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Royal Households of the United Kingdom

Collective departments of the British royal family From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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The Royal Households of the United Kingdom are the collective departments that support members of the British royal family. Many members of the royal family who undertake public duties have separate households. They vary considerably in size, from the large household that supports the sovereign to the household of the Prince and Princess of Wales, with fewer members.

In addition to the royal officials and support staff, the sovereign's own household incorporates representatives of other estates of the realm, including the government, the military, and the church. Government whips, defence chiefs, several clerics, scientists, musicians, poets, and artists hold honorary positions within the Royal Household. In this way, the Royal Household may be seen as having a symbolic, as well as a practical, function: exemplifying the monarchy's close relationship with other parts of the constitution and of national life.

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History

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In the medieval period, there was little, if any, distinction made between the public and private capacities of the monarch: "The land, the people, the law-courts, the army were as much the King's own personal possessions as were his various demesne manors or the furniture of his palaces".[1] Thus, under the Norman kings of England, the Curia Regis ('King's Court') was engaged in every aspect of the management of State affairs - financial, administrative, legislative, judicial, diplomatic - as well as in providing for the day-to-day needs of the monarch and his entourage. A key part of the Curia Regis was the Chamber (named after the bedroom, where the king met with his closest confidants), from which, it may be said, all other offices of State originated;[2] for example, HM Treasury was, in its pre-conquest origins, a strong-box kept for safety in the Chamber where it was overseen by one of the chamberlains.

In the twelfth century, the Curia Regis began to disintegrate. Key departments to separate themselves from the Curia Regis were the Exchequer (substantially independent by the end of the twelfth century) and the Chancery (which gained independence more gradually through the thirteenth and early fourteenth century). The Exchequer and Chancery soon became (respectively) the principal accounting and administrative offices of The Crown, overseen by two high officials: the Treasurer and the Chancellor (respectively). Both these officials predated the establishment of their departments: within the Court, the Chancellor had kept the King's official seal since before the Norman conquest; while the office of Treasurer dated from the reign of William I, when the (previously mobile) Treasury found a more permanent home (together with its attendant chamberlain) in Winchester Castle.[3] Their offices also had a judicial character, as seen in the parallel (and inseparable) development of the Court of Exchequer and the Court of Chancery; other courts of law continued to emerge from the Curia Regis in the thirteenth century: first the Common Bench and later the King's Bench.

References to the King's Household, as a distinctive aspect of Court, served initially to differentiate the body of courtiers which continued to serve the immediate needs of the monarch, and to travel with him, as distinct from those more closely identified with what became departments of State with a settled existence 'out of Court'.

Anglo-Saxon period (871–1066)

The royal household has roots in the comitatus that provided military support to early Anglo-Saxon kings.[4] In addition to the royal family, the household would have included a large staff of domestic servants, military personnel and clergy.[5] Household members included noble thegns for whom such service could lead to promotion to higher office. The daily life of the king's household was focused around the stig or hall; the other main spaces were the chapel (staffed by clerks) and the búr or chamber: a more private space, where the king slept and where his clothes, jewels and important documents were kept.[6]

The highest-ranking officers were:[7]

King Eadred bequeathed eighty gold coins each to his seneschals, raiment-thegns and butlers upon his death in AD 995.[6] His household also included stewards (stigweardas), attached to the hall, to whom he bequeathed thirty gold coins each.[11]

Cnut the Great (r. 1016–1035) introduced officers known as stallers, who were close to the king and very wealthy.[12] There could be as many as eight stallers at once; there is uncertainty as to their precise duties, but they may have supervised the housecarls (royal bodyguards).[8] Other officers included the marshals (horsethegns) in charge of the royal stables and household travel.[8]

The household included several priests, who also probably had noble backgrounds,[13] and service in the royal chapel could be a stepping stone towards becoming a bishop.[14] Priests in the household not only performed religious duties but also acted as royal secretaries: writing letters, charters, and other official documents.[15] By the reign of Edward the Confessor (r. 1042–1066), the chapel's writing office had custody of the great seal, used to authenticate writs; during his reign the office of chancellor first makes an appearance within the English court.[16]

Even though it travelled constantly with the king as an itinerant court, the royal household was the centre of the Anglo-Saxon government.[17] Initially, household officers performed domestic tasks (such as overseeing food, clothing, royal stables, or travel). As the king's administrative and judicial responsibilities expanded, public duties were delegated to household officers, making them state officers as well. Typically, each office had two or three holders who most likely served on a rotating basis.[18]

On the continent of Europe, the Merovingian and Carolingian royal households had similar offices, and there is evidence that these influenced their English counterpart. However, there was no English equivalent to the powerful office of major domus (Latin for 'mayor of the palace'), and English kings maintained ultimate authority over their households.[18]

Anglo-Norman period (1066–1154)

After the Norman conquest the ducal household of Normandy (with seneschal/steward, cup-bearer, chamberlain and constable) appears to have been replicated in England and merged into the English court.[16]

The Constitutio Domus Regis, dating from the end of the reign of King Henry I (r. 1100–1135), provides the earliest surviving account of the household.[19] The senior figures (according to their remuneration) were:[6]

  • the chancellor (Latin: cancellarius), under whom was placed the master of the writing office (magister scriptorii) and the clerks of the chapel.
  • the seneschals (or stewards) (Latin: dapiferi)
  • the master butler (Latin: magister pincerna)
  • the master chamberlain (Latin: magister camerarius), under whom were lesser chamberlains and others who undertook various practical duties.[20]
  • the treasurer (Latin: thesaurarius)
  • the constables (Latin: constabularii), under whom was the master marshal (magister marescallus) and four other marshals.

