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| Christopher Geidt: the suave, shrewd and mysterious royal insider | Christopher Geidt: the suave, shrewd and mysterious royal insider |
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| This article is the subject of a complaint made on behalf of Buckingham Palace | |
| When the Queen turned around to reveal herself as James Bond's spymaster in a skit for the opening ceremony of the London Olympics, jaws dropped in living rooms around the country at the audacity and humour. But for those that know Sir Christopher Geidt, the Queen's highly trusted private secretary who has been credited with her deft presentation in recent years, it was more a case of eyebrows raised. | When the Queen turned around to reveal herself as James Bond's spymaster in a skit for the opening ceremony of the London Olympics, jaws dropped in living rooms around the country at the audacity and humour. But for those that know Sir Christopher Geidt, the Queen's highly trusted private secretary who has been credited with her deft presentation in recent years, it was more a case of eyebrows raised. |
| Geidt, 51, now in his sixth year by the Queen's side at Buckingham Palace, has a past that includes suggestions of involvement in and around the secret services. When he was wrongly accused of working for the SAS in Cambodia, questions were raised in parliament as to whether he was a member of MI6. | Geidt, 51, now in his sixth year by the Queen's side at Buckingham Palace, has a past that includes suggestions of involvement in and around the secret services. When he was wrongly accused of working for the SAS in Cambodia, questions were raised in parliament as to whether he was a member of MI6. |
| Geidt had a three-year spell in the army intelligence corps before seven years with the Foreign Office, the United Nations and the European commission in the Balkans. | Geidt had a three-year spell in the army intelligence corps before seven years with the Foreign Office, the United Nations and the European commission in the Balkans. |
| The man who is now charged with establishing a royal charter for regulating the press won "substantial" damages in a 1991 libel action against Central TV and the journalist John Pilger. | The man who is now charged with establishing a royal charter for regulating the press won "substantial" damages in a 1991 libel action against Central TV and the journalist John Pilger. |
| In his 1994 book Distant Voices, Pilger described how the Treasury solicitor warned that it was "prepared to intervene in the proceedings at any stage … in respect to evidence from any witness". | In his 1994 book Distant Voices, Pilger described how the Treasury solicitor warned that it was "prepared to intervene in the proceedings at any stage … in respect to evidence from any witness". |
| Pilger said the authority for a public interest immunity certificate – a gagging order – signed by the then defence secretary, Tom King, was presented to the judge. | Pilger said the authority for a public interest immunity certificate – a gagging order – signed by the then defence secretary, Tom King, was presented to the judge. |
| "Evidence regarding the SAS and the security services, such as MI6, which might have been produced as evidence … would be challenged," wrote Pilger. | "Evidence regarding the SAS and the security services, such as MI6, which might have been produced as evidence … would be challenged," wrote Pilger. |
| "The government had effectively tied a gag on the whole trial. Our defence counsel, Desmond Browne QC, said it was reminiscent of the Spycatcher case … With all our principal witnesses silenced, we withdrew and Central TV paid damages." | "The government had effectively tied a gag on the whole trial. Our defence counsel, Desmond Browne QC, said it was reminiscent of the Spycatcher case … With all our principal witnesses silenced, we withdrew and Central TV paid damages." |
| In his palace role, Geidt is now jointly responsible for setting up a charter to regulate the press. Royal charters are ultimately overseen on an ongoing basis by the Queen's private secretary and the head of the privy council – in practice, the government. | In his palace role, Geidt is now jointly responsible for setting up a charter to regulate the press. Royal charters are ultimately overseen on an ongoing basis by the Queen's private secretary and the head of the privy council – in practice, the government. |
| Described by former colleagues as unflappable, strategically shrewd, modernising, suave and charming, Geidt caught the attention of the Queen in 2002 when he was appointed to her household as an assistant private secretary. He took over from Sir Robin Janvrin in 2007 as perhaps her closest male confidant after Prince Philip. | Described by former colleagues as unflappable, strategically shrewd, modernising, suave and charming, Geidt caught the attention of the Queen in 2002 when he was appointed to her household as an assistant private secretary. He took over from Sir Robin Janvrin in 2007 as perhaps her closest male confidant after Prince Philip. |
