship, designed by Sir Edward Reed, the power-to-weight ratio was increased; the long rows of guns on the broadside were replaced by a small number of guns, centrally placed, of...
.
Association with George V
In 1890, Godfrey-Faussett acted as unofficial aide-de-camp to the then Prince George of Wales, at the time still on active service with the Navy, during a visit to CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. His naval career continued, briefly serving as an instructor on HMS Britannia, and including a posting to HMS Osborne, the royal yacht, from 1896 until 1897. He was promoted commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
on 13 July 1899, but was soon after to be attached to Prince George's entourage again.
Godfrey-Faussett again served as aide-de-camp to the prince, now the Duke of York
Duke of York
The Duke of York is a title of nobility in the British peerage. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of the British monarch. The title has been created a remarkable eleven times, eight as "Duke of York" and three as the double-barreled "Duke of York and...
, during his tour of the British Empire from 1900–1901. Upon George's accession as Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
in 1901, Godfrey-Faussett was made his Equerry
Equerry
An equerry , and related to the French word "écuyer" ) 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 attendant, usually upon a Sovereign, a member of a Royal Family, or a national...
-in-Ordinary, and would accompany the Prince and Princess
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
on their visit to India from 1905–1906. In the latter year, he was promoted captain
Captain (Royal Navy)
Captain is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy. It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. The rank of Group Captain is based on the...
, made an MVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
on 11 March 1906, and retired from active service on 31 October 1906 to attend the Prince.
In 1907, he married Eugénie Fanny Eveline Dudley Ward, by whom he would have two sons: George Bryan (b. 1909) and David Frederick (b. 1913). Prince George and his wife were the godparents of the former, and their son Edward
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
, then Prince of Wales, was the godfather of the latter, indicating Godfrey-Faussett's intimacy with the royal family. On 11 August 1908, he was made a CMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
. Upon George's accession as George V, Godfrey-Faussett was made an Equerry-in-Ordinary to the King, travelled to India with the royal pair for their Delhi Durbar
Delhi Durbar
The Delhi Durbar , meaning "Court of Delhi", was a mass assembly at Coronation Park, Delhi, India, to mark the coronation of a King and Queen of the United Kingdom. Also known as the Imperial Durbar, it was held three times, in 1877, 1903, and 1911, at the height of the British Empire. The 1911...
. On 19 June 1911, he was promoted a CVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
.
First World War and after
During the First World War, Godfrey-Faussett returned to active service aboard HMS Thistle in 1914, and served as naval aide-de-camp to the King from 1915 until 1918, as well as a brief stint in the ParavaneParavane
Paravane may refer to:* Operation Paravane, a World War II operation* Paravane , a towed winged underwater object* Paravane , a towed underwater minesweeping device...
Department in 1917. This period brought him into contact with Admiral Beatty
David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty
Admiral of the Fleet David Richard Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty, GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO was an admiral in the Royal Navy...
, made First Sea Lord
First Sea Lord
The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service; it was formerly known as First Naval Lord. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff, and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS...
in 1916 after the Battle of Jutland
Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...
. Unfortunately, Beatty's marriage was failing disastrously at the time, and the result was to be a decade-long love affair between Beatty and Eugénie. After the war, in 1919, he was promoted KCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
.
Godfrey-Faussett continued to serve as Equerry-in-Ordinary to King George until the monarch's death in 1936, receiving a promotion on 1 January 1932 to GCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
. During the reign of Edward VIII
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
, he left his post as Equerry-in-Ordinary to become an Extra Equerry, on 21 July 1936. He would remain an Extra Equerry to Edward VIII and George VI
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
until his death in 1945.
During the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he served in HMS Thistle, 1914, and acted as Naval Equerry to King George V, 1915-18. He also worked for a short period in the Paravane Department of the Admiralty, 1917. He continued as Equerry-in-Ordinary to King George V and King Edward VIII and as Extra Equerry to King George VI until his death on 20 September 1945. He was survived by his elder son George; his younger son, David, one of the Swordfish
Fairey Swordfish
The Fairey Swordfish was a torpedo bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company and used by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during the Second World War...
pilots who attacked the Bismarck
German battleship Bismarck
Bismarck was the first of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, the primary force behind the German unification in 1871, the ship was laid down at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg in July 1936 and launched nearly three years later...
, was killed in 1942 when he flew into the sea during a night flight.