Lord Great Chamberlain
Clash Royale CLAN TAG#URR8PPP | Lord Great Chamberlain of the United Kingdom | |
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 The Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom as used by HM Government | |
 Incumbent Office held jointly by:
Last updated 22 July 2018 The 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley exercises the office for ceremonial purposes and sits in the House of Lords, as the majority holder. | |
| Appointer | Hereditary |
| Formation | c. 1126 |
| First holder | Robert Malet |
| Salary | Unpaid |
In the United Kingdom, the Lord Great Chamberlain is the sixth of the Great Officers of State (not to be confused with the Great Offices of State), ranking beneath the Lord Privy Seal and above the Lord High Constable. The Lord Great Chamberlain has charge over the Palace of Westminster (though since the 1960s his personal authority has been limited to the royal apartments and Westminster Hall).
On formal state occasions, he wears a distinctive scarlet court uniform and bears a gold key and a white stave as the insignia of his office.
The position is a hereditary one, held since 1780 in gross. At any one time, a single person actually exercises the office of Lord Great Chamberlain. The various individuals who hold fractions of the Lord Great Chamberlainship are technically each Joint Hereditary Lord Great Chamberlain, and the right to exercise the office for a given reign rotates proportionately to the fraction of the office held. For instance, the Marquesses of Cholmondeley hold one-half of the office, and may therefore exercise the office or appoint a deputy every alternate reign. (A Deputy Lord Great Chamberlain is a person exercising the office who is not personally a co-heir to the office; historically these have been sons or husbands of co-heirs as the office has never been exercised by a woman, as women were barred from sitting in the Lords until the present reign).
The office of Lord Great Chamberlain is distinct from the non-hereditary office of Lord Chamberlain of the Household, a position in the monarch's household. This office arose in the 14th century as a deputy of the Lord Great Chamberlain to fulfil the latter's duties in the Royal Household, but now they are quite distinct.
The House of Lords Act 1999 removed the automatic right of hereditary peers to sit in the House of Lords, but the Act provided that a hereditary peer exercising the office of Lord Great Chamberlain (as well as the Earl Marshal) be exempt from such a rule, in order to perform ceremonial functions.
Contents
1 History of the office
2 Lord Great Chamberlains, 1130–1779
3 Joint hereditary Lord Great Chamberlains, 1780–present
4 Persons exercising the office of Lord Great Chamberlain, 1780–present
5 References
6 External links
History of the office
The Lord Great Chamberlain, the Marquess of Cholmondeley (left), holding his white staff of office; the Lord Speaker, Baroness Hayman; and the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow showing US President Barack Obama around Members' Lobby during a tour of the Palace in May 2011
The office was originally held by Robert Malet, a son of one of the leading companions of William the Conqueror. In 1133, however, King Henry I declared Malet's estates and titles forfeit, and awarded the office of Lord Great Chamberlain to Aubrey de Vere, whose son was created Earl of Oxford. Thereafter, the Earls of Oxford held the title almost continuously until 1526, with a few intermissions due to the forfeiture of some Earls for treason. In 1526, however, the fourteenth Earl of Oxford died, leaving his aunts as his heirs. The earldom was inherited by a more distant heir-male, his second cousin. The Sovereign then decreed that the office belonged to The Crown, and was not transmitted along with the earldom. The Sovereign appointed the fifteenth Earl to the office, but the appointment was deemed for life and was not hereditary. The family's association with the office was interrupted in 1540, when the fifteenth earl died and Thomas Cromwell, the King's chief adviser, was appointed Lord Great Chamberlain.[1] After Cromwell's attainder and execution later the same year, the office passed through a few more court figures, until 1553, when it was passed back to the De Vere family, the sixteenth Earl of Oxford, again as an uninheritable life appointment.[2] Later, Queen Mary I ruled that the Earls of Oxford were indeed entitled to the office of Lord Great Chamberlain on an hereditary basis.
