The impressive group of orders and medals awarded to Brigadier- General Sir Douglas Dawson, Royal Household, late Coldstream Guards, comprising: Royal Victorian Order (G.C.V.O.), Knight Grand Cross set of insignia, comprising sash badge and breast

The impressive group of orders and medals awarded to Brigadier- General Sir Douglas Dawson, Royal Household, late Coldstream Guards, comprising: Royal Victorian Order (G.C.V.O.), Knight Grand Cross set of insignia, comprising sash badge and breast star (both officially numbered 351); Order of the Bath (K.C.B.), Civil Division, Knight Commander's set, hallmarked 1922-3; Order of the Bath (C.B.), Military Division, Companion's neck badge, all in fitted cases of issue with appropriate ribbons; Order of St. Michael & St. George (C.M G.), Companion's breast badge, in gold and enamel, converted for neck wear; Egypt & Soudan, 1882, rev. dated, 3 clasps, Tel-El-Kebir, The Nile 1884-85, Abu Klea (Lieut., 2/Cdm. Gds.); Jubilee, 1887, with bar 1897; Coronations, 1902 & 1911, both silver; France, Legion d'Honneur, Grand Officer's badge, in gold and enamel, with riband rosette; Turkey Order of the Medjidjie, 5th (?) class badge; Khedive's bronze star for 1882, these last seven mounted court-style and contained in a Hunt & Roskell case; together with Order of the Garter, Secretary's badge, by Garrard, in silver-gilt and enamel; the State Chamberlain's Key, GVR, in silver-gilt, with riband for wearing, both in fitted cases of issue; and a Grant of Arms to the recipient dated 1915, with seal, in GVR tooled leather box of issue, all items extremely fine, the Garter Secretary's badge extremely rare and the ceremonial key unique (lot) Sold with this lot is a mss. note by Sir Douglas Dawson explaining that he was the first and only State Chamberlain, thereby making his ceremonial key unique: 'Key worn by me in 'Household' dress as State Chamberlain 1920-25. The appt was created in 1920 and abolished when I retired. The Lord Chamberlain being by then a permanent official, the post was no longer necessary. I was thus the first and last 'State Chamberlain'' Brigadier-General Sir Douglas Frederick Rawdon Dawson, G C.V.O., K.C.B., C.B., C.M.G. (1854-1933) was educated at Eton and joined the Coldstream Guards in 1874. Passed for the Staff College in 1881, he went to Egypt in 1882 on 'special service' with the Mounted Infantry where he was present at the battles of Mahuta, Kassassin ( where his horse was shot from under him) and Tel-El-Kebir, and also at the capture of Cairo. Accompanied the Guards' Camel Corps on the expedition up the Nile in 1884-5, serving as Staff Officer to Colonel Boscawen, where he was present at the battles of Abu Klea and Gubat as well as the actions at Metammeh and Shebacat (M.I.D.). Military AttachÒ at Vienna, Bucharest and Belgrade, 1890-95, and then at Paris, Brussels and Berne, 1895-1901, he was afterwards appointed Master of Ceremonies to the King in 1903, a post he held until 1907 when he joined the Royal Household. Initially employed as Comptroller in the Lord Chamberlain's Department in 1907 (until 1920), he was also Registrar & Secretary to the Order of the Bath during which tenure he was responsible for the revival of the ancient installation ceremonies From 1904 onwards, he was also Secretary to the Order of the Garter and, after a brief spell as an Extra Equerry to the King in 1919, he was made State Chamberlain in 1920, occupying this unique position until 1924 as the first and only individual to do so (see note accompanying the ceremonial key in lot.). Upon his retirement in 1924, he was appointed K.C.B. (Civil) and published his memoirs entitled 'A Soldier Diplomat' in 1927 which recounted his fascinating life and career in the highest echelons of British society.