Sir William Heseltine: key obituary facts
Is Sir William Heseltine dead? Yes. Sir William Heseltine died on October 2, 2026, at age 96.
Cause of death: Sir William Heseltine's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Sir William Heseltine known for?
Sir William Heseltine was an Australian civil servant, Private Secretary to the Sovereign..
More about Sir William Heseltine
Born: (1930-07-17) 17 July 1930 (age 96)Wyalkatchem, Western Australia, Australia.
Sir William Heseltine, the Australian civil servant who served as Private Secretary to the Sovereign from 1986 to 1990, died on October 2, 2026, aged 96.
Born Sir William Frederick Payne Heseltine in Wyalkatchem, Western Australia, he entered public service with the Australian Prime Minister’s Department in 1951 and remained there until 1962. He later served as private secretary to Sir Robert Menzies, worked as assistant federal director of the Liberal Party of Australia, and was attached to The Age in Melbourne in 1964.
Heseltine joined the Royal Household the following year as assistant press secretary to Queen Elizabeth II, became press secretary in 1968, and ultimately held one of the monarch’s most senior administrative posts before leaving the role in 1990.