Arthur Francis Pridham was born on 3 June 1886. He was the second son of Edward Prideaux Brune Pridham. In 1911 he married Miriam Vidal Lewis (died 1969). They had three daughters. He joined the Royal Navy in 1901 and served in the First World War, 1914-1919, as the Gunnery Officer of HMS Weymouth, HMS Shannon and HMS Marlborough, in the Adriatic Sea, the Mediterranean, the North Atlantic, Africa, and Italy. He was promoted to Captain in 1926. He attended the Imperial Defence College in 1927. He commanded HMS Concord, HMS Calliope, HMS Curlew, HMS Excellent, and HMS Hood. In 1937 Pridham was Aide-de-Camp to the King. He was promoted to Rear-Admiral, 1938, and was Flag Officer on HMS Humber, 1939-1940, becoming Vice-Admiral (retired) in 1941. Pridham was President of the Ordnance Board, 1941-1945. He was awarded the Imperial Russian Order of St Stanislas (2nd Class with Swords), and the Commander Legion of Merit (USA), in 1946. Pridham died 27 January 1975 and was buried at sea off Portland from HMS Jupiter with the ashes of his wife. Pridham wrote a book covering the rescue of the Russian Royal Family entitled "The Close of a Dynasty" (pub. 1956, reprint 1997).