Richard Chartres

Early life

Chartres was born in Ware, Hertfordshire to an English mother and an Irish Huguenot father. He was educated at Hertford Grammar School (now Richard Hale School) and Trinity College, Cambridge (MA), where he studied history before his theological studies at Cuddesdon and Lincoln theological colleges (BD).

He has spoken of his great-uncle, John Chartres, "...called [the] 'Mystery Man of the Treaty' was a member of Sinn Féin and a Protestant civil servant. He was also undoubtedly a gun runner for Michael Collins."

Priest

Chartres was ordained as a priest in 1974. During this time he was chaplain to Robert Runcie, then Bishop of St Albans and later Archbishop of Canterbury. He received a Lambeth Bachelor of Divinity degree and holds honorary doctorates from Brunel University, City University London, London Metropolitan University, St. Mary's University College, and London Guildhall University.

Gresham professor

From 1987 to 1992, he was Professor of Divinity at Gresham College in London. Based on a three-part lecture series given in May 1992, he published A Brief History of Gresham College 1597–1997. During the first lecture of the original lecture series he referred to the college as a "magical island like Atlantis" disappearing and re-emerging from the sea. This was a reference both to the Invisible College and Francis Bacon's New Atlantis.

Other Gresham lectures by Chartres covered the Shroud of Turin (November 1988) and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem (December 1989) when he spoke about the Gresham Jerusalem Project as well as on prayer (1991).

Bishop

On 15 May 1992, Chartres was nominated area Bishop of Stepney. He was consecrated as bishop on 22 May 1992.

In November 1995, Chartres was confirmed as the Bishop of London. He also became Prelate of the Order of the British Empire and Dean of the Chapel Royal. He is a Privy Counsellor. In 1997 he was appointed a chaplain of the Most Venerable Order of Saint John (ChStJ). He is an Honorary Bencher of the Middle Temple, a Liveryman of the Merchant Taylors' Company and of the Worshipful Company of Vintners, an Honorary Freeman of the Weavers' and the Woolmen Companies.

In 1997, Chartres was one of the executors of the will of Diana, Princess of Wales and delivered an address at her memorial service in 2007. He confirmed Prince William. On 12 September 2009 he presided at the marriage of Lord Frederick Windsor to actress Sophie Winkleman at the Chapel Royal in Hampton Court Palace.

Chartres is the founder and chairman of the trustees of the St Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation and Peace. He is also a trustee of Coexist, sitting on the advisory council of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation. In October 2005, he joined Marianne Suhr at St Giles in the Fields, London, to launch a new maintenance project for the capital's historic churches.

In January 2006, Chartres was criticised by the media for his decision to spend Easter on a cruise ship giving lectures on theology rather than attend the services at St Paul's Cathedral. At the time, Chartres was on a two-month sabbatical, his first in 33 years. He preached the sermon at the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton on 29 April 2011. In 2013, Chartres led the state funeral service of Baroness Thatcher, with whom he had a close friendship.

Chartres is responsible for the Church of England's relations with the Orthodox churches, representing the Church of England at the funeral of Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow of the Russian Orthodox Church and the enthronement of his successor, Kirill I, in Moscow.

On 19 July 2016, it was announced that Chartres is to retire as Bishop of London effective Shrove Tuesday, 28 February 2017, but remaining as Dean of the Chapel Royal until the next Bishop of London is in post.

Green issues

Since its launch in 2006, Chartres has led the Church of England's "shrinking the footprint" campaign, aimed at cutting 80% of the church's carbon emissions by 2050. In the launch and subsequently, Chartres criticised pollution of the planet by people going on holidays by plane. Michael O'Leary, boss of the low-cost airline Ryanair, responded that "the Bishop of London has got empty churches – presumably if no one went on holidays perhaps they might turn up and listen to his sermons. God bless the Bishop!" Also, after criticism that his taking flights for "diocese work" as well as retaining a chauffeur-driven car were against the ideals of this campaign, he pledged not to fly for a year.

In October 2008, the Independent on Sunday named Chartres as number 75 of the top 100 environmentalists in Britain on their "Green List".

Patronage

Chartres is a patron of various organisations, including:

• The Burgon Society for the study of academical dress (also a fellow)
• The Georgian Group
• The Prayer Book Society of Great Britain (ecclesiastical patron)
• Prospex, a charity which works with young people in North London
• St Paul's Theological Centre
• The Tower Hamlets Friends & Neighbours, a charity which works with older people in East London
• The Westminster Theological Centre
• The Choral Foundation, Hampton Court Palace

In 1982, Chartres married Caroline (daughter of Sir Alan McLintock), then a freelance writer and now the commissioning editor of a publishing house, with whom he has four children; Alexander, Sophie, Louis and Clio. He is also a member of the Oriental Club in London.

Chartres was appointed Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) in the 2009 Queen's Birthday Honours. In 1999 he was elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London (FSA).

Honours

• : Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO)
• : Chaplain of the Order of St John (ChStJ)

Honorary degrees

• Honorary DD degree from Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London
• Honorary DD degree from City University London
• Honorary DD degree from Brunel University
• Honorary DD degree from St Mary's University College (University of Surrey)
• Honorary DLitt degree from London Guildhall University

• The Reverend Richard Chartres (1973–1986)
• The Reverend Professor Richard Chartres (1986–1992)
• The Right Reverend Richard Chartres (1992–1995)
• The Right Reverend and Right Honourable Richard Chartres (1995–2010)
• The Right Reverend and Right Honourable Richard Chartres KCVO (2010–present)