Former College Council member and Honorary Fellow, Lord Terence Etherton - a towering figure in British law and pioneering LGBTQ+ role model - died on 6 May 2025 at the age of 73.
Born in Essex in 1951 to a Jewish family of Russian émigrés, Lord Etherton grew up with a strong sense of resilience and purpose. Educated at Holmewood House and St Paul's School before reading history and law at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, he was called to the bar at Gray’s Inn in 1974 and became Queen’s Counsel in 1990.
Despite institutional prejudice - he later recounted that his first attempt to join the bench was blocked because he was gay - Etherton persevered. His appointment as a High Court judge in the Chancery Division in 2001 marked the beginning of a transformative judicial career.
He held several key leadership roles: chairing the Law Commission (2006), becoming a Lord Justice of Appeal (2008), serving as Chancellor of the High Court (2013–2016), and culminating as Master of the Rolls from 2016 to 2020 - making him the head of civil justice and the second most senior judge in England and Wales.
After retirement in 2020, and becoming a crossbench peer, Etherton chaired a groundbreaking independent review into the treatment of LGBT military personnel (1967–2000), leading to significant governmental reforms and earning him a GBE in the 2024 Birthday Honours for his service to LGBT veterans.
A gifted athlete, he represented Great Britain in the international fencing team (1976–1980), won Commonwealth fencing gold in 1978, and qualified for the 1980 Moscow Olympics - but joined the boycott in protest at the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
From 1992 to 2002, Etherton also served on the Council of Royal Holloway, playing pivotal roles on the Planning & Resources, Staff, Executive, and Principal Selection Committees. He joined the Sports Working Group in 1993 and became its Chair in 1996; he also chaired the Appeals Committee and maintained close ties afterward - testimony to his enduring commitment to both governance and campus life. In 2005, he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship for his exceptional support of the university.
In 2005, Lord Etherton wanted to give back to Royal Holloway and kindly set up the Elaine Etherton Scholarship in memory of his mother. This scholarship’s aim was to support undergraduate students studying English, History or Science and who came from a low income or widening participation background.
He was ardent about philanthropy and his legacy will continue to live on, as he also left a bequest to enable this scholarship to continue for years to come.
He is survived by his husband, Andrew Stone, to whom he was civil-partnered in 2006 and married in 2014; his siblings Derek, Richard, Mark and Gillian; and a legacy that transcends the law - a testament to authenticity, justice and leadership.
