{{Short description|British courtier and former lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth II}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Annabel Whitehead | honorific_prefix = The Honourable Dame | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|GCVO|size=100}} | birth_name = Annabel Alice Hoyer Millar | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1943|1|25}} | birth_place = | education = | spouse = {{marriage|Christopher Whitehead|1973|2018|end=died}} | children = 2 | father = Frederick Millar, 1st Baron Inchyra | relatives = René de Marees van Swinderen (grandfather) }} '''Dame Annabel Alice Hoyer Whitehead''', {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|GCVOf}} (''née'' '''Millar'''; born 25 January 1943) is a British courtier and former lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth II.
==Biography== Whitehead was born on 25 January 1943 to Frederick Hoyer Millar, later 1st Baron Inchyra, and his wife, ''Jonkvrouw'' Anna Judith Elizabeth de Marees van Swinderen (1906–1999), herself the daughter of ''Jonkheer'' René de Marees van Swinderen, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.
In 1971, Whitehead was appointed a temporary lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon.<ref>{{London Gazette| issue = 45471| date = 14 September 1971| page = 9907}}</ref> In 1965, Whitehead's elder sister Elizabeth had married the princess's onetime suitor Billy Wallace.<ref name="Mosley2003">Charles Mosley, editor, ''Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition'', 3 volumes (Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003), volume 1, page 1076.</ref> She became an extra lady-in-waiting in 1975, a position she held until 1992, when she became lady-in-waiting until the princess's death in 2002.<ref>{{London Gazette| issue = 46561| date = 2 May 1975| page = 5731}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette| issue = 52909| date = 1 May 1992| page = 7629}}</ref>
After Princess Margaret's death, Whitehead was appointed a Woman of the Bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth II in 2002.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 August 2002 |title=The Court Circular |url=https://www.royal.uk/court-circular?text=&mrf=&date%5Bmin%5D%5Bdate%5D=11%2F08%2F2002&date%5Bmax%5D%5Bdate%5D=11%2F08%2F2002&id= |access-date=23 March 2023 |website=royal.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Tominey |first=Camilla |date=2022-01-03 |title=Why the Queen needs her confidantes more than ever |language=en-GB |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2022/01/03/queen-needs-confidantes-ever/ |access-date=2023-03-23 |issn=0307-1235}}</ref> She remained in that position until the queen's death in 2022. In late 2022, King Charles III appointed his late mother's ladies-in-waiting "Ladies of the Household", responsible for helping with events at Buckingham Palace.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-63768031|title=Camilla scraps ladies-in-waiting in modernising move|work=BBC News|first=Sean|last=Coughlan|date=27 November 2022|accessdate=27 November 2022}}</ref>
In recognition of her service, she was appointed a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO) in the 1986 Birthday Honours and subsequently promoted to a Commander (CVO), Dame Commander (DCVO) and Dame Grand Cross (GCVO) of the same order in the 2002 Demise Honours, 2014 New Year Honours and 2025 New Year Honours, respectively.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=50551|page=4|supp=y|date=13 June 1986}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=56653|page=1|supp=y|date=6 August 2002}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=60728|page=4|date=31 December 2013|supp=y}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=64607|page=N1|date=31 December 2024|supp=y}}</ref>
Whitehead married stockbroker Christopher James Bovill Whitehead (1939–2018) on 4 September 1973. They had two children, Daisy and Robert.<ref>{{cite news |title=Who's Who entry for lady-in-waiting |url=https://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/11693999.whos-who-entry-for-lady-in-waiting/ |access-date=30 September 2025 |work=Gazette & Herald}}</ref> She was widowed in 2018.<ref>{{cite news |title=Deaths |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=30 October 2018}}</ref>
==References== <references/>
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whitehead, Annabel}} Category:1943 births Category:Living people Category:Daughters of barons Category:British ladies-in-waiting Category:English people of Dutch descent Category:Dames Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Category:Place of birth missing (living people)