Henry Abel Smith
Encyclopedia
Colonel
Sir Henry Abel Smith KCMG
KCVO
DSO
(8 March 1900 – 24 January 1993) was a British Army
officer and a Governor of Queensland
.
Abel Smith was commissioned into the Royal Horse Guards
from Sandhurst
in December 1919. He served in World War II
, winning the Distinguished Service Order
. He retired as a Colonel
in 1950.
On 24 October 1931, he married Lady May Cambridge
, at St. Mary's Church, Balcombe
, Sussex
. She was born Princess May of Teck, and was a niece of King George V
and Queen Mary
, and a great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria
. They had three children:
Sir Henry was appointed Governor of Queensland
from 18 March 1958, serving until 18 March 1966. He was highly respected in the office of governor. People lined the streets as a mark of high esteem to farewell him and Lady May Abel Smith on their final day in office on their way to Brisbane Airport.
Sir Henry died at Wellington Lodge, Winkfield
, Berkshire
, on 24 January 1993. His funeral service took place at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle
. His cremated remains were buried at the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore. His wife survived him by only sixteen months.
1961: Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George
(KCMG) 1950: Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
(KCVO) 1945: Companion of the Distinguished Service Order
(DSO) 1958: Knight of Justice of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
(KStJ)
Decorations
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Sir Henry Abel Smith KCMG
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....
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...
DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(8 March 1900 – 24 January 1993) was a British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer and a Governor of Queensland
Governors of Queensland
The Governor of Queensland is the representative in the state of Queensland of the Queen of Australia. The Governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as does the Governor-General of Australia at the national level....
.
Biography
He was born in London, on 8 March 1900, the son of Francis Abel Smith and wife Madeline St. Maur Seymour. His grandparents were Henry Abel-Smith and Elizabeth Mary Pym, and his great-grandparents were Francis Pym and Lady Lucy Leslie-Meville, daughter of Alexander Leslie-Melville, 9th Earl of Leven.Abel Smith was commissioned into the Royal Horse Guards
Royal Horse Guards
The Royal Horse Guards was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry.Founded August 1650 in Newcastle Upon Tyne by Sir Arthur Haselrig on the orders of Oliver Cromwell as the Regiment of Cuirassiers, the regiment became the Earl of Oxford's Regiment during the reign of...
from Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
in December 1919. He served in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, winning the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
. He retired as a Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
in 1950.
On 24 October 1931, he married Lady May Cambridge
Lady May Abel Smith
Lady May Abel Smith born Princess May of Teck was a descendant of the British Royal Family, a great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria. From her birth, she was known as Princess May of Teck, a title in the Kingdom of Württemberg...
, at St. Mary's Church, Balcombe
Balcombe, West Sussex
Balcombe is a village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, England. It lies south of London, north of Brighton, and east northeast of the county town of Chichester. Nearby towns include Crawley to the northwest and Haywards Heath to the south southeast...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
. She was born Princess May of Teck, and was a niece 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....
and Queen Mary
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....
, and a great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
. They had three children:
- Anne Mary Sibylla Abel SmithAnne Liddell-GraingerAnne Mary Sibylla Liddell-Grainger is the mother of British politician Ian Liddell-Grainger and the daughter of Lady May Abel Smith. Her maternal grandparents were Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone and H.R.H.Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone.She was born in Kensington Palace, the...
(born 28 July 1932); she married David Liddell-GraingerDavid Liddell-GraingerDavid Ian Liddell-Grainger KStJ, DL, FSA , a former Scottish politician, was the son of Henry Liddell-Grainger and Lady Muriel Felicia Vere Bertie, daughter of Montague Bertie, 12th Earl of Lindsey....
(26 January 1930 - 12 March 2007) on 14 December 1957; they were divorced in 1981 but have five children and eight grandchildren. Her eldest son is the ConservativeConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Member of ParliamentMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Ian Liddell-Grainger. - Colonel Richard Francis Abel SmithRichard Abel SmithColonel Richard Francis Abel Smith was a British Army officer.He was the son of Colonel Sir Henry Abel Smith and Lady May Abel Smith . He was born at Kensington Palace in London, England. Richard was the second of three children and the only boy...
(11 October 1933–23 December 2004); he married Marcia Kendrew (born 27 March 1940) on 28 April 1960; they have one daughter and four grandchildren. - Elizabeth Alice Abel Smith (born 5 September 1936); she married Peter Wise (born 29 December 1929) on 29 April 1965; they divorced in 1975 and had one daughter who died as an infant from a barbiturate overdose.
Sir Henry was appointed Governor of Queensland
Governors of Queensland
The Governor of Queensland is the representative in the state of Queensland of the Queen of Australia. The Governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as does the Governor-General of Australia at the national level....
from 18 March 1958, serving until 18 March 1966. He was highly respected in the office of governor. People lined the streets as a mark of high esteem to farewell him and Lady May Abel Smith on their final day in office on their way to Brisbane Airport.
Sir Henry died at Wellington Lodge, Winkfield
Winkfield
Winkfield is a village and civil parish in the Bracknell Forest unitary authority of Berkshire, England.-Geography:According to the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 15,271...
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, on 24 January 1993. His funeral service took place at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
. His cremated remains were buried at the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore. His wife survived him by only sixteen months.
Honours
| Ribbon bars of Col. Sir Henry Abel Smith | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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....
(KCMG) 1950: Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
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...
(KCVO) 1945: Companion of the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(DSO) 1958: Knight of Justice of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
(KStJ)
Decorations