The above six office-holders were paid five shillings per day; the chancellor received this invariably, but the others' pay was reduced on days when they ate in hall at the king's expense.[6]

The office of chancellor was still comparatively new, but it appears from his remuneration that he held a degree of seniority within the household. The chancellor had custody of the great seal used to validate documents issued in the king's name.[21] His department (the chancery) was named after the screen (Latin cancella) which separated his clerks (who were engaged in writing official documents) from the main body of the hall.[6] The clerks (who were clerics) also served in the chapel, which saw to the king's spiritual needs: there they said mass, heard confessions, and kept custody of the royal relics.

The seneschals (or stewards) and the butler oversaw various subsidiary officers and between them provided food and drink for the king's hall. Although they received a lower wage, the subsidiary officers were far from being menial servants, as evidenced by the example of one Roger (who served as larderer to Henry I) who was later appointed Bishop of Hereford.[16]

The chamber saw to the king's personal needs and was the main financial office of the government. It had two divisions: the royal bedchamber (Latin: camera regis) and the chamber of the court (Latin: camera curie). The latter chamber handled the finances;[22] albeit by this time the treasurer is named alongside the master chamberlain, serving as head of an emerging new department (namely the Exchequer).

The constables oversaw the outdoor staff and the familia militaris (Latin for military household). The outdoor staff included huntsmen, houndsmen, and foresters. The military household were knights who received wages and formed the backbone of the army.[23][24] Historian C. W. Hollister likened it to "something between a royal bodyguard [...] and a small standing army."[25] The marshals acted as ushers, preserving order in the king's hall. They also recorded household expenditures on tallies.[26][24]

Plantagenet period (1154–1485)

The formation of the Exchequer marked the beginning of the separation of government functions from the king's Court. As the treasurer had emerged alongside the chamberlain, taking over some of the latter's financial responsibilities, so another official emerged at this time: the chief justiciar, who took on some of the historic duties of the seneschal or steward.[27] The justiciar quickly became a person of great importance in the realm (his role being analogous to that of the king's chief minister when the monarch was in the country, and akin to a regent when he was not).[28] He had his headquarters in the Exchequer, however, and is not generally considered an officer of the household.

Evolution of Great Officers of State and of the Household

There had been a tendency in Normandy for the highest Court appointments to become hereditary offices, held under terms of grand serjeanty, and in the 12th century this began to happen likewise in England.[16] Thus by the end of the reign of Henry II (r. 1154–1189), the office of steward (later termed Lord High Steward) was attached to the Earls of Leicester, that of chamberlain (Lord Great Chamberlain) to the Earls of Oxford, that of butler (Chief Butler of England) to the family of William de Albini (later Earls of Arundel), that of constable (Lord High Constable) to the Earls of Hereford and that of marshal (later Earl Marshal) to the family of John FitzGilbert (later passing by marriage to the Earls of Norfolk).[16]

As part of this process, the above-mentioned great officers of state ceased to attend court except on State or special occasions.[27] Their domestic duties therefore had to be undertaken by others. They seem at first to have been shared among several officers bearing the same or similar titles (the 1135 Constitutio lists multiple senior and subsidiary officials with the titles of steward, chamberlain, butler, constable and marshal). In due course, the domestic responsibilities of the steward and chamberlain devolved upon two senior officers 'of the Household': the Lord Steward of the Household and Lord Chamberlain of the Household. The Lord High Constable and Earl Marshal retained their military authority until a comparatively late period; it was not until the 14th century that their domestic duties came to be attached to a new household official named the Master of the Horse.[29]

Neither the chancellor (later Lord High Chancellor) nor the treasurer (Lord High Treasurer) became hereditary offices, as they were more clearly engaged in the government of the realm (which required them to be present); they were also ecclesiastics, which precluded the possibility of legitimate heirs.[16] Although not hereditary, these high offices were routinely offered for sale or rent, until reforms were enacted in the 13th century.[16]

Brief flourishing of the Wardrobe

Main article: Wardrobe (government)

The emergence of autonomous departments of State from within the Court had a lasting effect on the shape of the medieval Royal Household, because something was needed to fill the gap that they left (the monarch still required a financial and administrative office). At first the Chamber filled this role; but those who sought to limit monarchical power at this time took great care to maintain the authority of the Exchequer and Chancery over any potential rival office developing within the Household. Thus, while some parts of the Royal Household had a relatively settled continuity of existence through this period (including the extensive 'below-stairs' establishment overseen by the Lord Steward), the Chamber came under sustained political pressure: particularly during the reign of King John, it was subject to various restrictions on its activity and autonomy. For this reason the effectiveness of the Chamber as the King's de facto administrative and financial office waned, and in its place, a new department came to the fore: the Wardrobe.

Named after an annexe to the Chamber in which clothes, armour and other valuables were stored, the Wardrobe grew under Henry III and Edward I until it rivalled the Exchequer in its spending and bypassed the Chancery in its issuing of writs. Its senior officials became close confidants to the King: the Keeper of the wardrobe and the Controller of the Wardrobe. The former went on to subsume the office (and title) of Treasurer of the Chamber; the latter had custody of the King's Privy Seal, which (unlike the Great Seal, which was kept by the Chancellor in the Chancery) always travelled with the monarch, including overseas.[30]

It was at times of war that the Wardrobe came into its own as an effective means not only of communication but also of fundraising for the Sovereign. This was not without risk, however, and on occasion the Wardrobe found itself having to be bailed out by the Exchequer. Under a weaker king, Edward II, the Exchequer reasserted its authority; the Ordinances of 1311 severely curtailed its independence, with the result that the Wardrobe was eventually subsumed back entirely into the Household and placed under the authority of the Lord Steward, with whom its officials constituted the Board of Green Cloth.[31]


(The erstwhile senior offices of the Wardrobe have survived to this day as sinecure positions for members of the government: the Treasurer of the Household and Controller of the household).

