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Captain Sir Richard Williams-Bulkeley Bt DL
Late Welsh Guards
by Brigadier Johnny Rickett CBE
formerly Welsh Guards
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Richard died on the 29th January 2026. He was the 14th Baronet of Penrhyn, the title being bestowed by Oliver Cromwell in 1658 and then again by Charles II in 1661. He was educated at Ludgrove and Eton, where he was a successful oarsman, having soon obtained his Lower Boats cap and taken part in the many varied races, where he and I were often rivals. His grandfather, who was originally a Grenadier, transferred to the Welsh Guards when the Regiment was formed in 1915 and was the Subaltern of the first King’s Guard mounted by the Regiment on St David’s Day; it went without saying that Richard, and later his brother Michael, should also join the Regiment.
He arrived at the Guards Depot at Caterham and joined the Brigade Squad in 1958. There he was assessed as one of the best recruits, though the handling of his personal weapon and the accuracy on the range could have improved! He must obviously have put this right very quickly as he turned out to be a very good shot, particularly with a shotgun.
After a spell at the Guards Depot, he joined 1st Battalion Welsh Guards at Hubbelrath in Germany which was part of the 4th Guards Brigade. He was appointed Assistant Regimental Signals Officer and when asked by some high-ranking visiting firemen as to what exactly was his job, he replied calmly ‘I am ARSO’. This took a bit of explanation as anyone can imagine!
Richard has always had a wonderful sense of humour, and he was an excellent mimic. During the Christmas pantomime one year he did a first-class impersonation of Vyvian Wallace, our commanding officer, which he repeated afterwards on several occasions to everyone’s amusement.
His next appointment was to be the Battalion Mortar Officer, which historically has always seemed a poisoned chalice to those in the Battalion who had held the appointment before. Richard’s tenure was no exception as a Belgian military aircraft, which had erroneously flown into the recognized danger area during live firing, was accidentally shot down. On another occasion, as the mortar platoon was conducting a demonstration, to which many people from outside the Battalion had been invited, Richard’s voice was suddenly heard shouting ‘Cook off get down’. To anyone with any common sense that means take cover: everyone from the Corps Commander downwards immediately measured their length on the ground and a rather embarrassed Mortar Officer was left to explain why this had come about!
It was during this time that Michael, his brother and I noticed a complete change in Richard’s behaviour. He kept to himself and retired to his room more often than usual. We then noticed that he was always watching the arrival of the mail anxiously and the secret was out – he had met Sarah Phillimore, who was the daughter of an eloquent High Court Judge. They married the following year at Temple Church in London.
Sadly, from his childhood onwards Richard suffered from asthma, which became more pronounced over the years, and this precluded him from serving in hot climates; as a result, he could not go to Aden with the Battalion in 1965. He was posted to Wales to command the Welsh Guards Liaison Team, which was so important for our recruitment, as we have always found that the overall army system never produced enough recruits for us; for this reason, we always have had special recruiters of our own on the ground in Wales.
In early 1966 Richard decided to leave the army and not wait for the decision of a medical board, which he was due to attend later in March. This was a real sadness for the Regiment as he was much loved by everybody. At some point he was bound to return to the family estate on Anglesey and Snowdon, but what to do in the meantime as he needed a well-paid job. The City or industry did not appeal so he decided to become a qualified Land Agent. He grasped the nettle, studied hard and passed the Chartered Surveyors exam with flying colours, joining a firm in Swansea. From there he was head-hunted by Charlie Lansdowne, whom he had known at Eton, to be his Agent at Bowood in Wiltshire. Eventually his father summoned him home to take on the running of the estate, and he and his family moved into a small villa while Red Hill was being renovated and modernized.
Richard played a full part in the affairs of North Wales. He became Deputy Lieutenant and later Vice Lieutenant for Gwynedd and then High Sherif in 1993. His office was always in a state of complete shambles, which he referred to as his Chamber of Horrors. Sarah had persuaded him to move everything into the old dairy, which was already bursting with papers and files of every description. His devoted secretary somehow coped and seemed to have found a place for everything amid all the chaos. Richard also conducted estate business there, frequently going off at a tangent telling jokes to his rather startled audience!
Richard gave immensely to others. It was just so sad that he had suffered badly from asthma during a large part of his life, which had prevented him from continuing in the army for longer. He was a true countryman, who loved his shooting and was an extremely knowledgeable gardener. In addition, he was an active supporter of many charities, including being Chairman of the Anglesey branch of SSAFA for some 34 years and President of the Beaumaris Lifeboats. Sarah, his two sons and daughter survive him. Richard, the eldest, who now succeeds in the Baronetcy, also joined the Welsh Guards, of which he was so proud. |
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