Whilst working for the local government[4] in the land registry department he took evening classes and qualified in law.
[5] He served in the army during World War II as an officer in the Royal Artillery.
He had a long association with The Royal Opera, Covent Garden, performing roles in Carmen (1973[13]), A Midsummer Night's Dream (1974,[14] 1976,[15] 1984[16]) and Die Zauberflöte (1979,[17] 1980,[18] 1983,[19] 1985,[20] 1986,[21] 1987,[22] 1989,[23] 1991[24]).
In films, Robert Lankesheer appeared in David Copperfield (1970) and Young Winston (1972).
His television credits include: Robert Lankesheer died on 29 December 1993 in London, England of emphysema.