The Chamber's authority reasserted

The demise of the Wardrobe led to the re-emergence of the Chamber (and Chamberlain) as an office (and person) of influence. While the Wardrobe held sway, the Chamber had continued to operate at a domestic level: providing the place (and entourage) for the king to sleep, eat his meals and meet with visitors. The Chamber was scarcely mentioned in the 1311 Ordinances (the Barons not wishing to legislate over the monarch's domestic arrangements), so it now found itself well-placed to take back authority over financial and administrative matters on behalf of the King. Funding was provided out of certain estates forfeited to the Crown (including those of the Knights Templar).

By 1389 a vice-chamberlain was in place as deputy to the Lord Chamberlain.[32] The Chamber continued to retain its long-established personnel: Yeomen, Valets, Esquires and Knights of the Chamber; the yeomen and valets undertook more menial tasks (making the beds and stoking the fires), while the Esquires fulfilled particular tasks in direct relation to the King (e.g. as his carver or cup-bearer) and some of them were designated Gentleman Ushers of the Court. Guard duties were performed by the Serjeants at Arms.[33]

Wherever administrative or financial skills were required, clerks[disambiguation needed] were employed - a word which in this period signified clergy. At their head, during this period of growth in the mid-fourteenth century, was the Receiver. The Privy Seal, now removed from the influence of the Wardrobe, was given its own dedicated Lord Keeper, who initially operated within the structure of the Chamber.

Before long, however, moves were again made to limit the Household as a direct agency of kingly power. The Keeper of the Privy Seal, together with his office of clerks, was removed from the sphere of the Court and followed the Exchequer and the Chancery to Westminster, where, like them, it took on the guise of a department of State. In place of the Privy Seal, a new seal (later known as the signet) began to be used by the King, administered by a clerk in his Household who later came to be called the King's Secretary (precursor of the present-day Secretaries of State).[34]

More information King, Year(s) ...

The Household in the 15th century

According to the Liber Niger Domus Regis Angliae (the Black Book of the household of Edward IV) written between 1467 and 1477, the household was at that time divided into the Domus Providencie (the Hall) and the Domus Regie Magnificencie (the Chamber). The Domus Providencie was led by the lord steward. The Domus Regie Magnificencie was led by the lord chamberlain.[37]

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The Tudor Household

Sometime in the 15th century, the chamber divided into two sub-departments: the great chamber and the privy chamber.

Henry VIII came to the throne accompanied by an influential group of young noblemen, who were nicknamed 'the king's minions'. When Francis I of France despatched a delegation to England in 1518, to sign a peace treaty drawn up by Cardinal Wolsey, it included some of that monarch's most trusted courtiers who bore the title 'Gentlemen of the Chamber'. So when Henry sent a group of his 'minions' as part of a reciprocal delegation to Paris later that same year, he gave them a parallel title: Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber.[38] In this role, the Gentlemen came to control access to the king's private rooms (and thus to the king himself). This created difficulties for the more established courtiers. Powerful individuals on the outside (such as Thomas Wolsey and Anne Boleyn) did their best to infiltrate the chamber and its entourage.[38] Over time the Privy Chamber began to function in part as an office: members of the Privy Chamber had oversight of the Privy Purse and administered the royal sign-manual.[39]

The Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber were overseen by the Groom of the Stool, and assisted by grooms of the privy chamber. The groom of the stool was one of the most powerful officials in the household; he acted as a royal gatekeeper, allowing or denying other household officials access to the monarch.[40]

Under Henry VIII the Privy Chamber had served both as an administrative office and as a circle of royal companionship; but under both Mary I and Elizabeth I (whose intimate servants were necessarily women) these functions were separated. Mary maintained a full complement of Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber, but alongside them appointed Ladies and Gentlewomen of the Privy Chamber.[41] Elizabeth did likewise, appointing Kat Ashley to serve as Chief Gentlewoman of the Privy Chamber (which became more clearly a personal rather than an administrative space, while remaining a sphere of influence).[39]

The Stuart Household

When King James VI of Scotland inherited the throne of England as James I, he retained much of the structure (and personnel) of the Elizabethan English court (with the Ladies and Gentlewomen being transferred to his consort's Household).[41] Within this structure, however, he created the office of Gentleman of the Bedchamber to which he appointed members of his Scottish entourage.[39] It immediately took the place of the Privy Chamber as the locus of the King's closest confidants; the First Gentleman of the Bedchamber, Sir Thomas Erskine, was additionally appointed Groom of the Stool in 1604 (an office which had been in abeyance during the reign of Elizabeth I). The Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber were retained, but their salary was taken away (they were, though, provided with board and lodging when on duty); they continued to attend daily in rotation, six at a time (out of a total complement of 48), serving as the king's carver, cupbearer, sewer and 'esquire of the body', among other duties.[41]

After the Restoration, Charles II reconstituted the Royal Household without seeking to reduce its size (which had previously grown large and expensive).[42] From as early as 1662 efforts were made to reduce the number of extraneous offices in the household (a process which would continue for decades afterwards). Sale of offices was prevalent at this time, and several were held as lucrative sinecures.

