BEST | old-azurians

Sir Richard Radford Best KCVO, CBE

Richard Radford Best was born in Worthing on 28 July 1933. He was the eldest child of Charles and Frances, his sisters Elizabeth, Jane and Catherine being born more than 10 years later. The family lived in Broadwater, Richard attending Worthing High School for Boys where he became involved in the school’s Amateur Dramatic Society. In December 1950 Richard played the physician Master Simon Colline, one of the lead roles in Anatole France’s play “Comedy of the Man who Married a Dumb Wife”. The production was, of course, by Max Fuller. It was while Richard was taking part in amateur dramatics that he met his future wife Elizabeth Wait from East Preston.

After leaving school Richard did National Service in Germany before going up to University College London to read History. After graduating Richard joined the Home Office. He married Elizabeth on 31 December 1957 and they set up home in Norwood where their daughters Anne and Clare were born.

Richard had an amazing memory for facts and trivia which enabled him to win the title of “Brain of Britain” on BBC radio in 1966. This achievement, according to Richard, was largely due to the fact that his mother kept the Encyclopaedia Britannica in the lavatory and he had plenty of time to read it.

Having moved to the Foreign Office, Richard was awaiting his first overseas posting when Elizabeth tragically died, in May 1968. However, Elizabeth’s younger sister Mary agreed to accompany him to Zambia and look after his two young daughters. Mary called this a “marriage of convenience”, but it turned out to be a very happy union lasting over 45 years.

Whilst on home leave from Zambia, Richard and Mary bought a house in Patching where Richard’s mother had moved some time earlier. This was to be their home base for the remainder of their life together.

Richard’s next diplomatic posting was to Stockholm where he and Mary had a son John.

Posted back to London in 1977, Richard still found time to lend a hand with the Silver Jubilee celebrations in Patching, and to integrate with the local community. That same year Richard received the MBE.

Richard had a great interest in history, especially that of the British Empire and Commonwealth, so he was pleased to obtain a posting to Delhi in 1979. He met Lord Louis Mountbatten, the Prince of Wales, and Margaret Thatcher, and put forward the idea of producing a postage stamp to commemorate the centenary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi.

Richard was made a Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria in 1984, the first time he was head of mission, an interesting posting requiring travel to remote northern cities of the country. He was awarded a CBE at the end of his tour of duty.

Richard’s final posting was as HM Ambassador to Iceland in 1989 during which he prepared the ground for a visit by Her Majesty the Queen. Richard and Mary were invited as overnight guests on board the Royal Yacht Britannia and it was there that Her Majesty bestowed on Richard her personal honour of Knight Commander of the Victorian Order (KCVO).

After retirement in 1993 Richard played an active role in the Patching community. He had a life-long passion for cricket, evidenced by his magnificent collection of Wisden. He had also acquired in India a passion for having his old paperback books bound in leather. He died on 7 March 2014.

I gratefully acknowledge the help given by members of Richard's family enabling me to put this tribute together - Ed,