Richard Fitzwilliams

Richard Fitzwilliams is a British public relations consultant and commentator. He specialises in promoting exhibitions of figurative art such as those of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters and the Threadneedle Prize at the Mall Galleries. He is also a royal commentator and film critic, and has given over 400 television interviews and numerous radio interviews. He was Editor of The International Who’s Who from 1975 to 2001. He lectures on the UK Honours system and the British Who’s Who, and writes and broadcasts on London arts events.

Professional career

Publishing

Fitzwilliams was Assistant Editor of Africa South of the Sahara (Europa Publications) from 1972-75. He then became Editor of Europa's International Who's Who, the standard work of its type which was founded in 1935. He considers himself a populist editor, believing that the volume, as well as including establishment figures, should also represent current trends which he believes Who's Who, the standard guide to the establishment, does not. He arranged promotion of The International Who’s Who, which received substantial coverage in Britain and abroad. His work on it was also closely linked to his leisure interests which include cinema, theatre, art, history (especially royal matters) and politics. Editing The International Who’s Who was compared by The Guardian to "painting the Forth Bridge of fame". He writes and lectures on Who's Who. He has also discussed this reference book in numerous radio interviews, including BBC Radio 4's Today programme in 2009. and in BBC News.