The Crown Wiki
Advertisement
The Crown Wiki

Martin Charteris, Baron Charteris of Amisfield GCB GCVO OBE QSO PC is a recurring character on Netflix series The Crown. He is played by Harry Hadden-Paton and Charles Edwards. Charteris was the longest-serving Assistant Private Secretary to the Sovereign, serving for over 18 years in that position from 1954 to 1972. He later became Private Secretary to the Sovereign, serving for 5 years from 1972 to 1977.

Biography[]

Charteris was born on September 7, 1913, the child of Hugo Francis Charteris and Lady Violet Catherine Manners. He was educated at Lockers Park School in Hertfordshire and Eton College. He later attended and graduated from the officer school at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. Prior to joining the Royal Household Charteris served in the King's Royal Rifle Corps in the Middle East during the Second World War, eventually reaching the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. In 1950, he was made Private Secretary to then-Princess Elizabeth and retired from the army a year later. In 1954 he was made Assistant Private Secretary to the Sovereign upon Elizabeth's accession under Michael Adeane, a post he held until he was made the Queen's Private secretary in 1972, serving in that capacity for 5 years until his retirement in 1977. Upon his retirement he was made a Life Peer, Baron Charteris of Amisfield and became the Provost of Eton College. He was also made a permanent Lord-in-Waiting. He was succeeded by Sir Philip Moore as the Private Secretary to the Sovereign. He passed away on December 23, 1999, at the age of 86.

In the Show[]

Season 1[]

Martin first appears in Wolferton Splash as Princess Elizabeth's private secretary while she and her husband are stationed in Malta.

Trivia & Behind the Scenes[]

  • Season 4 depicts Charteris holding the office of Private Secretary into the 1980s, much longer than in reality as Charteris retired in 1977. The actual Private secretaries who held office during this period were Sir Philip Moore (later Baron Moore of Wolvercote) from 1977 until 1986 and Sir William Heseltine from 1986 until 1990.

Honours[]

  • Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) - 1962
  • Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) - 1958
  • Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) - 1946

Gallery[]

Appearances[]

Season 1 Appearances
Wolferton Splash Hyde Park Corner Windsor Act of God Smoke and Mirrors
Gelignite Scientia Potentia Est Pride & Joy Assassins Gloriana
Season 2 Appearances
Misadventure A Company of Men Lisbon Beryl Marionettes
Vergangenheit Matrimonium Dear Mrs. Kennedy Paterfamilias Mystery Man
Season 3 Appearances
Olding Margaretology Aberfan Bubbikins Coup
Tywysog Cymru Moondust Dangling Man Imbroglio Cri de Coeur
Advertisement