Household of Elizabeth II


The Royal Households of the United Kingdom consist of royal officials and the supporting staff of the British royal family, as well as the Royal Household which supports the Sovereign. Each member of the Royal Family who undertakes public duties has their own separate household.
When Elizabeth II was still a Princess she married Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh on 20 November 1947. After that marriage they shared the Household of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.
When she succeeded her father George VI as sovereign of the United Kingdom, she appointed a new household, known as the Household of the Sovereign 1952–2022.
The Duke of Edinburgh then received a separate household upon his wife's accession, the Household of the Duke of Edinburgh until his death in 2021.
With the passing of the Queen on 8 September 2022 the Household of the Sovereign passed to her son, King Charles III.

Great officers of the Household

Lord Chamberlain

The Lord Chamberlain of the Household is the highest-ranking official of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom, overseeing the departments that support and provide advice to the Sovereign of the United Kingdom, while also acting as the main channel of communication between the Sovereign and the House of Lords.
NameBeganEndedNotes
George Villiers, 6th Earl of Clarendon5 August 19521952His tenure carried over from the reign of King George VI
Roger Lumley, 11th Earl of Scarbrough19521963
Cameron Cobbold, 1st Baron Cobbold29 January 196330 November 1971
Charles Maclean, Baron Maclean1 December 197130 November 1984
David Ogilvy, 13th Earl of Airlie1 December 198431 December 1997
Thomas Stonor, 7th Baron Camoys1 January 199831 May 2000
Richard Luce, Baron Luce1 October 200015 October 2006
William Peel, 3rd Earl Peel16 October 200631 March 2021
Andrew Parker, Baron Parker of Minsmere1 April 20218 September 2022His tenure carried over into the reign of King Charles III

Vice Chamberlain

The Vice-Chamberlain of the Household is usually a junior government whip in the British House of Commons and is the Deputy to the Lord Chamberlain. The Vice Chamberlain's main duties are to compile a daily private report for the Sovereign on the proceedings in the House of Commons and to transmit addresses from the Commons to the Sovereign and vice versa.
NameEntered officeLeft officeNotesReference
Henry Studholme5 August 1952; tenure began 7 November 19511956He began his tenure under King George VI
Richard Thompson19561957
Peter Legh19571959Became Treasurer of the Household; succeeded as The Lord Newton in 1960
Edward Wakefield19591960Became Treasurer of the Household
Richard Brooman-White19601960
Graeme Finlay19601964
William Whitlock19641966
Jack McCann19661967
Charles Morris19671969Became Treasurer of the Household
Alan Fitch19691970
Jasper More19701971
Bernard Weatherill19711972Became Comptroller of the Household; created The Lord Weatherill in 1992
Walter Clegg19721973Became Comptroller of the Household
Paul Hawkins19731974
Don Concannon19741974
James Hamilton19741978Became Comptroller of the Household
Donald Coleman19781979
Anthony Berry19791981Became Comptroller of the Household
Carol Mather19811983Became Comptroller of the Household
Robert Boscawen19831986Became Comptroller of the Household
Tristan Garel-Jones19861988Became Comptroller of the Household; created The Lord Garel-Jones in 1997
Michael Neubert19881988
Tony Durant19881990
David Lightbown19901990Became Comptroller of the Household
John Mark Taylor19901992
Sydney Chapman19921995
Timothy Kirkhope19951996
Andrew MacKay19961996
Derek Conway19961997
Janet Anderson19971998
Graham Allen19982001
Gerry Sutcliffe20012003
Jim Fitzpatrick20032005
John Heppell20052007
Liz Blackman20072008
Claire Ward20082009
Helen Jones20092010
Mark Francois20102012
Greg Knight20122013Previously Treasurer of the Household 1993-96
Desmond Swayne20132014
Anne Milton20142015
Kris Hopkins20152016
Julian Smith20162017Became Treasurer of the Household
Chris Heaton-Harris20172018Became Comptroller of the Household
Mark Spencer20182018Became Comptroller of the Household
Andrew Stephenson20182019
Craig Whittaker20192019
Stuart Andrew20192020Became Treasurer of the Household
Marcus Jones20202021Became Comptroller of the Household
James Morris20212022
Michael Tomlinson20222022
Jo Churchill20222022Her tenure carried over into the reign of King Charles III

Lord Steward

The Lord Steward of the Household manages the Treasurer of the Household and Comptroller of the Household, who rank next to him. The appointee is always a peer, and is the first dignitary of the court.
NameBeganEndedNotes
Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of Hamilton5 August 1952; tenure began 1 June 19401964He began this position in 1940 under King George VI; his tenure carried over into Elizabeth II's reign
Gerald Grosvenor, 4th Duke of Westminster19641967
Charles Lyttelton, 10th Viscount Cobham19671972
Hugh Percy, 10th Duke of Northumberland19731988
Matthew White Ridley, 4th Viscount Ridley19892001
James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Abercorn20012009
James Ramsay, 17th Earl of Dalhousie20098 September 2022His tenure carried over into the reign of King Charles III

Treasurer of the Household

The Treasurer of the Household is usually held by one of the government deputy Chief Whips in the House of Commons. The Treasurer is automatically a member of the privy council.

Comptroller of the Household

The Comptroller of the Household is nominally the second-ranking member of the Lord Steward's department after the Treasurer of the Household. In recent times, a senior government whip has invariably occupied the office. On state occasions the Comptroller, in common with certain other senior officers of the Household, carries a white staff of office, as often seen in portraits.
NameEntered officeLeft officeNotes
Roger John Edward Conant5 August 1952, had served as Comptroller since 19511954
Tam Galbraith19541955
Hendrie Oakshott19551957
Gerald Wills19571958
Sir Edward Wakefield, 1st Baronet195816 January 1959
Harwood Harrison16 January 19596 July 1961
Robin Chichester-Clark6 July 19611964
Charles Grey19641966
William Whitlock 19661967
William Howie19671968
Ioan Evans19681970
Walter Elliot19701970
Reginald Eyre19707 April 1972
Bernard Weatherill7 April 19722 December 1973
Walter Clegg2 December 197328 February 1974
Joseph Harper28 February 197424 June 1978
James Hamilton24 June 19787 May 1979
Spencer Le Marchant7 May 197930 September 1981
Anthony Berry30 September 198117 February 1983
Carol Mather17 February 198316 October 1986
Robert Boscawen16 October 198626 July 1988
Tristan Garel-Jones26 July 198825 July 1989
Alastair Goodlad25 July 198914 July 1990
Sir George Young, 6th Baronet14 July 199028 November 1990
David Lightbown28 November 199012 December 1995
Timothy Wood12 December 19952 May 1997
Tommy McAvoy2 May 19975 October 2008
John Spellar5 October 200811 May 2010
Alistair Carmichael11 May 20107 October 2013
Don Foster7 October 201311 May 2015
Gavin Barwell11 May 201517 July 2016
Mel Stride17 July 20162 June 2017
Christopher Pincher15 June 20175 November 2017
Chris Heaton-Harris9 January 20189 July 2018
Mark Spencer15 July 201834 July 2019
Jeremy Quin28 July 20196 December 2019
Mike Freer16 December 20196 September 2021
Marcus Jones17 September 20218 July 2022
Rebecca Harris8 July 20228 September 2022Her tenure carried over into the reign of King Charles III