The Clerk of the Privy Council is a senior civil servant in His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, being Head of the Privy Council Office.
This historic office is less powerful now than it once was and than its Canadian equivalent, whose holder serves ex officio as Head of the Canadian Civil Service, whereas this role in the UK Civil Service has, since 2014, been given to the Cabinet Secretary as the Head of HM Civil Service.
Until 1859 there were multiple — usually four — clerks of the Privy Council. Three of the four positions then extant were progressively abolished in the 19th century until only one remained in 1859. The Clerk of the Privy Council is deputized by one or two Deputy Clerks, although the office of Senior Clerk has been established in the past.
Clerks in Ordinary, 1859–present
May 1859: William Bathurst
June 1860: Sir Arthur Helps
17 March 1875: Sir Charles Lennox Peel
9 August 1898: Sir Almeric FitzRoy
31 May 1923: Sir Maurice Hankey
1 August 1938: Sir Rupert Howorth
1942: Sir Eric Leadbitter
30 June 1951: Major Francis Ford Fernau
1953: Sir Godfrey Agnew
1974: Sir Neville Leigh
1984: Sir Geoffrey de Deney
1992: Sir Nigel Nicholls
1996: Robert Bulling (acting)
1998: Alex Galloway
2007: Judith Simpson
2012: Richard Tilbrook