Chamberlayne's Present State of England of 1669 said of the Gentlemen of the Bedchamber at this time that they 'consist usually of the prime nobility of England'. As regards their duties, they are 'each one in his turn to wait a week in every quarter in the king's bedchamber, there to lie by the king on a pallet bed all night and in the absence of the groom of the stole to supply his place'.[43] It is also noted that they are required to serve at the king's table when he eats in private, 'for then the cup bearers, carvers and sewers do not wait'.

In the reign of Queen Anne, Ladies of the Bedchamber replaced the Gentlemen, and Bedchamber women replaced the Grooms of the Bedchamber; a pattern which was repeated in later centuries when a queen regnant acceded to the throne.[43] In subsequent Queens' reigns the office of Groom of the Stole likewise went into abeyance, but under Anne it was given to two duchesses in succession, who also served as Mistress of the Robes.[44] (The latter title remained attached to the head of the female Household of a Queen (regnant or consort) up until the reign of Charles III).[45]

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Modern day

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In its main outlines the existing organisation of the royal household is essentially the same as it was under the Tudors or the Plantagenets. It is divided into three principal departments, at the head of which are the lord steward, the lord chamberlain and the master of the horse, and the respective provinces of which may be generally described as "below stairs", "above stairs" and "out of doors". The duties of these officials, and the various officers under their charge are dealt with in the articles under those headings. When the reigning sovereign is a queen, the royal household is in some other respects rather differently arranged from that of a king and a queen consort.[27]

Under a king and a queen consort, a separate establishment "above stairs" and "out of doors" works for the queen consort. She has a Lord Chamberlain's department of her own, and all the ladies of the court from the Mistress of the Robes to the Maids of Honour are in her service. At the commencement of the reign of Queen Victoria, the two establishments were combined, and considerably reduced. On the accession of Edward VII, the civil list was again reconstituted; while the household of the king and his consort became larger than during the previous reign, redundant or unnecessary offices were merged or abolished.[27]

The household of Elizabeth II included 1,200 employees. This was roughly the same size as Charles II's household but larger than Victoria's, whose staff numbered 921.[46]

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The King and Queen

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See also: Court appointment

Start of the new reign

Appointing a new monarch's household can take some time; in 1952 the full list of appointments to the new Queen's household was not published until almost six months after her accession to the throne.[47]

In 2022, walking in the state procession for the state funeral of Elizabeth II, the new King was followed by his Private Secretary, Principal Private Secretary, Master of the Household and two Equerries; however, since the King's new household had yet to be appointed they were gazetted, not as 'His Majesty's Household', but as the 'Household of the former Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall'.[48]

On 13 September, five days after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, 100 staff who had been working for King Charles III while he was Prince of Wales were notified of potential redundancies.[49][50] This reflects the uncertain situation of members of the Royal Households at the start of each new reign: in the days following the death of King James I in 1625, the Countess of Bedford remarked that "[w]hat the King's resolution is yet for his own and his father's servants, he hath not declared (farther than the white staves, which are to remain as they were); but for the green cloth and other inferior officers both of the household and chamber, it is thought that he will employ his own and dismiss his father's, because he hath caused the latter all to be removed to Denmark House to attend the body, and lodged the former about himself at Whitehall".[51]

As consort of the British sovereign, Queen Camilla has a household of her own. Traditionally, queens consort have appointed their own Lord Chamberlain and various ladies-in-waiting as part of their household.[52] There was likewise a Household of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. This tradition was scrapped in accordance with the King's view of having a slimmed-down monarchy, and instead of ladies-in-waiting, Queen Camilla is served by "Queen's companions", a group of six ladies who occupy the new occasional and informal position and who are not involved in tasks such as replying to letters or developing schedules.[53] The Queen's companions are the Marchioness of Lansdowne, Jane von Westenholz, Lady Brooke, Sarah Troughton, Lady Sarah Keswick and Baroness Chisholm.[53] Major Ollie Plunket serves as the Queen's equerry.[53] Queen Elizabeth II's ladies-in-waiting were given new roles as "ladies of the household".[53]

Present arrangements

As of 2022, the household is configured largely according to the arrangements inherited from Elizabeth II. The role of Official Harpist to the Prince of Wales continues as King's Harpist, and is currently held by Mared Pugh Evans.[54]

Great Officers

The Great Officers of the Household are, in order of seniority, the Lord Steward, the Lord Chamberlain and the Master of the Horse.[27] Only the Lord Chamberlain fulfils an executive function, while the other two continue to have a ceremonial role, and are seen particularly on State occasions.

Lord Chamberlain

The Royal Household is coordinated by the part-time Lord Chamberlain (The Lord Benyon).

Heads of departments

The Private Secretary to the Sovereign (the Rt Hon. Sir Clive Alderton KCVO since 2022), manages the Private Secretary's Office, and controls the Press Office, the Royal Archives, and the Defence Services Secretary's Office, serves as principal advisor to the Sovereign and serves as the principal channel of communication between the Sovereign and their governments. Besides these, he also manages the Sovereign's official programme and correspondence.

The Keeper of the Privy Purse has responsibility for the Sovereign's personal finances and those to do with semi-private concerns, along with, as Treasurer to the King oversight of the civil list. The two positions are held together and, since 2018, they have both been held by Sir Michael Stevens KCVO.

