Christopher Trevor-Roberts
Encyclopedia
Christopher Trevor-Roberts (died 5 May 2005, aged 77) was a teacher who taught all four children of Queen Elizabeth II
.
Christopher Trevor-Roberts is credited with helping Prince Charles overcome his aversion to mathematics. His methods were unconventional, and included teaching children in local restaurants and keeping chickens.
He was born in North Wales and educated at Bromsgrove School
. Though he initially trained as an opera
singer "TR", as he was known, set up his first school in the early 1960s in his house in the Vale of Health in Hampstead
. As the house dining room was not large enough to accommodate the 20 pupils at the school, he regularly led the children to Hampstead's Moonlight Chinese restaurant where they ate from one of the set menus.
When Sir Martin Charteris
, the Queen's then private secretary, heard of TR's abilities he summoned him to Buckingham Palace
to coach Prince Charles. Trevor-Roberts went on to teach Princess Anne
, Prince Andrew
, Prince Edward
and the children of Princess Margaret
.
Several other famous people sent their children to him, including musicians such as Sir George Solti
and Lulu
.
The preparatory school
he founded in London
is now run by his son and daughter, and has been described by the Good Schools Guide as a "Small, family-run school with an individualistic ethos."
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
.
Christopher Trevor-Roberts is credited with helping Prince Charles overcome his aversion to mathematics. His methods were unconventional, and included teaching children in local restaurants and keeping chickens.
He was born in North Wales and educated at Bromsgrove School
Bromsgrove School
Bromsgrove School, founded in 1553, is a co-educational independent school in the Worcestershire town of Bromsgrove, England. The school has a long history and many notable former pupils.-History:...
. Though he initially trained as an opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
singer "TR", as he was known, set up his first school in the early 1960s in his house in the Vale of Health in Hampstead
Hampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
. As the house dining room was not large enough to accommodate the 20 pupils at the school, he regularly led the children to Hampstead's Moonlight Chinese restaurant where they ate from one of the set menus.
When Sir Martin Charteris
Martin Charteris, Baron Charteris of Amisfield
Martin Michael Charles Charteris, Baron Charteris of Amisfield, GCB, GCVO, OBE, QSO, PC was a courtier of Queen Elizabeth II....
, the Queen's then private secretary, heard of TR's abilities he summoned him to Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
to coach Prince Charles. Trevor-Roberts went on to teach Princess Anne
Anne, Princess Royal
Princess Anne, Princess Royal , is the only daughter of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
, Prince Andrew
Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Prince Andrew, Duke of York KG GCVO , is the second son, and third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
, Prince Edward
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex KG GCVO is the third son and fourth child of Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh...
and the children of Princess Margaret
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon was the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II and the younger daughter of King George VI....
.
Several other famous people sent their children to him, including musicians such as Sir George Solti
Georg Solti
Sir Georg Solti, KBE, was a Hungarian-British orchestral and operatic conductor. He was a major classical recording artist, holding the record for having received the most Grammy Awards, having personally won 31 as a conductor, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition to his...
and Lulu
Lulu (singer)
Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, OBE , best known by her stage name Lulu, is a Scottish singer, actress, and television personality who has been successful in the entertainment business from the 1960s through to the present day...
.
The preparatory school
Preparatory school (UK)
In English language usage in the former British Empire, the present-day Commonwealth, a preparatory school is an independent school preparing children up to the age of eleven or thirteen for entry into fee-paying, secondary independent schools, some of which are known as public schools...
he founded in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
is now run by his son and daughter, and has been described by the Good Schools Guide as a "Small, family-run school with an individualistic ethos."