Retirement of Sir Robin Janvrin, The Queen's Private Secretary

THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT IS ISSUED BY THE PRESS SECRETARY TO THE QUEEN

Sir Robin Janvrin, The Queen's Private Secretary, will retire in September 2007. The Queen has appointed Mr Christopher Geidt in succession to Sir Robin Janvrin.

The Queen has also appointed Mr Edward Young to be Deputy Private Secretary in succession to Mr Christopher Geidt.

Background

Sir Robin Janvrin has been Private Secretary to The Queen since 1999. He had been Deputy Private Secretary since January 1996, and had previously been Assistant Private Secretary from 1990-96 and Press Secretary from 1987-90. Prior to that, Sir Robin had been a member of the Diplomatic Service and had previously served in the Royal Navy.

Mr Christopher Geidt has been Deputy Private Secretary to The Queen since 2005. He joined the Royal Household after serving with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the United Nations in Sarajevo, Geneva and Brussels. He was Private Secretary to the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Balkans before being appointed Assistant Private Secretary to The Queen in 2002.

Mr Edward Young has been Assistant Private Secretary since 2004. Mr Young joined the Palace from Granada plc where he was Head of Corporate Communications.