Martin Gilliat

Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Martin John Gilliat (8 February 1913 – 27 May 1993) was a British soldier and courtier who served as Private Secretary to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother for 37 years. Gilliat was a German prisoner of war in the Second World War, and was imprisoned in Colditz Castle.

Early life Gilliat was born in Hertfordshire, the son of local landowner Sir John Babington Gilliat and Muriel Grinnell-Milne. Gilliat's parents both came from banking families, his paternal grandfather was John Saunders Gilliat, Governor of the Bank of England from 1883 to 1885. Gilliat was appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 1954 after his assistance during the Australian visit of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh during February 1954.

Queen Elizabeth had been widowed for only three years when Gilliat entered her service at her London residence of Clarence House, his obituary in The Independent credited him with helping her carve out a new role for herself and described his attitude: Like her, he took a genuine interest in the lives and doings of all with whom he came into contact and made them feel that they were important to him. He made no distinction between old and young, rich and poor, high and low, white and coloured. He thought the best of everyone – someone said of him, 'All Martin's geese are swans' – and treated them all alike.

Gilliat and Queen Elizabeth were both passionate about steeplechasing, and he eventually owned horses of his own after encouraging the Queen in the purchase of hers. He invested in theatrical productions, and found success with the 1984 London revival of Me and My Girl.

Death Gilliat died on 27 May 1993, aged 80, after working for the Queen Mother for 37 years. He had been reluctant to leave her service, having worked for her for several months after his diagnosis of cancer despite his ailing health, and he remained in his post until three days before his death. Gilliat was succeeded as the Queen Mother’s private secretary by Alastair Aird. The British royal family later constructed a memorial cairn in the grounds of the Castle of Mey, the Queen Mother's Scottish home, for Gilliat and her friend and lady-in-waiting Ruth Roche, Baroness Fermoy who died in July 1993, a few weeks after Gilliat.

Honours Gilliat appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of his native county of Hertfordshire in 1971, and made an honorary Bencher of the Middle Temple in 1977. The Queen Mother awarded Gilliat an honorary LL.D. at the University of London in 1977.