Arthur Davidson (equerry)
Encyclopedia
Colonel Sir Arthur Davidson GCVO
KCB
(12 November 1856–16 October 1922) was a British
soldier and courtier
.
Davidson was born in Shooter's Hill
, Kent
, and grew up in Welwyn
, Hertfordshire
. He was educated at Henley Grammar School and Bute House School, Petersham
. In September 1875 he was commissioned Sub-Lieutenant
in the 4th Foot, but a year later transferred to the 60th Rifles and was posted to the 2nd Battalion in India
. Soon afterwards he was promoted Lieutenant
. He took part in the Second Afghan War in 1878–1880 and was appointed ADC
to Lieutenant-General Sir Donald Stewart, and later to Major-General Ross. He served in the Boer War
in 1881 and fought at the Battle of Tel-el-Kebir in 1882. In 1883 he was appointed Assistant Inspector of Army Signalling at Aldershot
, a position he held until 1889, with the temporary rank of Captain
. In 1885 he was promoted substantive Captain and a month later promoted Brevet
Major
in belated recognition of his services in Afghanistan five years earlier. He took part in the Bechuanaland expedition of 1885.
In 1890 Davidson was appointed ADC to Field Marshal The Duke of Cambridge
. He was promoted substantive Major in 1893 and Lieutenant-Colonel in 1895, and on the duke's resignation as Commander-in-Chief
later the same year entered the Royal Household
as Groom in Waiting
in Ordinary to the Queen
. He was promoted to Equerry
in Ordinary in January 1896, and continued to hold the position when King Edward VII
acceded to the throne in 1901. He was appointed Member of the Royal Victorian Order 4th Class
(MVO) in 1896, Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in 1901, and Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in 1902. He was promoted Brevet Colonel
in 1902 and retired from the Army later the same year. He later became Assistant Keeper of the Privy Purse
and Assistant Private Secretary to the King, while also remaining an Equerry. In 1906 he was appointed Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO). On Edward's death in 1910 he was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the Accession Honours and then appointed Extra Equerry to the King
and Equerry to Queen Alexandra
, holding both positions until his death at Sandringham
. He was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) in the 1921 Birthday Honours.
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
KCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(12 November 1856–16 October 1922) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
soldier and courtier
Courtier
A courtier is a person who is often in attendance at the court of a king or other royal personage. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together...
.
Davidson was born in Shooter's Hill
Shooter's Hill
Shooter's Hill is a district and electoral ward in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. It lies east of Blackheath and west of Welling, south of Woolwich and north of Eltham...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, and grew up in Welwyn
Welwyn
Welwyn is a village and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England. The parish also includes the villages of Digswell and Oaklands. It is sometimes called Old Welwyn to distinguish it from the newer settlement of Welwyn Garden City, about a mile to the south.-History:Situated in the valley of the...
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
. He was educated at Henley Grammar School and Bute House School, Petersham
Petersham
Petersham is a place in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames on the east of the bend in the River Thames south of Richmond, which it shares with neighbouring Ham. It provides the foreground of the scenic view from Richmond Hill across Petersham Meadows, with Ham House further along the River...
. In September 1875 he was commissioned Sub-Lieutenant
Sub-Lieutenant
Sub-lieutenant is a military rank. It is normally a junior officer rank.In many navies, a sub-lieutenant is a naval commissioned or subordinate officer, ranking below a lieutenant. In the Royal Navy the rank of sub-lieutenant is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant in the British Army and of...
in the 4th Foot, but a year later transferred to the 60th Rifles and was posted to the 2nd Battalion in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Soon afterwards he was promoted Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
. He took part in the Second Afghan War in 1878–1880 and was appointed ADC
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to Lieutenant-General Sir Donald Stewart, and later to Major-General Ross. He served in the Boer War
First Boer War
The First Boer War also known as the First Anglo-Boer War or the Transvaal War, was fought from 16 December 1880 until 23 March 1881-1877 annexation:...
in 1881 and fought at the Battle of Tel-el-Kebir in 1882. In 1883 he was appointed Assistant Inspector of Army Signalling at Aldershot
Aldershot
Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
, a position he held until 1889, with the temporary rank of Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
. In 1885 he was promoted substantive Captain and a month later promoted Brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in belated recognition of his services in Afghanistan five years earlier. He took part in the Bechuanaland expedition of 1885.
In 1890 Davidson was appointed ADC to Field Marshal The Duke of Cambridge
Prince George, Duke of Cambridge
Prince George, Duke of Cambridge was a member of the British Royal Family, a male-line grandson of King George III. The Duke was an army officer and served as commander-in-chief of the British Army from 1856 to 1895...
. He was promoted substantive Major in 1893 and Lieutenant-Colonel in 1895, and on the duke's resignation as Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief of the Forces
The Commander-in-Chief of the Forces, or just the Commander-in-Chief , was the professional head of the British Army from 1660 until 1904, when the office was replaced by the Chief of the General Staff, soon to become Chief of the Imperial General Staff . From 1870, the C-in-C was subordinate to...
later the same year entered the Royal Household
Royal Household
A Royal Household in ancient and medieval monarchies formed the basis for the general government of the country as well as providing for the needs of the sovereign and his relations....
as Groom in Waiting
Groom in Waiting
The office of Groom in Waiting was a post in the Royal Household of the United Kingdom, which in earlier times was usually held by more than one person at a time – in the late Middle Ages there might be dozens of persons with the rank...
in Ordinary to the Queen
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
. He was promoted to Equerry
Equerry
An equerry , and related to the French word "écuyer" ) is an officer of honour. Historically, it was a senior attendant with responsibilities for the horses of a person of rank. In contemporary use, it is a personal attendant, usually upon a Sovereign, a member of a Royal Family, or a national...
in Ordinary in January 1896, and continued to hold the position when King Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
acceded to the throne in 1901. He was appointed Member of the Royal Victorian Order 4th Class
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
(MVO) in 1896, Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in 1901, and Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in 1902. He was promoted Brevet Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
in 1902 and retired from the Army later the same year. He later became Assistant Keeper of the Privy Purse
Keeper of the Privy Purse
The Keeper of the Privy Purse and Treasurer to the King/Queen is responsible for the financial management of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom....
and Assistant Private Secretary to the King, while also remaining an Equerry. In 1906 he was appointed Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO). On Edward's death in 1910 he was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the Accession Honours and then appointed Extra Equerry to the King
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
and Equerry to Queen Alexandra
Alexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark was the wife of Edward VII of the United Kingdom...
, holding both positions until his death at Sandringham
Sandringham
Sandringham can refer to:Places*Sandringham, Johannesburg, a suburb of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa*Sandringham, Norfolk, a village in Norfolk, England*Sandringham House in the aforementioned village, owned by the British Royal Family...
. He was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) in the 1921 Birthday Honours.