Last updated at 12:11 AM on 22nd May 2011
Discreet but decisive: The Queen's personal private secretary Christopher Geidt has helped revive the monarchy
It was the subtlest of gestures. The Queen's vibrant jade green outfit, in which she emerged from the Royal plane for her historic state visit to Ireland, was an inspired choice.
In emerald green, the coat and hat would have been seen as a little cliched; any paler, and the compliment might have been missed.
For a country famed for its romanticism and symbolism, such subtleties are not only noted, but massively significant.
The Queen pulled off many such carefully calibrated gestures as she won over a sometimes sceptical and occasionally hostile Irish population on her triumphant trip.
And it came so soon after a glorious Royal Wedding, when Buckingham Palace was lauded for orchestrating a perfectly pitched ceremonial occasion.
Expectations are now high for President Obama's state visit to Britain this week.
All compliments to the 85-year-old Queen, who – aside from not leaving Balmoral after Diana's death – has rarely put a foot wrong throughout her 59-year reign.
On this occasion, in the words of one Irish commentator, 'the people just fell in love with her'.
But for all her considerable diplomatic skills, this was not a solo effort.
Because for the past three years the Queen has been steered by a steady hand; someone who has done more than anyone to ensure the family firm finally understands the necessity of discreet but professional image-building.
He is the Rt Hon Christopher Geidt, her personal private secretary, arguably one of the most influential men in the land and certainly a key power behind the throne.
With the exception of her husband, Geidt is the man whose advice and judgment the Queen trusts above all others.
When Irish eyes are smiling: Queen Elizabeth II meets Cork fish monger Pat O'Connell on the final day of her successful tour of Ireland. The green she outfits she wore on her first and last days of the visit were suggested by Geitd
The 50-year-old former Army sergeant – who underwent officer training at Sandhurst but left in 1983 on medical grounds – diplomat and Foreign Office mandarin, has been a huge success since joining the Royal household as an assistant private secretary to the Queen in 2002.
Geidt got the top job in 2007 after the retirement of Lord Janvrin – and two years after Charles's wedding to Camilla, widely regarded as a PR and organisational disaster.
Palace insiders have been heard to say it would have been different had Geidt been in charge at the time.
Often described as the Queen's 'eyes and ears', Geidt is the channel of communication between her and the Government, both here and in the 15 other nations of which she
is sovereign. His official role is to inform and advise the Queen on constitutional, governmental and political matters. But unofficially, he has brought a modernity to the Monarchy and a greater air of professionalism to Buckingham Palace and Clarence House.
'He understands how things need to look,' said one Royal source. 'He is more a man of William's generation than of Charles's. He's a brilliant negotiator and communicator and the Queen has recognised the value in that and tapped into it.'
Symbolic: The Queen and Ireland's President Mary McAleese (R) bow after laying a wreath at the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin, a memorial to those Irish who died fighting for independece
Royal commentator Brian Hoey says: 'Her Majesty trusts his counsel completely and they have a remarkably good relationship.
'She likes that he's not a yes man, not afraid to speak his mind. He has no problem telling the Queen if he believes she's wrong or, indeed, anything that he thinks she should hear.
'He's the first non-commissioned officer to hold this position and is a brilliant strategist. He sees a problem before it's even happened and pays remarkable attention to detail. He plans ahead and sees potential pitfalls way before they happen. He was in Army intelligence and then the diplomatic corps so he knows how to win an argument.
'He also has a strong work ethic and is the first person in his office in the morning, when he opens all the Queen's mail. Unlike previous private secretaries who would simply hand her all the post and make her wade through it, he ensures she only sees what he thinks she should see.
'Aside from Royal favourite Angela Kelly, the Queen's former dresser and now personal assistant, he is the only member of the household who has unfettered access to the Monarch. He is relatively new, but the Queen is very fond of him.'
Geidt always travels with the Queen overseas to ensure it all runs smoothly. But there was added pressure with Ireland because of the political and historic significance.
A member of the Royal household said: 'Christopher not only helped to write her speech [along with David Cameron and Foreign Secretary William Hague], but apparently it was his idea for her to open in Gaelic, to the obvious delight and audible gasp of the VIP guests.'
He would also have known the impact of the Queen wearing green. But while some might have gone for emerald, Geidt is believed to have suggested the less obvious choice.
Documentary-maker Michael Cockerell described Geidt as 'part of the Golden Triangle, the three crucial figures in British public life, who the public know very little about'. Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell and Jeremy Haywood, the new Permanent Secretary at
No10 are the other two.
These were the men who, after last year's Election, helped decide who would govern the country. Geidt was briefed to observe proceedings and keep the Queen informed. His role was to protect the Monarchy and advise the Queen to appoint a Prime Minister only when a decision was 'clear and uncontroversial'.
Gesture: Her Majesty and Prince Philip sit with Ireland's Prime Minister Enda Kenny (2nd R) and his wife Fionnuala Kenny in the Taoiseach's office under a portrait of Irish revolutionary leader Michael Collins on Wednesday
Geidt is clearly discreet. His Who's Who entry does not include the month of his birth. He graduated from King's College London, and Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and after leaving Sandhurst went into the Army's intelligence corps.
For several years he was seconded from the Foreign Office to the private office of Carl Bildt, the Swedish former Prime Minister who was a UN envoy to the Balkans in the late Nineties, where he honed his diplomatic skills. The multilingual Geidt has two deputies, Edward Young and Doug King, who take turns on the official trips. Young did the legwork for the Ireland trip, under his boss's gaze.
Such is the Queen's confidence in Geidt that last January she asked him, along with career diplomat Sir David Manning and her former
private secretary Lord Janvrin, to sharpen up Prince William's public image, to help him become Britain's roving Royal ambassador.
Manning taught him about diplomacy and world affairs, Janvrin examined his charity role, and Geidt guided him on strategy and how the Monarchy functions.
Dubbed the Three Wise Men, they ensure the Prince has the right knowledge and equipment – even small things such as having a lectern high enough for his 6ft 3in frame. William appeared to have absorbed their teachings as his trip to New Zealand and Australia earlier this year was hailed as a triumph.
success: The reception the Royal Family received on the Buckingham Palace balcony during William and Kate's wedding last month was perhaps the greatest testimony to the transformation of the monarchy
Popular: Thousands packed the Mall during the wedding
Geidt's job also includes liaising with the rest of the Royal Family, the Armed Forces, the Church and the bodies of which the Queen is patron. It's a big job and is reflected in his 146,000 salary, a shade more than the Prime Minister's 142,500.
Geidt is certainly an establishment figure; his wife Emma is the daughter of Baron Neill of Bladen, former chairman of both the Press Council and the Committee on Standards in Public Life. Of course, the Irish visit was a team effort, with the Foreign Office, No10 and Julian King, British Ambassador to Ireland, all playing their part – to great effect.
'It has been the most amazing and memorable trip,' said one aide. 'The Queen enjoyed herself immensely. She's very relaxed in Christopher's presence. He is a calming and easy person to be around. Everyone has been delighted that it went so well.'
And Geidt has to take much of the credit for that.
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