Royal Households of the United Kingdom

Terminology

The royal household refers to the personnel providing domestic service to the monarch. Historically, the royal court included the household in addition to long-term and short-term guests of the monarch, referred to as courtiers. The royal court of the United Kingdom is officially named the Court of St James's because St. James's Palace is the monarch's official residence. No monarch has lived at St. James's Palace since 1837, but ambassadors to the United Kingdom are still formally accredited to the Court of St. James's.

The term 'Househoulde' first appears in English in 1382, and it began to be used for the king and his entourage shortly afterwards (c. 1387). Prior to this date Latin terms were used (e.g. domus regia (12th century) or hospitium regis (13th century)); Latin terms continued to be used, alongside English ones, until the 1550s. The word 'court' (as in royal court) first appears in the 12th century, but, together with the word 'courtier', only came into common use in this context in the late 1470s, foreshadowing the more lavish and public displays of courtly life that characterised the Tudor period.

The terminology of 'Hall' and 'Chamber' appears from an early date; in time it came to refer not only to significant and sizeable rooms in the royal palaces but also to the principal administrative divisions of the Royal Household (overseen respectively by a steward and a chamberlain). Under the Steward were placed all the 'below stairs' offices of the Household, responsible for the provision of food, drink, fuel and candles to the king and his court; whereas the Chamberlain had charge of the 'above stairs' offices, which supported the public life of the monarch and all kinds of court ceremonial. The equivalent 'outdoor' office was termed the Stables (overseen by a marshal). Over time, lesser rooms (such as the Wardrobe and the Bedchamber) likewise became metonyms for departments of the Household that, in their time, wielded significant powers.

In the 15th century an ambiguity arose with regard to terminology: the two principal divisions (overseen by the Lord Steward and Lord Chamberlain) began to be referred to as the Household and Chamber respectively, (rather than the Hall and Chamber); this usage only began to recede following the formation of the Lord Steward's Department and the Lord Chamberlain's Department in the late 18th century.

History

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". 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.

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. 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 that 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 a Germanic king's chosen warrior companions (Latin: comitatus) who pledged to defend and, when necessary, die with their king. In return for their loyalty, the king gifted these companions food, treasure, and land. In the pagan period, the thyle (Latin: orator) was also a member of the household. He was part counselor, storyteller, and entertainer. With Christianisation, priests assumed prominent roles in the household. The thyle disappeared, his role as counselor taken over by the priests and as entertainer by the scop or minstrel.

The king's companion evolved into the king's thegn (Latin: minister regis), an aristocratic land-owning class. According to Asser's Life of King Alfred, Alfred the Great (r. 871–899) divided his thegns into three groups with each group living one month at court and two months at their own estates in rotation. Alfred made his court into a center of learning, and the sons of nobles were sent there to be educated.

Some thegns had specific duties within the household. In his will, King Eadred (r. 946–955) bequeathed money to various officials. The highest ranking officers received 80 gold mancuses each:

Dish-thegns (Old English: discðegnas), or seneschals, supervised the royal table. The æthelings or princes had their own dish-thegn.

Raiment-thegns (Old English: hræglðegnas), or chamberlains, served in the royal apartments and wardrobe. These officials were also called bur-thegns (Old English: burðegnas).

Byrelas (Latin: pincernae), or butlers, served as cup-bearers and supervised the royal cellar.

King Eadred also bequeathed thirty mancuses to each steward Old English: stigweard. It is possible that stewards were responsible for administering royal estates There were also marshals (horsethegns) in charge of the royal stables and household travel.

These officials were men of high status, not menial servants. Osburh, daughter of Oslac the butler, married King Æthelwulf (r. 839–858) and was the mother of King Alfred. Historian Ann Williams writes of Oslac, "Obviously his duties did not include personally cleaning the family silver or decanting the port, though he presumably oversaw those who did perform analogous tasks."

Anglo-Norman period (1066–1154)

After the Norman Conquest the ducal household of Normandy (with seneschal, cup-bearer, chamberlain and constable) appears to have been replicated in England and merged into the English court. The Anglo-Norman French term 'seneschal' came to be translated as 'steward' in English.

