Christopher Everett CBE

Portrait painted by Daphne Todd OBE PPRP NEAC

Tonbridge School is deeply saddened to announce that Christopher Everett CBE, who served as Headmaster from 1975 until 1989, passed away peacefully on Saturday 16 November.

Christopher came to Tonbridge via Winchester College and New College, Oxford, the Grenadier Guards, the Diplomatic Service (including posts in Beirut and Washington) and having led Worksop College for five years.

As Headmaster of Tonbridge, Christopher oversaw a number of pivotal transformations, including the acquisition of the Lower Playing Fields and the introduction of block fixtures for sport. School House was redeveloped on its current site, providing new state-of-the-art boarding accommodation and enabling the expansion of teaching space at the heart of the School.

Christopher’s leadership was defined by a remarkable ability to unite and inspire the Tonbridge community, guiding the School through the aftermath of the Great Storm of 1987 and the devastation of the Chapel fire the following year.

A passionate supporter of music at Tonbridge, Christopher generously commissioned several works for the Chapel Choir and Orchestra.

In 1998, Christopher was made CBE, and upon leaving Tonbridge, became Director of the Daiwa Foundation, an organisation which promoted educational and cultural links between the UK and Japan. His interest in the School continued as a member of the Court and Master of the Worshipful Company of Skinners. He served as Honorary President of the Old Tonbridgian Society between 2017 and 2018.

Christopher was an extraordinary Headmaster and an inspiration to all who knew him. He and his wife, Billy, who died in December 2022, made an enormous contribution to the life and community of the School. He will be deeply missed.