Robert Leonard Groome was born on 10 September 1848 and died on 22 November 1917 at the age of 69 as a result of injuries he'd sustained by being hit by a car in the Mall a week previously.
He had been promoted to the rank of Captain on 4 August 1890 and commanded the battleship Repulse from 21 December 1897. In June 1899 he took over command of the 2nd Class Protected Cruiser Flora.
Groome was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral on 31 August 1903 and was appointed in command of the Portsmouth Reserve Division on 3 January 1905.
On the occasion of the visit of the French fleet to Britain Groome was appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (C.V.O.) on 11 August, 1905.
He was promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral on 1 June 1907 and then placed on the Retired List, at his own request, on 1 September.
Groome was advanced to the rank of Admiral on the Retired List on 19 July 1911.
Groome died in St. George's Hospital, London, on 22 November, 1917, as the result of injuries sustained when hit by a car on the Mall a week previously. He was sixty-nine years old.