Obituaries - Radley College

Obituaries
money to get them out there but not back.
Despite attempts to win his passage home
by playing backgammon against Roger
Moore & Cubby Broccoli he had to wait
weeks for his meagre salary to buy him
a flight home. But there were some early
signs of some business acumen even then:
he discovered that extras on Bond films
got $20 a day, but $40 a day if you had a
dinner jacket or a suit. Having only shorts
& flip-flops he hatched a plan: he went
to a tailor and got fitted for a suit on the
pretext that it was a gift for a similar sized
relative in Athens. Weeks later he returned
the crumpled suit, told the tailor that his
relation had mysteriously changed shape
and got a full refund!
His much delayed first day in the City
comprised a firm dressing down from
a puce faced new boss, telling him how
serious City life was and how gallivanting
with film stars was not the way to begin a
career. During the reprimand the phone
rang . The shade of the boss turned from
puce to deep purple: “It’s for you” said the
man. On the end of the phone was one of
the Radley boys arranging a meeting in the
pub after work.
But the City career was underway and
it was as a money broker and latterly a
fund manager at GNI that he really started
to show his promise.
But something else very important also
happened during the GNI years. He began
his courtship with Claire, firstly in London
and memorably on a skiing trip to Verbier.
Claire was being chased by a couple of
young suitors at the time but with typical
dynamism Hugo literally descended on
an otherwise tranquil social scene. Claire
was attracted by Hugo’s erratic, but brave
skiing, his wild behaviour and apparently
his ability to see off her other suitors over
a bottle of whiskey at the Farm Club! He
was impossible to ignore. Claire recalls
that every time he spoke to her he made
her laugh. In the end Hugo won the day
and they were married in 1990. They made
a beautiful couple and were matched in so
many ways.
While Hugo always loved his time with
the lads and was a typical ‘man’s man’,
he and Claire had very similar passions
and interests – passions that ironically
drew them even closer together in recent
months: On the abolition of hunting he
said: “Well, if they’re going to abolish it,
I’m going to take it up”. There followed
some hair-raising exploits involving
impossibly high fences, and horses under
partial control that few could bear to
watch.
Henry, Claire, Eliza, Hugo and Archie Rutland
Hugo and Claire also shared intuitive
good taste. Their houses always had the
Claire touch that Hugo would never
meddle with. But he too had great personal
style – that real gift to look right on every
occasion without the suggestion that any
thought has gone into it.
A family member commented to Claire:
“You had a wonderfully lively marriage
with each of you knowing that you were
the one who really called the shots and
ruled the roost”.
And of course that beautiful couple
turned into a beautiful family with the
birth of Archie, then Eliza and Henry. I
don’t think I have ever met 5 such goodlooking
people in one family.
And it is as a father that Hugo leaves
his greatest legacy. He is surely a model
for fatherhood. A model not because he
had some strategy for good parenting
but because he did exactly what came
naturally: he loved being with the children
and playing just as hard as they did.
When he was at GNI and used to arrive
home late, being with the children was not
just about story time but about revving
them up with hilarious laughing, bouncing
games. I think Claire must have sometimes
despaired that all her efforts to get the
children into bed mode were utterly
destroyed when Hugo arrived home. But
with Hugo it was the only way he could
possibly operate.
When he played with the children he
was instantly a child himself. Whatever they
do now: skiing, fishing, shooting, riding
or building the train set as they have been
doing this week Archie, Eliza and Henry
will think of him, with them, one of them.
And even when he wasn’t there he was
thrilled by their achievements such as
Archie’s recent polo victory at Cowdray
Park.
He left the same indelible mark on those
he worked with: The chief executive of GNI
said in a letter to Claire “His contribution
to our success was invaluable and his
enthusiasm, energy and irreverence helped
mould the GNI personality”. Actually
imprinting your personality on that of an
organisation is something for the rare few.
Here is someone who didn’t lead in
an obvious way. It wasn’t about actively
dominating other people but about winning
people’s confidence through his own
convictions...
Hugo was incredibly informal in the
way he lived but probably very traditional
even ‘old school’ in his values. He was a
great club man – a member of the MCC
and White’s. Following the long election
process he only recently had his first lunch
at White’s with his father, David and his
other sponsors. He was fascinated by people
young and old – always eager to hear their
stories. He loved hearing tales of his famous
great grandfather, Lord Ashfield, who was
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