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. The senior figures (according to their remuneration) were:

the chancellor (Latin: cancellarius)

the seneschals (or stewards) (Latin: dapiferi)

the master butler (Latin: magister pincerna)

the master chamberlain (Latin: magister camerarius)

the treasurer (Latin: thesaurarius)

the constables (Latin: constabularii)

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.

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 was a senior churchman and head of the Chapel; he also had custody of the great seal, used to validate documents issued in the king's name. Working under him were the master of the writing office (magister scriptorii), the chaplain keeper (capellanus custos) of the chapel and relics, and several clerks. The clerks (who were clerics) drafted official documents and 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 chancellor's department (the chancery) was named after the screen (Latin cancella) which separated the clerks from the main body of the hall.

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. 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). He had his headquarters in the Exchequer, however, and is not generally considered an officer 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. 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).

As part of this process, the above-mentioned great officers of state ceased to attend court except on State or special occasions. 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. As regards the latter's domestic duties, a 'Marshal of the Household' (later known as the Knight Marshal) maintained discipline within the Verge from the 13th century, while a 'Marshal of the Exchequer' took care of the marshal's erstwhile financial duties.

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. Although not hereditary, these high offices were routinely offered for sale or rent, until reforms were enacted in the 13th century.

The Tudor period (1485–1603)

Under Henry VII the Chamber was equipped once again to serve as a powerful and efficient financial office, to be funded by income from the Crown lands (bypassing the Exchequer). In 1487, Henry revived the office of Treasurer of the Chamber in order to secure and manage this income. These arrangements were maintained for a time, until the departments of State were reformed under Thomas Cromwell, beginning in the 1530s.

In 1495 King Henry VII effected an administrative separation between the Chamber (which, under the Chamberlain, continued to retain its public and ceremonial character and functions) and the Privy Chamber (which, under the Groom of the Stool, was separated off as a more private and intimate space). Under Henry VII the Privy Chamber was staffed by relatively humble servants who took care of the king's more personal requirements and bodily needs; but under his successor, King Henry VIII, it began to be filled with close companions of high birth and influence.

Henry had come 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 Gentilshommes de la Chambre ('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. 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.

Before long the Privy Chamber became a "fully fledged third department of the Royal Household", eclipsing both Chamber and Household in its prestige and in power. By the end of the 1530s it was functioning as a fully autonomous financial and administrative office with its own paid staff. The six Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber were akin to the king's chief ministers: they had oversight of the Privy Purse and administered the royal sign-manual.

The Chief Gentleman of the Privy Chamber was the Groom of the Stool, who thus became one of the most powerful officials in the household: he acted as a royal gatekeeper, allowing or denying other officials access to the privy lodgings (and thus to the monarch). In addition to the Gentlemen, the Privy Chamber had its own select staff, who operated under the Groom of the Stool (rather than the Lord Chamberlain): two Gentlemen Ushers of the Privy Chamber kept the doors, and oversaw the serving of meals and other practical arrangements; they were assisted by four Grooms of the Privy Chamber. The king's barber and a page were also in attendance daily.

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). Within this structure, however, he created the office of Gentleman of the Bedchamber to which he appointed members of his Scottish entourage. 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).

After the Restoration, Charles II reconstituted the Royal Household without seeking to reduce its size (which had previously grown large and expensive). 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'. 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. 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. (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).

Modern day

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.

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.

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.

The King and Queen

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.

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'.

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. 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".

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. 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. The Queen's companions are the Marchioness of Lansdowne, Jane von Westenholz, The Hon. Lady Brooke, Sarah Troughton, Lady Sarah Keswick and Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen. Major Ollie Plunket serves as the Queen's equerry. Queen Elizabeth II's ladies-in-waiting were given new roles as "ladies of the household".

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.

The Great Officers of the Household are, in order of seniority, the Lord Steward, the Lord Chamberlain and the Master of the Horse. 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.

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

The Private Secretary to the Sovereign (Sir Clive Alderton 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 2025, they have both been held by James Chalmers.

