Sir Peter Malden Studd GBE KCVO MA DSc DL   1916 - 2003
Lord Mayor of the City of London 1970

Our Past President, Sir Peter Studd, died on June 22nd 2003 aged 86. He was the 643rd Lord Mayor of London, 1970 to 1972, and an executive of De La Rue the banknote printing company. His tenure as Lord Mayor was marked with many splendid functions and official visits but perhaps the one which gripped the popular news was that he presided over the opening of the rebuilt London Bridge at Lake Havasu City in Arizona. 

His personal wish was that he might be remembered for his work as leader of the campaign to save the structure of St Paul's Cathedral. The roof and every joint had suffered from the ravages of time and the constant vibration from the London traffic. The success of the plan to raise £3 million was a tremendous highlight of his year of office and it gave Sir Peter great satisfaction that, at the end of his time, over half the money had been donated. His fundraising efforts were legendary and he even persuaded President Nixon to be the patron in America. Gifts came swiftly including one of just $10 from an American pensioner who had visited the cathedral during the First World War in 1917. Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother attended the celebrations at Mansion House which were held as a tribute to Sir Peter just before he left office.

Peter Malden Studd was born in Dublin in 1916. His father, Brigadier Malden Studd DSC MC was ADC to King George VI during the early years of the Second World War. Peter was educated at Harrow, where he captained the rugby and cricket teams. He scored a century at Lord's against Eton in 1934. He went up to Clare College, Cambridge, where he gained his Blue playing rugby for the university and as captain of the cricket team. He toured with the  MCC and in his 28 games of a first-class career made an average of 25.59. During one university game against Yorkshire the president of De La Rue invited him for a job interview. He went along as he was, in his flannels... 

On coming down from Cambridge in 1939 he was offered the job at De La Rue but war took him into the Forces only one month after starting there. He was called up into the Royal Artillery and served as a field adjutant withe the Guards Armoured Division during the European campaign. At the end of hostilities he returned to De La Rue where he was appointed Assistant Company Secretary. He became Secretary a few months later. In 1950 he moved to the sales side of the company's Security Division. This move was very much to his liking. Aside from the industrial interests, De La Rue was best known as a world leader in the printing of banknotes and bonds; most of the world's central banks which did not operate their own banknote presses used De La Rue. From 1952 to 1954, Studd was the company's sales representative in the Far East. Following his return to London he became sales promotion manager, He was appointed a director of the security printing subsidiary Thomas De La Rue & Co in 1958, where he was responsible for providing clients in the City with swift production of share certificates, bonds and cheques.

 He remained a director until 1974, and an adviser to the company until 1981. He held several directorships one of which was with the leasing group Lloyds & Scottish.

The City was his home and his path within its institutions was laid down early in the 1960's. He became the Alderman for Cripplegate in 1959 and remained so until 1976. He was an Aldermanic Sheriff 1967-68 and was elected the Lord Mayor in 1970. He modelled his career on that of his cricketing great-uncle "Kynie". Sir Kynaston Studd was Lord Mayor in 1928-29, and followed his great friend the first Lord Hailsham, the then Lord Chancellor, as president of the Regent Street Polytechnic. The theme of Studd's mayoralty was one in which he excelled personally - "communication". He was an accomplished public speaker, whose charm and humour won friends wherever his life took him; be it in professional, civic or sporting areas. Though humble in personal demeanor he enjoyed the ceremonial of the Mansion House and the City. He attended an average of five functions a day and made about 700 speeches during his year in office. The Prime Minister of the day, Mr Edward Heath, remarked at a cocktail party: “I wouldn’t have your job for anything. Peter Studd was a governor of the Regent Street Polytechnic. Finally it gave him particular pleasure to receive royal approval of his appointment as Lord Mayor from the second Lord Hailsham, who had followed his own father as Lord Chancellor. During his mayoral year he made official visits to Bangkok, Teheran and Belfast.

He was master of the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors in 1973-74. He became chairman of the Florence Nightingale Hospital, president of the British Chiropractic Advancement Association, vice-president of the Arts Educational Schools and a governor of Harrow.

Peter Studd was knighted in 1969. He was advanced to GBE in 1971. He was appointed KCVO in 1979 in recognition of his work for the Prince's Trust. He became a deputy lieutenant for Wiltshire in 1983. He was chairman of King George's Jubilee Trust and deputy chairman of the Queen's Silver Jubilee Trust. 

His years of dedication and service culminated in an unique honour. He was to sit next to the Queen at the Golden Jubilee luncheon at the Guildhall.

Cheerful and convivial in old age, he was founder president of the Old Soaks, a dining club of former Cambridge Blues, and a prominent member of the Delarunarians, De La Rue's long-service pensioners' association. He was an enthusiastic fisherman, and for many years a stalwart of the Houghton Club at Stockbridge. He died on June 22.

He married, in 1943, Angela Hamilton (née Garnier), the widow of a noted Army cricketer, C P Hamilton. She died in 1995; they had two sons.

The Golden Jubilee Banquet  Guildhall 2002 
Mansion House Banquet 

Photo by kind permission of P E Holland Photographic Services
2 School Lane, Hampton Wick, Surrey   Tel  020 7332 1422

The Golden Jubilee Banquet at Guildhall 2002
Photo by kind permission of P E Holland Photographic Services
2 School Lane, Hampton Wick, Surrey   Tel  020 7332 1422