Sir William Heseltine obituary
Modernising and preferred private secretary to the Queen who helped open up the royal household to public and press Sir William Heseltine, who has died aged 96, has a strong claim to have been one of the most consequential royal courtiers during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II , and was perhaps her favourite. Not only was he the first Australian to enter the tweedy aristocratic atmosphere of the…
Sir William Heseltine, who has passed away at the age of 96, was a modernising and preferred private secretary to the Queen who played a significant role in opening up the royal household to the public and press. Born in Australia, Heseltine was the first person from his country to become part of the prestigious royal household. Over the course of his 27-year tenure at the palace, he climbed from an assistant information officer to being the Queen's private secretary, serving from 1986 to 1990.
During his time in this position, Heseltine introduced changes that have had a lasting impact on how the royal family is perceived by the public. Contrary to his predecessors who focused on keeping the press at bay, Heseltine believed in the importance of engaging the media whenever possible. As royal biographer Ben Pimlott noted, Heseltine's approach was to "recognise a need to sell royalty to the public and, if necessary, to shape its behaviour accordingly."
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