The Master of the Household, since 2013, has been Vice Admiral Sir Tony Johnstone-Burt KCVO CB OBE and has overall responsibility for the domestic workings of the Household.

The Lord Chamberlain's Office, led by its Comptroller current Lt-Colonel Michael Vernon, is responsible for official royal occasions.

The Royal Collection Department is overseen by its Director who since February 2018 is Tim Knox.[55]

Other units

The Royal Almonry, Ecclesiastical Household, and Medical Household are functionally separate. For accounting purposes they are the responsibility of the Keeper of the Privy Purse and Treasurer to the King.[6]

The Crown Equerry has day-to-day operation of the Royal Mews, and is part of the Lord Chamberlain's Office. The other equerries have a different role: attending and assisting the King in his official duties from day to day. (Historically, they too were part of the mews, but today they are entirely separate.)

The Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood is also under the Lord Chamberlain's Office, as is the office of the Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps.

The College of Arms has been a branch of the Royal Household since its incorporation in 1484 by King Richard III[56] it was directly appointed by the Sovereign on the recommendation of Earl Marshal. The college is a corporation of thirteen royal heralds, overseen by the Earl Marshal, a hereditary office held by the Duke of Norfolk. The college is self-supporting and receives no funds from the Crown. The college holds jurisdiction over all matters pertaining to heraldry, genealogy, and pedigrees in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and in some Commonwealth realms.[57]

Certain independent and honorific posts include Master of the King's Music, Piper to the Sovereign, Poet Laureate, and Astronomer Royal. The King's Bargemaster, the Keeper of the Jewel House, the Serjeants-at-Arms, and the Warden and Marker of the Swans, perform less celebrated functions.

The offices of Treasurer of the Household, Comptroller of the Household, and Vice-Chamberlain of the Household are held by senior government whips in the House of Commons. In the House of Lords, the Government Chief Whip is usually appointed Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms and the Deputy Chief Whip as Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard, with junior whips appointed as lords-in-waiting and baronesses-in-waiting. Occasionally these officers are called upon to undertake Household duties, especially the Vice-Chamberlain, who is responsible for writing regular parliamentary reports for the King.

If the monarch is female she has ladies-in-waiting (formally styled either ladies of the bedchamber or women of the bedchamber), some of whom are in personal attendance on a daily basis. They are overseen by the Mistress of the Robes, who traditionally was head of the female household. If the monarch is male these roles are instead attached to the Household of the Queen consort.

The Household includes a number of honorary military appointments: the aides-de-camp to the King (who are usually very high-ranking officers of the three armed services), the two Gold Sticks and the Vice Admiral and Rear Admiral of the United Kingdom. In addition, the two corps of royal bodyguards (the Gentlemen at Arms and the Yeomen of the Guard) are part of the Household.

Gentlemen ushers are unpaid members of the Royal Household, often retired military officers, who provide occasional assistance as marshals at royal events. The Lady Usher of the Black Rod is an important official in the Houses of Parliament; but technically she too is a member of the Royal Household (and acts as the King's messenger at the State Opening).

The royal residences (see list of British royal residences) in current use are cared for and maintained by the Royal Household Property Section directly from the grant-in-aid provided by Parliament,[58] whereas Balmoral Castle and Sandringham House are privately owned and maintained. The unoccupied royal residences (including the Tower of London) are run by the Historic Royal Palaces Agency, which is self-funding.

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The Scottish Royal Household

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The Royal Household in Scotland includes offices of personal, honorary and state appointments. Many appointments are vacant having fallen into abeyance; been abolished or returned to The Crown; merged with other positions both before and after the Union of the Crown with England; or due to lack of a clear office holder.

The Great Officers of the Royal Household (not to be confused with the Great Officers of State of Scotland which are political and judicial appointments, or the Great Officers of the Crown of Scotland though some officers are shared) are:[59]

Ecclesiastical officers of the Ecclesiastical Household of Scotland:

Officers of Administration and Legal Officers:

Governors, Captains and Keepers of Palaces and Castles:

Heraldic Officers and Keepers of the Regalia:

Officers of the Order of the Thistle:

The Household Division, Sovereign's Body Guard, King's Guard, and ceremonial military posts and bodies:

Other hereditary and non-hereditary offices and Court appointments:

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Household of the Prince and Princess of Wales

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A part-time Private Secretary to Prince William and Prince Harry (James Lowther-Pinkerton MVO MBE Irish Guards (Rtd.)) was appointed in the Household of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall in May 2005. In January 2009, a separate Household of Prince William and Prince Harry was established (formally "The Household of His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales and His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales"), headed by Lowther-Pinkerton. Following their marriages, the Household also additionally served their wives. The Household's offices are currently based in Kensington Palace, having formerly been based in St James's Palace. The Household, as of 2011, had the equivalent of 7.8 full-time staff.[61]

It was announced in June 2011 that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge would temporarily move their official London residence to an apartment in Kensington Palace, a move that was completed in August of that year. The Duke and Duchess' primary residence continued to be the island of Anglesey in Wales, where the Duke served as an RAF search and rescue pilot. The couple previously shared an apartment at Clarence House with Prince Harry, which he retained.[62] On 6 November 2011, it was announced that the Duke, Duchess and Prince Harry, along with Elizabeth II and the Prince of Wales (later King Charles) had approved a plan that would have the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge permanently move to a larger apartment in Kensington Palace in 2013, after it is renovated. This apartment was previously occupied by the Queen's sister, Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon and her husband Antony Armstrong-Jones, Earl of Snowdon after their marriage in 1960. The apartment was retained by Princess Margaret after her divorce in 1978 and was her London residence until her death in 2002. Prince Harry then moved his official residence from Clarence House to the apartment vacated by the Cambridges. In addition, once the move was complete, their official household was also moved to Kensington Palace from St James's Palace, although the household remained shared.[63] Until the moves were complete, their Household remained based at St James's Palace and continued to be shared.[62]

