Robin Catford

Sir Robin Catford, KCVO, CBE (11 January 1923 – 27 May 2008) was a British civil servant who served as the Prime Minister's Appointments Secretary to Margaret Thatcher and John Major.^[1]

Sir Robin attended Hampton Grammar School before reading Agriculture at St Andrews University and St John's College, Cambridge.^[1]

After Cambridge, Sir Robin joined the Sudan Civil Service for nine years. On his return to Britain, he entered industry and worked for Fisons.^[2]

In 1966, he joined the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries as Principal Secretary, eventually becoming under-secretary in 1979.^[3]

In 1982, Sir Robin was appointed Prime Minister's Appointments Secretary, succeeding Colin Vyvyan Peterson. He was responsible for advising the Prime Minister on Crown appointments.^[2] These largely consisted of senior Church of England appointments but also included, for instance, the selection of Ted Hughes to succeed John Betjeman as Poet Laureate.^[4]

In 1988, Sir Robin helped Margaret Thatcher to write her "Sermon on the Mound" speech.^[5]

He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1990 and a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 1993.^[6]

He married Daphne Georgina Darby in 1948. She died in 2005.^[7] Sir Robin and Lady Catford together had three sons and a daughter.^[8]

His recreations were listed in Who's Who as "Sailing, theatre, travel, arts, avoiding gardening".^[3]

He was a devout Anglican and a member of the Diocesan Synod of Chichester.^[9][4]