Lord Robert Fellowes, who was trusted by both Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana, has passed away at the age of 82.

As the uncle of Prince William and Prince Harry, he shared a close bond with the British Royal Family. He was married to Lady Jane Spencer, Princess Diana’s sister, and together they had three children: Laura, Eleanor, and Alexander.

During the challenging 1990s—when Princess Diana’s divorce from Prince Charles took place—Lord Fellowes served as the late Queen’s private secretary. This was also the time when Princess Anne’s marriage to Mark Phillips and the marriage of Fergie and Prince Andrew came to an end.

He was deeply involved in managing the aftermath of the 1992 fire that damaged 115 rooms at Windsor Castle.

After the tragic car crash in Paris that killed Princess Diana, her partner Dodi Fayed, their driver Henri Paul, and bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones, Lord Fellowes stepped in to handle the situation.

Following the deaths of Diana and Dodi Fayed, Mohamed Al Fayed, Dodi’s father and the owner of Harrods, accused Lord Fellowes of being part of a conspiracy to kill the couple—claims that Fellowes strongly denied.

“Robert, my incredibly amazing brother-in-law, is no longer with us.”

“A true gentleman in every sense of the term, he was a guy of wisdom, humour, and unwavering integrity. Being his brother-in-law makes me really proud.”

For thirty years, Sir William “Billy” Fellowes, Lord Fellowes’ father, served as land agent at the Royal Family’s Sandringham Estate—where Lord Fellowes was also born. The Times quoted the late Queen Elizabeth saying, “Robert is the only one of my private secretaries I have held in my arms.”