It was later announced in early May 2013 that the royal couple's private secretary, James Lowther-Pinkerton, intended to leave his post as private secretary for the private sector, and his position was split with each member of the household receiving a private secretary. In September 2013, Miguel Head became Private Secretary to the Duke of Cambridge and Rebecca Deacon assumed the role of Private Secretary to the Duchess of Cambridge.[64] Ed Perkins left his post as communication secretary at the household in 2014. On 21 November 2014, the palace announced his replacement as Jason Knauf.[65] As of 2025, the Household had 66 people and is led by Ian Patrick, the Private Secretary to The Prince of Wales.

List of Household staff

Private Secretary to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry
  • 2005–2013: Major James Lowther-Pinkerton LVO MBE Irish Guards (Retd.)[61][66] Lowther-Pinkerton left his post in September 2013, but intended to spend one day a week at St James's Palace to act as a sounding board for the much younger members of staff who would take his place.[64]
Private Secretary to the Duke of Cambridge
Private Secretary to the Prince of Wales
Private Secretary to the Duchess of Cambridge
  • 2013–2017: Rebecca Deacon[67]
  • 2017–2019: Catherine Quinn[73][74]
  • 2020–2022: Hannah Cockburn-Logie[75]
Private Secretary to the Princess of Wales
  • 2024–present: Tom White[76]
Assistant Private Secretary to the Duke of Cambridge
  • 2018–2022: Zoë Ware[77]
Assistant Private Secretary to the Princess of Wales
  • 2017–: Natalie Barrows[78]
Advisor to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
Advisor to the Prince and Princess of Wales
  • 2019–present: Jason Knauf[80]
Communication Secretary to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
  • 2014–2019: Jason Knauf[81]
  • 2019–2020: Christian Jones[81]
Communication Secretary to the Prince and Princess of Wales
  • 2022–present: Lee Thompson[82]
Deputy Communication Secretary to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry
Digital and Social Lead to the Prince and Princess of Wales
  • 2020–present: David Watkins[84]
Senior Private Executive Assistant to the Prince and Princess of Wales
Official Spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry
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Household of the Princess Royal

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The Household of the Princess Royal provides the administrative support to Anne, Princess Royal, the only sister of the King. The Princess Royal's private residence is Gatcombe Park; her office, headed by the Private Secretary, is based at Buckingham Palace while her official London residence is located at St James's Palace.

Private Secretaries to the Princess Royal

Assistant Private Secretary

  • 2010–present: Commander Anne Sullivan LVO RN[93]

Office Secretary

  • ?–: Mrs Isabella Ward[93]
  • ?–: Mrs Anne King[94]

Extra Equerry to the Princess Royal

Ladies in Waiting to the Princess Royal

Extra Ladies-in-Waiting to the Princess Royal

  • 2023–present: Mrs. Susanna Cross[96]
  • 2024–present: Lady McFarlane[92]
  • 2024–present: Lady Elizabeth Leeming, LVO[92]
  • 2024–present: Mrs. John Armstrong[92]
  • 2024–present: Mrs. Dolly Maude[92]
  • 2024–present: Mrs. Simon (Susan) Rhodes, LVO[92]
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Household of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh

The Household of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh provides administrative support to the Duke of Edinburgh, youngest brother of the King, and to his wife, the Duchess of Edinburgh. While their private residence is Bagshot Park, their office, headed by the private secretary, is based at Buckingham Palace.

In 1980 of Sqn Ldr Adam Wise was appointed to assist the Prince with his work – although he still shared staff with the Queen and Prince Andrew. In 1983, Wise was promoted to wing commander and appointed Private Secretary to Princes Edward and Andrew, severing his link with The Royal Household. He left in 1987, when Lt Col. Sean O'Dwyer was appointed – also jointly with Prince Andrew.

Private Secretaries to the Earl and Countess of Wessex

Private Secretary to the Duke of Edinburgh

Private Secretary to the Duchess of Edinburgh

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Lesser households

Household of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester

Household of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent

  • Private Secretary to Prince Michael of Kent, GCVO at Kensington Palace: Mr Nicholas Chance, CVO (1997–2016)[102][103]

Former households

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Household of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra

Main article: Household of Edward VII and Alexandra

Household of King George V and Queen Mary

Main article: Household of George V and Mary

Household of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother

This is an incomplete list of those who served Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.

