COLL P 15

Reference code

COLL P 15

Title

Papers of Provost Charteris, 1977 - 1991

Level

Series

Administrative / Biographical history

Martin Charteris was the 2nd son of Lord Elcho, heir to the Earl of Wemyss, who was killed in action in 1916. He was educated at Eton (1926.3 - 1931.1), where his house masters were Henry Marten and Julian Lambart, and the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, joining the KRRC in 1933. By 1944 he was a Lieutenant-Colonel, and he served with distinction in Palestine. In 1950 he became Private Secretary to Princess Elizabeth, and on her accession was appointed her Assistant Private Secretary, a role he filled for 20 years before being appointed Private Secretary and Keeper of Her Majesty's Archives in 1972. He was created KCVO in 1962 and KCB in 1972, and in 1978 was made a life peer. From 1980 - 1992 he was Chairman of the Trustees of the National Heritage Memorial Fund and from 1979 - 1989 a Trustee of the British Museum. His interests and contacts in the field were of great assistance in raising the standard of care of the College's collections, and it was also due to his initiative that the custom of leaving portraits was revived, with the College rather than the individual commissioning the work. He was also much involved with the creation of the Museum of Eton Life. Other aspects of College life were not neglected, the conversion of the redundant parish church into a sanatorium being a notable example, and he presided with enormous delight over the celebrations of Eton's 550th anniversary and the royal visits made to the College on that occasion. His performances in Beak plays were legendary. He did a great deal for relations with the town of Eton, where he is commemorated by the Charteris Day Centre for old people. The Charteris Rooms at Eton, providing a venue for small scale official entertaining, are named for him. He was a notable sculptor and the fireback in the Seminar Room in College Library is his work.