Jean Frances Woodroffe (née Hambro; 22 February 1923 – 7 December 2017), styled during her first two marriages as The Hon. Mrs Gibbs and The Hon. Mrs Elphinstone, was a British courtier who was lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth II.
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Early life and family
Born on 22 February 1923 in Paddington, she was the daughter of Captain Angus Valdemar Hambro and his second wife Vanda Dorothy Julia Charlton (1885–1981). Her paternal great-grandfather, Baron Carl Joachim Hambro, emigrated from Denmark in 1832 and founded Hambros Bank in 1839.
Royal service
In May 1945, at the suggestion of Sir Arthur Penn, Woodroffe was appointed lady-in-waiting to Princess Elizabeth. She chaperoned the Princess at dances, accompanied her on visits to Northern Ireland and Canada and attended to her during state visits. She occasionally accompanied Princess Margaret on solo engagements. She accompanied the two young princesses as the ventured beyond the palace gates on VE Day.
After Elizabeth II's accession to the throne in 1952, Woodroffe became a Woman of the Bedchamber. She eventually lessened her duties and was appointed Extra Woman of the Bedchamber in March 1953. In this role, she participated in the coronation procession. She was appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in the 1953 Coronation Honours. She undertook occasional duties throughout the 1950s and 1960s and was listed an extra lady-in-waiting for the remainder of her life.