Francis Knollys, 1st Viscount Knollys, (16 July 1837 – 15 August 1924) was a British courtier. He served as Private Secretary to the Sovereign from 1901 to 1913.
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Background and education
Knollys was the son of Sir William Thomas Knollys (1797–1883), of Blount's Court at Rotherfield Peppard in Oxfordshire, and was educated in Guernsey. He entered the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, in 1851, and was commissioned into the 23rd Foot as an ensign in 1854.
Career
In the following year, however, Knollys joined the Department of the Commissioners of Audit as a junior examiner. In 1862, he became Secretary to the Treasurer to the Prince of Wales. In 1870, he was appointed Private Secretary to the Prince of Wales, an office he held until the Prince, Edward, became King in 1901. He was also Groom-in-Waiting to the Prince of Wales from 1886 to 1901. Knollys then became Private Secretary to the Sovereign, an office he filled until 1913 (jointly with Arthur Bigge, 1st Baron Stamfordham, from 1910). He therefore acted as Edward's Private Secretary for a total of forty years, 1870–1910. He was known for his loyalty and discretion in this role. He was also Gentleman Usher to Queen Victoria from 1868 to 1901, and a Lord-in-waiting to Queen Mary from 1910 to 1924.