Richard Colville first worked at Buckingham Palace in 1947 as press secretary to King George VI and dedicated more than 20 years to royal service.
However, the former Royal Navy commander had no experience with journalists, and it showed.
He treated the media “with a mixture of intolerance, contempt and disdain,” Valentine Low wrote in his book Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown.
Colville, whom journalists even nicknamed “The Incredible Nobody,” was Queen Elizabeth II’s first press secretary after her rise to power in 1952 and served until his retirement in 1968.
Martin Charteris, the Queen’s deputy private secretary, referred to Colville as “an anti-press secretary,” said Robert Lacey in his 2002 book, Royal: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
During the Queen’s tour of Australia in 1954, Colville harshly addressed a royal fight witnessed by the press.
Prince Philip was seen running away as the Queen shouted at him angrily.
Filmmaker Loch Townsend was making a documentary about the trip and recalled how Colville told the photographers to turn off their cameras and hand him any film taken.
Richard Colville first worked at Buckingham Palace in 1947 as press secretary to King George VI and spent more than 20 years in that role.
Colville accompanies 11-year-old Prince Charles on his return to school after Christmas 1959.
Afterwards, the Queen sheepishly thanked them for cooperating.
In another case, about two years later, rumors began to circulate that Prince Philip had been involved with another woman.
Colville publicly denied the tales, although this only fueled the stories further.
Philip was on a long voyage with courtier and Royal Navy friend Michael Parker through the Commonwealth territories and was said to be “deeply hurt” by the rumours, Seward wrote.
At the same time, news broke that Parker’s wife was suing him for divorce and he flew back to resign.
However, Sarah Bradford wrote how Colville greeted Parker at the airport in her biography, Elizabeth.
Colville is said to have told him: “Hello Parker, I just came to tell you that from now on you’re on your own.”
Colville, right, with Harold Evans, press secretary to Prime Minister Harold MacMillan, 1959
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip attended a garden party during their tour of Australia in 1954.
Prince Philip, right, with his private secretary, Lieutenant Commander Michael Parker, in Gibraltar in 1957.
During her two decades of service, she also worked closely with her younger royal wards, even taking 11-year-old Prince Charles back to school after the Christmas holidays in 1959.
The Daily Mail reported at the time how they boarded the 6pm train from London with other schoolchildren.
When Colville retired at age 60 in 1967, the Daily Mail described him as an “energetic and efficient man who tends to address callers by their surnames as if they were so many second lieutenants.”
He recalled his time working with royalty and said: “Of course I’ve had some brilliant moments.”
“There was the fairytale wedding, then the arrival of the children, and then the fairytale coronation.”
The newspaper reported how he traveled more than 400,000 kilometers with the Queen and Prince Philip.
Colville, who was knighted in 1965, also rejected any suggestion that he give publishers his memoirs. He said: ‘Never. In capital letters: NO.’
His former assistant, William Heseltine, took over his position. Colville died at age 67 in 1975.
