Lord Robert Fellowes, Trusted Royal Insider, Dies at 82
Lord Robert Fellowes, a trusted aide to Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana, has died at 82. Married to Lady Jane Spencer, Diana’s sister, he was the uncle of Princes William and Harry and father to three children: Laura, Eleanor, and Alexander.
As the Queen’s private secretary during the 1990s, he helped steer the monarchy through major crises, including Princess Diana’s divorce, the Windsor Castle fire, and other royal separations. He also supported the family in the wake of Diana’s tragic death in 1997 and denied conspiracy claims made by Dodi Fayed’s father, Mohamed Al-Fayed.
Remembered as a wise and principled man, a family member called him “a true gentleman.” Born at the Royal Family’s Sandringham Estate, where his father worked for decades, Lord Fellowes held a deep and lasting connection to the monarchy. Queen Elizabeth once said, “Robert is the only one of my private secretaries I have held in my arms.”