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

The Lord Chamberlain's Office, led by its Comptroller current Colonel Edwyn Launders MBE, is responsible for official royal occasions.

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

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.

The Scottish Royal Household

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:

Lord High Constable – Merlin Hay, 24th Earl of Erroll

Master of the Household – Torquhil Campbell, 13th Duke of Argyll

Keeper of the Palace of Holyroodhouse – Alexander Douglas-Hamilton, 16th Duke of Hamilton

Armour-Bearer and Squire of His Majesty's Body – traditionally held by the Setons of Touch

Bearer of the Royal Banner – Alexander Scrymgeour, 12th Earl of Dundee

Bearer of the National Flag of Scotland – Ian Maitland, 18th Earl of Lauderdale

Lord Justice General of Scotland – Paul Cullen, Lord Pentland

Great Steward of Scotland – Prince William, Duke of Rothesay

Ecclesiastical officers of the Ecclesiastical Household of Scotland:

Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland – Lady Elish Angiolini

Household of the Prince and Princess of Wales

A part-time Private Secretary to Prince William and Prince Harry (James Lowther-Pinkerton 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.

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. 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. Until the moves were complete, their Household remained based at St James's Palace and continued to be shared.

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. 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. 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 Irish Guards (Retd.) 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.

Private Secretary to the Duke of Cambridge

2013–2018: Miguel Head

2018–2020: Simon Case

2020–2021: Christian Jones

Private Secretary to the Prince of Wales

2021–2024: Jean-Christophe Gray

2024–present: Ian Patrick

Private Secretary to the Duchess of Cambridge

2013–2017: Rebecca Deacon

2017–2019: Catherine Quinn

2020–2022: Hannah Cockburn-Logie

Private Secretary to the Princess of Wales

2024–present: Tom White

Assistant Private Secretary to the Duke of Cambridge

2018–2022: Zoë Ware

Assistant Private Secretary to the Princess of Wales

2017–: Natalie Barrows

Household of the Princess Royal

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

1974–1976: Major Benjamin Herman

1976–1982: Major Nicholas Lawson

1982–1997: Lieutenant Colonel Sir Peter Gibbs

1997–1999: Rupert McGuigan

1999–2002: Colonel Timothy Earl

2002–2019: Captain Sir Nick Wright

2019–2024: Charles Davies

2024–present: Colonel John Boyd

Assistant Private Secretary

2010–present: Commander Anne Sullivan LVO RN

1988-1997: The Hon. Madeleine Dillon, afterwards Mrs Louloudis

Office Secretary

?–: Mrs Isabella Ward

?–: Mrs Anne King

Extra Equerry to the Princess Royal

2019–: Captain Sir Nicholas Wright

Ladies in Waiting to the Princess Royal

1977–present: Mrs Malcolm (later Dame Celia) Innes (Extra Lady-in-Waiting 1987-1998)

1987–present: Mrs Timothy Holderness Roddam

1988–present: Mrs Charles Ritchie

1992–present: Mrs William Nunneley

1992–present: Mrs David Bowes Lyon

1997–present: The Hon. Mrs Louloudis

1970–2024: Miss Mary Dawnay, afterwards Mrs Richard (later Lady) Carew Pole (Extra Lady-in-Waiting 1975-1986)

1970–2024: Miss Rowena Brassey, afterwards Mrs Andrew (later Dame Rowena) Feilden (Extra Lady-in-Waiting 1987-1990)

1978–2024: The Hon. Mrs (later Dame Shân) Legge-Bourke

2005–2024: Mrs. Brian Hammond

1974-2016: Miss Victoria Lindsay Legge-Bourke (Extra Lady-in-Waiting 1987-1998)

1987-1991: Mrs Malcolm Wallace

1987-1988: The Leonora, Countess of Lichfield (Extra Lady-in-Waiting 1981-1986, 1989–present)

Extra Ladies-in-Waiting to the Princess Royal

2023–present: Mrs Susanna Cross

2024–present: Lady McFarlane

2024–present: Lady Elizabeth Leeming

2024–present: Mrs John Armstrong

2024–present: Mrs Dolly Maude

2024–present: Mrs Simon (Susan) Rhodes, LVO

Household of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh

The Household of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh provides administrative support to the Prince Edward, 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.

