Annabel Whitehead

Dame Annabel Alice Hoyer Whitehead, GCVO (née Millar; born 25 January 1943) is a British courtier and former lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth II.^[1]

Whitehead was born on 25 January 1943 to Frederick Hoyer Millar, 1st Baron Inchyra, and his wife, Jonkvrouw Anna Judith Elizabeth de Marees van Swinderen.

Court role

She was temporary lady-in-waiting (1971–75), extra lady-in-waiting (1975–92), and lady-in-waiting (1992–2002) to Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon. Subsequently she held the office of Woman of the Bedchamber (lady-in-waiting) to Queen Elizabeth II from 2002 until the Queen's death in 2022.^[2]

Whitehead was appointed a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO) in the 1986 Birthday Honours^[3] and subsequently promoted in the same Order to a Commander (CVO) in the 2002 Demise Honours,^[4] Dame Commander (DCVO) in the 2014 New Year Honours^[5] and Dame Grand Cross (GCVO) in the 2025 New Year Honours.^[6]

Following Elizabeth II's death, Whitehead along with the late Queen's other ladies-in-waiting were made "Ladies of the Household", responsible for helping with events at Buckingham Palace.^[7]

Personal life

She married Christopher James Bovill Whitehead in 1973. They have two children, Bertie and Daisy.