Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An interesting K.C.V.O., C.B.E. group of six awarded to Sir Harry Boyd, Assistant Private Secretary to four successive Secretaries of State, formerly a Private in the Shanghai Volunteers during the Boxer Rebellion

The Royal Victorian Order, K.C.V.O., Knight Commander’s neck badge and breast star, silver, silver-gilt and enamels, both pieces officially numbered ‘K576’; The Order of the British Empire, C.B.E. (Civil) 1st type neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel; China 1900, no clasp (Pte. H. R. Boyd. Shanghai Vols.); Jubilee 1935; Coronation 1937; China, Order of the Golden Grain, 5th class breast badge, silver-gilt and enamels, the last four mounted as worn and all contained in a specially fitted case by Garrard, the outer lid embossed ‘Sir Harry Boyd, K.C.V.O., C.B.E.’, good extremely fine (7) £1800-2200

Provenance: DNW, December 2001.

Sir Harry Robert Boyd was born in February 1876, and educated at Haileybury and St Paul’s. He was engaged in business in Shanghai from 1899 to 1911, and volunteered for service during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. He was attached to the Ministry of Finance, Peking, 1914 (Order of the Golden Grain), before serving as Assistant Private Secretary to the Under-Secretary of State, Home Office, 1915-17 (O.B.E.).

Boyd was appointed to the Ministry of National Service, and was Deputy Assistant Secretary, in 1917, before being promoted to Assistant Secretary the following year (C.B.E.). He was attached to the War Cabinet, Rehabilitation of Trade section, in 1919; and served as Assistant Private Secretary to successive Secretaries of State, Mr Shortt, Viscount Bridgeman, Mr Arthur Henderson, and Viscount Brentford, 1919-25. In his capacity as Ceremonial and Reception Secretary to the Home Secretary, he was made a C.V.O. in June 1924, and a K.C.V.O. in July 1935. Boyd was additionally appointed Registrar of the Baronetage in 1932; Joint Secretary, King George V Silver Jubilee Committee, in 1935, and served as Member of King George VI Coronation Executive Committee, 1936-37. Sir Harry Boyd died on 9 March 1940.

Sold with a glazed and framed photographic image of the recipient with King George VI, Queen Mary and the Queen Mother.