Comptroller

Equerries

Extra Equerries
Temporary Equerries
  • 1955: Major George Raymond Seymour[110]
  • 1956–1958: Maj. John Griffin
  • 1958–1960: Capt. William Richardson
  • 1960–1964: Capt. Alastair Aird[111]
  • 1980–1982: Capt. Ashe Windham
  • 1982–1984: Capt. the Hon. Jeremy Stopford
  • 1984–1986: Capt. Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton
  • 1986–1988 Capt. Niall Hall
  • 1988–1990 Capt. Giles Bassett
  • ?–1994: Capt. Edward Dawson-Damer
  • 1994–?: Maj. Colin Burgess
  • 2000–2002: Capt. Mark Grayson

Ladies-in-Waiting

  • 1923–1926: Lady Katharine Meade
  • 1926–1932: Lady Helen Graham
  • 1932–1936: Lettice Bowlby
  • 1985–2002: Jane Walker-Okeover
  • 1990–2002: Lady Margaret Colville
  • 1991–2002: Margaret Rhodes[112]
  • 1993–2002: Jennifer Gordon-Lennox
Extra Ladies-in-Waiting
  • 1929–?: Lady Annaly

Ladies of the Bedchamber

  • 1937–1941: Viscountess Halifax (extra 1946–?)
  • 1937–1947: Lady Nunburnholme
  • 1937–1972: Countess Spencer DCVO OBE[113]
  • 1937–1994: Viscountess Hambleden GCVO (as Dowager Viscountess from 1948)
  • 1945–1967: Lady Harlech (extra 1941–1945; as Dowager Lady from 1964)
  • 1947–1979: The Countess of Scarbrough as Dowager Countess from 1969
  • 1973–2002: Lady Grimthorpe (daughter of the above Countess of Scarbrough)
  • 1994–2002: The Countess of Scarbrough (daughter-in-law of the above Countess of Scarbrough)

Lord Chamberlain

Mistress of the Robes

Pages of Honour

Press secretary

  • 1956–2001: Sir John Griffin

Private secretaries

Assistant private secretaries

Treasurers

Women of the Bedchamber

  • 1937–1939: Lady Helen Graham
  • 1937–1960: Lady Katharine Seymour
  • 1937–1961: Marion Hyde, Lady Hyde
  • 1937–1944: Lettice Bowlby
  • 1939–?: Lady Adelaide Peel
  • 1944–1947: Lady Mary Herbert
  • 1947–2001: Lady Jean Rankin
  • 1951–1961: The Hon Olivia Mulholland
  • 1960–1993: Lady Ruth Burke Roche, Baroness Fermoy[124]
  • 1961–1963: Lady Mary Harvey
  • 1965–2002: Dame Frances Campbell-Preston DCVO
  • 1981–2002: Lady Angela Oswald CVO
Extra Women of the Bedchamber
Temporary Women of the Bedchamber
  • 1963–1965: Lady Caroline Douglas-Home

Apothecaries

Physicians

  • 1936–?: George Frederick Still
  • 1936–?: Sir John Weir
  • 1936–?: Henry Letheby Tidy
  • 1936–?: Daniel Thomas Davies

Surgeons

Surgeon-Apothecary

  • 1956–?: Richard May Esq.

Honorific positions

Household of Queen Elizabeth II

Main article: Household of Elizabeth II

Household of the Duke of Edinburgh

The Household of the Duke of Edinburgh provided administrative support to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. It was based at Buckingham Palace, and was headed by his Private Secretary—the Treasurer (part-time 1970–1976) was formerly the senior officer. An equerry (a major or equivalent from any of the three armed services), and three temporary equerries (usually a captain from the Royal Marines, a captain from the Grenadier Guards, and a captain from the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) were part of the household.

Treasurers

Private Secretaries

Household of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall

The Household of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall was the organised office and support system for Charles, Prince of Wales, and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. At the time of their 2009 annual review[136] the Office of the Prince of Wales had the full-time equivalent of 121 staff.[137] The head of the Household was the Principal Private Secretary, Clive Alderton. Senior officials included the Deputy Private Secretary, a senior diplomat seconded from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office to advise The Prince on Foreign and Commonwealth affairs, Scott Furssedonn-Wood; Master of the Household, Earl of Rosslyn; the Treasurer, Andrew Wright; Communications Secretary, Julian Payne; and the Equerry, Commander Iain Kearsley RN.

In 2000, the Prince revived a tradition of having an official harpist, a role last seen under Queen Victoria. The first holder of the office was Catrin Finch, followed in 2004 by Jemima Phillips, and in 2007 by Claire Jones. Following Prince Charles's accession to the throne in 2022, the role has been referred to as King's Harpist.[54]

The Prince of Wales' Office was principally based at Clarence House, London, but also occupied rooms in the rest of St James's Palace. There were also offices for official staff at Highgrove House and Birkhall House, the Prince's private residences.

Most of the expenses incurred in operating the office came from the Prince's private appanage, the Duchy of Cornwall. The only significant costs met by grant-in-aid provided by the Government was for the upkeep of Clarence House, and for official travel by air and rail, and for communications support.

Details of the Prince's Senior Staff were available in his office's annual reports.[138] The following titles all have "to/of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall" suffixed when written in full. Prior to the Prince's 2005 marriage, they were instead suffixed "to/of The Prince of Wales".

Principal Private Secretaries

Private Secretaries

Masters of the Household

Deputy Masters of the Household

  • 2006–2009: Andrew Farquharson

Treasurers

  • –2005: Kevin Knott
  • 2005–2012: Leslie Ferrar
  • 2012–: Andrew Wright

Deputy Private Secretaries

Assistant Private Secretaries

  • 1994–1998: Mrs Manon Williams[150]
  • 2000–2003: Nigel Baker[151]
  • 2002–2005: Paul Kefford
  • 2003–2005: James Kidner
  • 2003–2005: Mark Leishman
  • 2004–2005: Mrs Manon Williams[150]
  • 2005–: Joy Camm & Amanda MacManus (each part-time)[152]
  • 2005–2007: Katy Golding[152]
  • 2006–: Jonathan Hellewell
  • 2006–2008: Anita Kumar
  • 2008–: Sophie Densham LVO
  • 2008: Shilpa Sinha
  • ?–2011: Sarah Kennedy-Good[61]
  • 2011–2013: Joshua Puls MVO[153]
  • 2013–2015: Craig Kowalik MVO[154]
  • ?–*: Emily Cherrington[61]
  • 2015–2017: Melissa Hayden-Clarke
  • 2017–2019: Bernadette Smith
  • 2019–2022: Jennifer Jordan-Saifi
  • 2020–2022: Claire Saunders