Private Secretary and Equerry to the Prince Edward

In 1980 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 appointed Private Secretary and Equerry to the Princes Edward and Andrew. When he stepped down in 1987, Lt Col. Sean O'Dwyer was appointed – also jointly with Prince Andrew.

1983–1987: Sqn Ldr Adam Wise

1987–2001: Lt Col. Sean O'Dwyer Irish Guards (Retd.)

Private Secretary to the Earl and Countess of Wessex

2002–2014: Brig. John Smedley

2014–2018: Mr. Tim Roberts

Private Secretary to the Duke of Edinburgh

2019–2023: Captain Andrew Aspden

2023–present: Brigadier Alexander Potts

Private Secretary to the Duchess of Edinburgh

2019–present: Captain Alexander Stonor

Lady-in-Waiting to the Duchess of Edinburgh

2011-??: Mrs Amy Mayes

2009-??: Miss Sarah Sienesi

2007-??: Miss Suzanne Lofthouse (Extra Lady in Waiting) (also Assistant Private Secretary)

Lesser households

Household of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester

Lady-in-waiting to the Duchess of Gloucester: Mrs Susan Wigley

Household of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent

Private Secretary to Prince Michael of Kent at Kensington Palace: Mr Nicholas Chance (1997–2016)

Former households

Household of the Duke of Edinburgh

The Household of the Duke of Edinburgh provided administrative support to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh as consort of Queen Elizabeth II; it was based at Buckingham Palace. (Before his wife's accession they had maintained a joint household). The Household was initially composed of a Treasurer (the senior officer), a Private Secretary an Equerry and an Extra Equerry. The posts of Treasurer and Private Secretary were sometimes combined.

1952–1959: Lt Gen. Sir Frederick Browning

Acting, 1957–1960: Capt. David Alexander

1959–1970: R Adm Sir Christopher Bonham-Carter (served as Treasurer and Private Secretary from July–December 1970)

1970–1982: Lord Rupert Nevill (Private Secretary and Treasurer from 1976)

1982–1984: Sir Richard Davies

1984–2000: Sir Brian McGrath (Private Secretary and Treasurer until 1993)

1952–1957: Lt Cdr Michael Parker

1957–1970: James Orr

1970–1976: Cdr William Willett

1976–1982: Lord Rupert Nevill (Private Secretary and Treasurer)

1982–1993: Brian McGrath, Esq. (Private Secretary and Treasurer from 1984)

1993–2010: Brigadier Sir Miles Hunt-Davis (Private Secretary and Treasurer from 2000)

2010–2021: Brigadier Archie Miller-Bakewell (Private Secretary and Treasurer)

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 the Office of the Prince of Wales had the full-time equivalent of 121 staff. 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.

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. 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".

2005–12 September 2011: Sir Michael Peat

12 September 2011 – 2015: William Nye

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.

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. Following the decision to step back from royal duties, it was announced in February 2020 that they would close their office at Buckingham Palace.

Private Secretary to the Duke of Sussex

2013–2018: Edward Lane Fox

Private Secretary to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex

2018–2019: Samantha Cohen

2019–2020: Fiona Mcilwham

Deputy Private Secretary to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex

2019–2020: Heather Wong

Assistant Private Secretary to the Duke of Sussex

2019–2020: Robert Reader

Assistant Private Secretary to the Duchess of Sussex

2018–2019: Amy Pickerill

Personal Assistant to the Duchess of Sussex

2018: Melissa Touabti

Communication Secretary to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex

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 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.

1983–1987: Wg Cdr Adam Wise

1987–1990: Lt Col. Sean O'Dwyer Irish Guards (Retd.)

1990–2001: Capt. Neil Blair

2001–2003: Cdr Charlotte Manley

2003–2012: Maj. Alastair Watson

2012–2020: Amanda Thirsk

?–present: James Upsher

2014-2017: Lieutenant Jack Cooper, RN