All of us at Cumberland Lodge were deeply saddened to hear of Sir Eric Anderson, on 22 April 2020, aged 83.
Sir Eric’s outstanding career in education included the posts of Head Master (1980-1994) and Provost (2000 – 2009) of Eton College. David Cameron and Boris Johnson were both educated at Eton during his tenure. He also taught at the leading Scottish public school Gordonstoun, where Prince Charles was one of his pupils, and at Fettes College, Edinburgh, where he was Tony Blair‘s housemaster.
He was Rector of Lincoln College, Oxford (1994-200), and Chairman of the Heritage Lottery Fund (1998 – 2001).
Sir Eric had a long involvement with the work of Cumberland Lodge, as Chair of Trustees (1997 – 2009) and, more recently, as an Honorary Life Fellow (2011 – 2020). His widow Poppy, Lady Anderson, is also an Honorary Life Fellow.
This close family association is continued by the couple’s son David, Lord Anderson of Ipswich KBE QC, who is a Visiting Fellow and a Patron of the Friends of Cumberland Lodge, alongside his work as a leading barrister and a cross-bench life peer in the House of Lords.
Sir Eric’s contribution to the charitable work of Cumberland Lodge is greatly valued, and we extend our deepest sympathy to Poppy, David, David’s sister Kate, and the wider family, at this time.