Equerries

  • 1970–1972: Lt the Hon. Nicholas Soames, 11th Hussars[155]
  • c.1971: Lt David Wilson
  • 1972–: Lt Gilbert Kerruish, RRW
  • 1976–1978 Capt. T P G N Ward Welsh Guards
  • c.1976–1977: Capt. Alun James Davies, RRW
  • 1977–: Capt. Christopher Haslett Elliott, RRW
  • c.1979: Capt. Anthony Asquith, RRW
  • –1982: Maj. Quentin Winter, PARA
  • 1982–1984: Maj. David Bromhead
  • 1984–1986: Maj. Jack Stenhouse
  • 1986–1987: Lt Col. Brian Anderson
  • 1987–1989: Maj. Christopher Lavender
  • 1989–1991: Cdr Alastair Watson
  • 1991–1994: Lt Cdr Robert Fraser
  • 1994–1996: Maj. Patrick Tabor
  • 1996–1999: Lt Cdr John Lavery
  • 1999–2002: Lt Cdr William Entwisle
  • 2002–2004: Lt Cdr Alastair Graham
  • 2003–2004: Maj. Rupert Lendrum (Senior Equerry)
  • 2004–2006: Wing Cdr Richard Pattle, RAF
  • 2006–2008: Sqn Ldr Jayne Casebury, RAF
  • 2008–2011: Maj. Will Mackinlay The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
  • 2011–2013: Maj. Peter Flynn, Parachute Regiment[61]
  • 2013–2015: Maj. David Bevan, Welsh Guards
  • 2015–2018: Maj. Harry Pilcher, Queen's Dragoon Guards
  • 2018–2020: Cdr. Iain Kearsley, Royal Navy
  • 2020–2022: Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Thompson, Royal Regiment of Scotland

Assistant Masters of the Household

  • 2007–: The Honourable Virginia Carington, LVO
    • as "Special Assistant" until 2007
    • as "Assistant Master of the Household" since 2007

Communications Secretary

  • 2016–2021: Julian Payne
  • 2021–2022: Simon Enright[82]
  • 2022: Tobyn Andreae[82]

Household of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex

In 2013, it was announced that Prince Harry had appointed former Household Cavalry captain, Edward Lane Fox, as his private secretary effective July 2013.[156]

In March 2019, it was announced that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would establish a new household for themselves, following the birth of their child in spring as well as the move of their official residence to Frogmore Cottage, with their office set to be located at Buckingham Palace.[157] Following the decision to step back from royal duties, it was announced in February 2020 that they would close their office at Buckingham Palace.[158]

List of Household staff

Private Secretary to the Duke of Sussex
  • 2013–2018: Edward Lane Fox[64]
Private Secretary to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex
  • 2018–2019: Samantha Cohen[159]
  • 2019–2020: Fiona Mcilwham[160]
Deputy Private Secretary to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex
  • 2019–2020: Heather Wong[160]
Assistant Private Secretary to the Duchess of Sussex
  • 2018–2019: Amy Pickerill[159]
Personal Assistant to the Duchess of Sussex
  • 2018: Melissa Touabti[161]
Communication Secretary to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex
  • 2019–2020: Sara Latham[81]
Assistant Communication Secretary to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex
Projects Manager to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex
  • 2018–2020: Clara Madden[164]
Digital Communications Lead to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex
  • 2019–2020: David Watkins[165]

Household of the Duke of York

The Household of the Duke of York provided administrative support for the royal duties of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, along with his immediate family. From 1971, Prince Andrew (then aged 11 years), had the assistance of one of the Queen's equerries when required. The first was Sqn Ldr Peter Beer, who served until he was replaced by Maj. George Broke Royal Artillery in 1974, and Lt Cdr Robert Guy RN in 1977.

It was only with the appointment in 1980 of Sqn Ldr Adam Wise, that the Prince could be said to have acquired the assistance of his own staff – although he was still shared with the Queen and Prince Edward. In 1983, Wise was promoted to wing commander and appointed Private Secretary to Princes Andrew and Edward, severing his link with The Royal Household. He left the Duke of York's service in 1987, when Lt Col. Sean O'Dwyer was appointed – also jointly with Prince Edward.

The Duke of York was assisted by a private secretary, deputy private secretary, assistant private secretary and equerry. There were an office assistant, and a handful of personal staff including cook and butler. The Duke of York's office was based at Buckingham Palace, and the Duke has a residence at the Royal Lodge, Windsor, into which he moved during 2004, from Sunninghill Park, Ascot.

In December 2022, it was reported that as a non-working member of the royal family he would no longer have an office at Buckingham Palace.[166]

Private Secretaries to the Duke of York

Assistant Private Secretaries to the Duke of York

  •  ?–present: James Upsher[171]

Equerry to the Duke of York

  • 2014-2017: Lieutenant Jack Cooper, RN
  • 2017–2019: Captain Edward Monckton[172]
  • 2019–: Lieutenant Commander Alex Davies, RN[172]
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See also

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Citations

References

Further reading

External links

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