Christopher Geidt
 Lord Geidt    | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Christopher Edward Wollaston MacKenzie Geidt August 1961 |
| Alma mater | King's College London, Trinity Hall (Cambridge) |
Christopher Geidt, Baron Geidt is a member of the House of Lords and is the former Private Secretary to Queen Elizabeth II (2007 to 2017).[1] Having spent a decade as the Queen's Private Secretary, he was ousted from his position in 2017 after complaints by both the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York.[2] According to The Times, Geidt's departure resulted from a power struggle between Buckingham Palace and Clarence House, which sought to make Prince Charles ‘king in waiting’.[3]
Contents
Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests
On 28 April 2021, Lord Geidt was appointed by Boris Johnson as the new Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests[4] in succession to Sir Alex Allan who resigned in November 2020, after the PM overruled him over a report into alleged bullying by Priti Patel.[5]
Background
An Army Scholar, Christopher Geidt enlisted in the Scots Guards and attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He was later commissioned in the Intelligence Corps.
In 1987, Geidt joined the staff of the Royal United Services Institute for Defence Studies, becoming an Assistant Director. From 1994 he worked for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in diplomatic posts in Sarajevo, Geneva and Brussels.
Cambodia
In 1991, Geidt and Anthony de Normann sued the journalist John Pilger and Central Television over the documentary Cambodia: The Betrayal in which they were accused of being members of the SAS secretly engaged in the training of the Khmer Rouge. Geidt and de Normann accepted ‘very substantial’ damages and all costs.[6] In a related libel action Ann Clwyd MP, then Shadow Minister for Overseas Development, issued a public apology to Geidt and de Normann and agreed to meet all legal costs.[7]
Bosnia
During and after the war in Bosnia (1992–1995), Geidt was deployed to liaise with the Bosnian Serb leadership, including Radovan Karadžić, Momčilo Krajišnik and General Ratko Mladić, all later indicted for war crimes.[8][9][10] He assisted the High Representative, Carl Bildt, in negotiating with Serbian President Slobodan Milošević for the removal of Karadžić from the Presidency of the Bosnian Serb ‘Republic’ in 1996.[11]
References
- ↑ "Just who is Lord Geidt and why is he on our list of New Year's honours?"
- ↑ "The Queen’s ousted Private Secretary becomes a Lord and receives his 3rd knighthood"
- ↑ "Queen’s aide Sir Christopher Geidt ousted in palace power struggle"
- ↑ "The Rt Hon Lord Geidt appointed as Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests"
- ↑ "Boris Johnson appoints new ministerial standards adviser amid Downing St flat row"
- ↑ "The Lie is Indeed Breathtaking Mr Pilger, But Who Told It"
- ↑ Reported by The Times on 6 July 1991.
- ↑ "The Modern Yugoslav Conflict 1991–1995: Perception, Deception and Dishonesty"
- ↑ Carl Bildt, Peace Journey, p. 29.
- ↑ "Key Figures of the Cases | International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia"
- ↑ Carl Bildt, Peace Journey, p. 220.
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