Andrew Stuart HibberdMBE (5 September 1893 – 1 November 1983) was a British radio personality for 40 years. He is perhaps best known for his announcements of the death ofKing George V in 1936, and ofAdolf Hitler in 1945.

Stuart Hibberd MBE
Photo of Hibberd from the Christmas 1926 edition ofThe Radio Times
Born	Andrew Stuart Hibberd (1893-09-05)5 September 1893 Broadstone, Wimborne,Dorset
Died	1 November 1983(1983-11-01) (aged 90)
Nationality	British
Education	Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School,[1] Wimborne Weymouth College, Dorset
Alma mater	St John's College, Cambridge
Occupation(s)	Radioannouncer,newsreader
Notable credit	BBC News
Spouse	Alice Mary Chichester (m. 1923)

Hibberd was the son of W.H. Hibberd, and was born in the town ofBroadstone, in Wimborne, Dorset, inSouth West England, on 5 September 1893.

Hibberd was educated atQueen Elizabeth's Grammar School inWimborne Minster,^[1] followed byWeymouth College, anindependent school for boys in the seaside town ofWeymouth inDorset inSouth West England. He then won a Choral Scholarship toSt John's College at theUniversity of Cambridge.

Hibberd volunteered at the outbreak of theFirst World War in 1914, becoming anArmy officer. He served with theDorset Regiment atGallipoli (inTurkey), and then inIndia, reaching the rank of captain.^[1]

Hibberd married Alice Mary Chichester in July 1923,^[2] and joined theBBC the following year, winning anMBE for his broadcasting in 1935. He was the chief announcer onBBC Radio until his retirement from the post in 1951, but continued to present BBC radio programmes until 1964.

Hibberd had a unique, immediately recognisable, voice. It could be described like someone whispering aloud. His voice was ideal for grave and solemn occasions and he is best remembered for his announcement ofKing George V's impending death on 20 January 1936 with the words: "The King's life is moving peacefully towards its close".

From 1949, Hibberd presentedThe Silver Lining, a Thursday afternoon programme aimed at disabled and housebound people. Hibberd retired as chief announcer in 1951, but continued to presentThe Silver Lining until it ended its run in 1964.

Hibberd was the subject ofThis Is Your Life in May 1957 when he was surprised byEamonn Andrews at the King's Theatre,Hammersmith, London.^{[citation needed]} He died on 1 November 1983, at the age of 90, and his funeral was held three days later, at St Peter's Church inBudleigh Salterton inDevon.^[3]

• "This - Is London . . . ", memoir by Hibberd (MacDonald and Evans, London, 1950)