Orders, Decorations and Medals

An extensive group of sixteen awarded to Head Chauffeur Mr William Leslie Chivers, Staff of the Royal Household

1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals; Coronation 1953, these unnamed, mounted court style as worn; Portugal, Republic, Visit to London Medal 1955; Sweden, Royal Household Medal (2), Gustaf VI Adolf, 31mm., silver; another, 24mm., silver-gilt; Denmark, Royal Household Medal, Frederick IX, silver with crown; France, Republic, Medal of Honour, silver; Italy, Republic, Visit to London Medal 1958, silver; Germany, Federal Republic, Order of Merit, Medal of the Order, enamelled; Iran, Homaoun Medal, silver; Thailand, Order of the Crown, Medal of the Order, silver-gilt; Nepal, Order of Dakshina Bahu, Medal of the Order, silver; Ethiopia, Order of the Star, Medal of the Order, gilt, generally nearly extremely fine (16) £600-700

With named award document for the Coronation Medal 1953; named Restricted ‘Permission to Wear’ documents for the Swedish Court Medal, Silver, Eighth Size; 16 August 1954; Portuguese Gold Medal of the Order of Christ, 16 November 1955; Swedish Court Medal, Gold, 5th Size, 19 July 1956; French, Medal of Honour, Gold Medal, 7 June 1957; Danish Royal Medal, Second Grade with Crown, 20 August 1957; Italian Visit to London Medal, 21 July 1958; German Medal of Merit, 12 December 1958; Iranian Homayoun Medal, 30 June 1959; Thai Gold Medal of the Order of the Crown, 5 October 1960; Nepalese Order of Dakina Bahu, 18 November 1960; together with named award documents for the Swedish Royal Household Medal, Silver Medal, 8th size, 28 June 1954; Portuguese Medal for the Visit to England, 25 October 1955; letter re. the award of the Swedish Royal Household Medal, Gold Medal 5th size in exchange for the Royal Household Medal, Silver Medal, 8th size, June 1956; award document for the Swedish Royal Household Medal, Gold Medal 5th size, 8 June 1956; award document for the French Medal of Honour, in Gold, 15 April 1957; award documents (2) for the Danish Royal Household Medal, Silver with Crown, 16 July 1957; forwarding letter re the award of the Italian Medal for the Visit to London, 9 May 1958; award document for the German Medal of Merit, 29 September 1958. Additionally with copied family and biographical details.

William Leslie Chiver, the son of Albert and Mary Jane Chivers, was a native of New Malden, Surrey, England, where he was born on 8 September 1907. At the time of William's baptism on 4 October 1907, his father was described as being employed as a 'Cab Driver' - which must have heavily influenced William's choice of career, as he too became a driver being appointed a Head Chauffeur to the Royal Household of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. In 1904 William resided with his family at 2 Belmont Villas, Seaforth Terrace, West Barnes. By 1911 William was then living with his large family - at the family residence located at 67 Dorain Road, Rayner Park, Wimbledon. William married Violet M. Smith, at London, England, in the last quarter of 1929. William is finally recorded as having died at Basingstoke, Hampshire, England, sometime in the second quarter of 1978

Interestingly, William's son, Derek Chivers, also followed his father into the British Army and subsequent service with the Royal Household. In an article published in the Henley Standard on 12 March 2012, he made several mentions of his fathers 'Royal Service' as the Head Chauffeur to Queen Elizabeth:

‘A man from Sonning Common is hoping to be reunited with the woman he played cricket with as a boy — the Queen.

Derek Chivers, 77, is the son of the royal family’s former head chauffeur, William Leslie Chivers, and once lived in the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace. In the summer, he would go to Balmoral, the family’s Scottish retreat, where he would enjoy playing sports with a young Princess Elizabeth.

Mr Chivers has many memories of that time and would like the chance to meet the Queen when she visits Henley on June 25 and thank her for all she did for his family.

"I was lucky enough to go everywhere with my father," he said. "I used to go up to Balmoral in the school holidays as well as to Sandringham and Windsor Castle”. 

"I had an absolutely marvellous time with our Queen."

Mr Chivers snr began driving the royal family in late 1945 when he was demobbed from the army. 

His son said: "He started with Princess Margaret and then with Princess Elizabeth for a couple of years”.

"Then he drove King George VI and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, when he became head chauffeur”.

"I played cricket with both the princesses and it was a happy time. We were all friends together."

He said the two princesses loved games and Elizabeth liked to both bat and bowl when they played cricket”.

"The princesses were both very good and of course they loved horses too”. 

"The royals are marvellous horse people and I think that’s where the Princess Royal got her love for horses."

Mr Chivers left the Royal Mews when he joined the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers. He served for three years and saw active service in Egypt and Jordan. After being demobbed, he went into service like his father. He married Ann in 1954 and the couple have two daughters and three grandchildren. They have lived in Sonning Common for almost 13 years.

Mr Chivers said: "I would love to go and see the Queen and say to her, ‘I don’t know if you would remember me, Your Majesty, but my father was your head chauffeur’ — she will remember him.”

"I am very proud of the medals I earned and very proud to serve our wonderful Queen. We are very lucky as a country to have such a wonderful person."’