Christopher Geidt
Encyclopedia
Sir Christopher Edward Wollaston MacKenzie Geidt, KCVO
, OBE
(born 1961) is currently the Private Secretary
to Queen Elizabeth II
.
Geidt joined the Royal Household
in 2002 after serving with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
and the United Nations
in Sarajevo
, Geneva
, and Brussels
. He was Private Secretary
to Carl Bildt
, the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Balkans
, before taking a sabbatical year at Magdalen College, Oxford
, in 2001. He was appointed Assistant Private Secretary to The Queen in 2002 in succession to Tim Hitchens
who returned to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office following his secondment.
Geidt is a graduate of King's College London
and Trinity Hall, Cambridge
. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1997 for service in Bosnia, Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in June 2007, and was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) in the 2011 Birthday Honours
. He was sworn of the Privy Council in July 2007.
It is traditional that the Sovereign's Private Secretary is a Privy Counsellor, to assist him in supporting Her Majesty in relation to government papers which come before The Queen.
Geidt was Deputy Private Secretary to The Queen
from 2005 until his promotion to Private Secretary on 8 September 2007 after the retirement of his predecessor, Lord Janvrin. Edward Young
has succeeded Christopher Geidt as Deputy Private Secretary.
Geidt's wife is the youngest daughter of Patrick Neill, Baron Neill of Bladen
.
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...
, OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 1961) is currently the Private Secretary
Private Secretary to the Sovereign
The Private Secretary to the Sovereign is the senior operational member of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom, as distinct from the Great Officers of the Household. The Private Secretary is the principal channel of communication with Her Majesty's Government and the...
to Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
.
Geidt joined the Royal Household
Royal Household
A Royal Household in ancient and medieval monarchies formed the basis for the general government of the country as well as providing for the needs of the sovereign and his relations....
in 2002 after serving with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the...
and the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
in Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
, Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, and Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
. He was Private Secretary
Private Secretary
In the United Kingdom government, a Private Secretary is a civil servant in a Department or Ministry, responsible to the Secretary of State or Minister...
to Carl Bildt
Carl Bildt
, Honorary KCMG is a Swedish politician, diplomat and nobleman. Formerly Prime Minister of Sweden from 1991 to 1994 and leader of the liberal conservative Moderate Party from 1986 to 1999, Bildt has served as Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs since 6 October 2006...
, the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
, before taking a sabbatical year at Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
, in 2001. He was appointed Assistant Private Secretary to The Queen in 2002 in succession to Tim Hitchens
Tim Hitchens
Tim Hitchens, LVO is a British diplomat and a former Assistant Private Secretary to the Queen in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom, 1999-2002....
who returned to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office following his secondment.
Geidt is a graduate of King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
and Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the fifth-oldest college of the university, having been founded in 1350 by William Bateman, Bishop of Norwich.- Foundation :...
. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1997 for service in Bosnia, Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in June 2007, and was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) in the 2011 Birthday Honours
2011 Birthday Honours
The Birthday Honours 2011 for the Commonwealth Realms were announced on 7 June 2011 in New Zealand and 11 June 2011 in United Kingdom to celebrate the Queen's Birthday of 2011.-Privy Councillors:...
. He was sworn of the Privy Council in July 2007.
It is traditional that the Sovereign's Private Secretary is a Privy Counsellor, to assist him in supporting Her Majesty in relation to government papers which come before The Queen.
Geidt was Deputy Private Secretary to The Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
from 2005 until his promotion to Private Secretary on 8 September 2007 after the retirement of his predecessor, Lord Janvrin. Edward Young
Edward Young (Royal Household)
Edward Young, LVO is the current Deputy Private Secretary to Queen Elizabeth II. He received his promotion in September 2007 after the promotion of Christopher Geidt from Deputy Private Secretary to Private Secretary, on the retirement of Sir Robin Janvrin, former Private Secretary,...
has succeeded Christopher Geidt as Deputy Private Secretary.
Geidt's wife is the youngest daughter of Patrick Neill, Baron Neill of Bladen
Patrick Neill, Baron Neill of Bladen
Francis Patrick Neill, Baron Neill of Bladen QC is a cross bench member of the House of Lords.Educated at Highgate School and Magdalen College, Oxford, he was Warden of All Souls College, Oxford from 1977 until 1995, where he has been an Honorary Fellow since 1995. He was Vice-Chancellor of Oxford...
.