| It is a position that requires the utmost discretion and the highest level vetting. As well as acting as the daily conduit between the Queen and Downing Street, he has access to all summaries of MI6 intelligence. Through daily red boxes of secret state documents, an open channel with the cabinet secretary, Sir Jeremy Heywood, and advising the Queen on everything from constitutional law to her Christmas message, it is a role that puts him at the heart of the British establishment. | It is a position that requires the utmost discretion and the highest level vetting. As well as acting as the daily conduit between the Queen and Downing Street, he has access to all summaries of MI6 intelligence. Through daily red boxes of secret state documents, an open channel with the cabinet secretary, Sir Jeremy Heywood, and advising the Queen on everything from constitutional law to her Christmas message, it is a role that puts him at the heart of the British establishment. |
| "One of the tasks of the private secretary is to ensure that the monarchy is modernised, but the monarchy cannot afford to be ahead of public opinion," said Prof Vernon Bogdanor, an expert on constitutional affairs. | "One of the tasks of the private secretary is to ensure that the monarchy is modernised, but the monarchy cannot afford to be ahead of public opinion," said Prof Vernon Bogdanor, an expert on constitutional affairs. |
| Geidt was born in 1961, attended private schools in Oxford and Scotland and studied at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. He had been invalided out of Sandhurst when he began working for the Royal United Services Institute before taking a post in army intelligence. That experience made him a natural choice as the British government's man at the headquarters of the European Community monitoring mission in Sarajevo in 1994 at the height of the Bosnian war. The European monitors in their distinctive white outfits – many Brits wore their cricket whites – could travel on both sides of the front line and included active and former spies from around Europe. | Geidt was born in 1961, attended private schools in Oxford and Scotland and studied at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. He had been invalided out of Sandhurst when he began working for the Royal United Services Institute before taking a post in army intelligence. That experience made him a natural choice as the British government's man at the headquarters of the European Community monitoring mission in Sarajevo in 1994 at the height of the Bosnian war. The European monitors in their distinctive white outfits – many Brits wore their cricket whites – could travel on both sides of the front line and included active and former spies from around Europe. |
| "He was always popping up and disappearing again, working at his own rhythm, doing his own stuff," said one international official who worked with him. He later became senior adviser at the Office of the High Representative, set up after the war by the international community to oversee implementation of the 1995 Dayton peace treaty. | "He was always popping up and disappearing again, working at his own rhythm, doing his own stuff," said one international official who worked with him. He later became senior adviser at the Office of the High Representative, set up after the war by the international community to oversee implementation of the 1995 Dayton peace treaty. |
| A former colleague there remembers him as "suave and charming, very proper, clipped and British with a regimental tie, but also with a touch of the spook about him". | A former colleague there remembers him as "suave and charming, very proper, clipped and British with a regimental tie, but also with a touch of the spook about him". |
| But Geidt first came to the attention of a group of MPs and campaigning journalists towards the end of 1989 in Cambodia. After the genocide by the Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot in the 1970s, fears persisted in Cambodia that factions resisting the incumbent government, including the Khmer Rouge would try and take power again. | But Geidt first came to the attention of a group of MPs and campaigning journalists towards the end of 1989 in Cambodia. After the genocide by the Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot in the 1970s, fears persisted in Cambodia that factions resisting the incumbent government, including the Khmer Rouge would try and take power again. |
| Geidt showed up at a mission to see Vietnamese troops pull out of Cambodia in October 1989. His visit caught the attention of MPs concerned about that issue and they unearthed varying accounts of why he was there. Ann Clwyd was one of those there and recalled how on a trip to the temples of Angkor Wat his behaviour, taking photographs with sophisticated equipment of the areas surrounding the buildings raised suspicions. During a Commons debate which touched on the matter, the Labour MP Bob Cryer asked: "Surely not MI6?" | Geidt showed up at a mission to see Vietnamese troops pull out of Cambodia in October 1989. His visit caught the attention of MPs concerned about that issue and they unearthed varying accounts of why he was there. Ann Clwyd was one of those there and recalled how on a trip to the temples of Angkor Wat his behaviour, taking photographs with sophisticated equipment of the areas surrounding the buildings raised suspicions. During a Commons debate which touched on the matter, the Labour MP Bob Cryer asked: "Surely not MI6?" |
| A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said: "We won't comment on the questions relating to Sir Christopher's work before joining the royal household." | A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said: "We won't comment on the questions relating to Sir Christopher's work before joining the royal household." |
| • This article was amended on 8 May 2013 to correct Christopher Geidt's age. He is 51, not 63. | • This article was amended on 8 May 2013 to correct Christopher Geidt's age. He is 51, not 63. |