Thus, the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth Earls of Oxford held the position on a hereditary basis until 1626, when the eighteenth Earl died, again leaving a distant relative as heir male, but a closer one as a female heir. The House of Lords eventually ruled that the office belonged to the heir male, Robert Bertie, 14th Baron Willoughby de Eresby, who later became Earl of Lindsey. The office remained vested in the Earls of Lindsey, who later became Dukes of Ancaster and Kesteven. In 1779, however, the fourth Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven died, leaving two sisters as female heirs, and an uncle as an heir male. The uncle became the fifth and last Duke, but the House of Lords ruled that the two sisters were jointly Lord Great Chamberlain and could appoint a Deputy to fulfil the functions of the office. The barony of Willoughby de Eresby went into abeyance between the two sisters, but the Sovereign terminated the abeyance and granted the title to the elder sister, Priscilla Bertie, 21st Baroness Willoughby de Eresby. The younger sister later married the first Marquess of Cholmondeley. The office of Lord Great Chamberlain, however, was divided between Priscilla and her younger sister Georgiana. Priscilla's share was eventually split between two of her granddaughters, and has been split several more times since then. By contrast, Georgiana's share has been inherited by a single male heir each time; that individual has in each case been the Marquess of Cholmondeley, a title created for Georgiana's husband.
The Lord Great Chamberlain also has a major part to play in royal coronations, having the right to dress the monarch on coronation day and to serve the monarch water before and after the coronation banquet, and also being involved in investing the monarch with the insignia of rule.[citation needed]
Lord Great Chamberlains, 1130–1779
| Years | Lord Great Chamberlain |
|---|---|
| 1130-1133 | Robert Malet |
| 1133–1141 | Aubrey de Vere II |
| 1141–1194 | Aubrey de Vere, 1st Earl of Oxford |
| 1194–1214 | Aubrey de Vere, 2nd Earl of Oxford |
| 1214–1221 | Robert de Vere, 3rd Earl of Oxford |
| 1221–1263 | Hugh de Vere, 4th Earl of Oxford |
| 1263–1265 | Robert de Vere, 5th Earl of Oxford |
| 1265–1267 | unclear, perhaps vacant. |
| 1267–1296 | unclear, perhaps again Robert de Vere, 5th Earl of Oxford |
| 1296–1331 | Robert de Vere, 6th Earl of Oxford |
| 1331–1360 | John de Vere, 7th Earl of Oxford |
| 1360–1371 | Thomas de Vere, 8th Earl of Oxford |
| 1371–1388 | Robert de Vere, 9th Earl of Oxford |
| 1389–1399 | John Holland, 1st Duke of Exeter |
| 1399–1400 | Aubrey de Vere, 10th Earl of Oxford |
| 1400–1417 | Richard de Vere, 11th Earl of Oxford |
| 1417–1462 | John de Vere, 12th Earl of Oxford |
| 1462–1475 | John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford |
| 1475–1485 | unclear, perhaps Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland, perhaps still the Earl of Oxford |
| 1485–1513 | John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford |
| 1513–1526 | John de Vere, 14th Earl of Oxford |
| 1526–1540 | John de Vere, 15th Earl of Oxford |
| 1540–1540 | Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex |
| 1540–1542 | Robert Radcliffe, 1st Earl of Sussex |
| 1543–1549 | Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford |
| 1549–1550 | John Dudley, 1st Earl of Warwick |
| 1550–1553 | William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton |
| 1553–1562 | John de Vere, 16th Earl of Oxford |
| 1562–1604 | Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford |
| 1604–1625 | Henry de Vere, 18th Earl of Oxford |
| 1626–1642 | Robert Bertie, 1st Earl of Lindsey |
| 1642–1666 | Montagu Bertie, 2nd Earl of Lindsey |
| 1666–1701 | Robert Bertie, 3rd Earl of Lindsey |
| 1701–1723 | Robert Bertie, 1st Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven |
| 1723–1742 | Peregrine Bertie, 2nd Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven |
| 1742–1778 | Peregrine Bertie, 3rd Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven |
| 1778–1779 | Robert Bertie, 4th Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven |
Joint hereditary Lord Great Chamberlains, 1780–present
The fractions show the holder's share in the office, and the date they held it. The current (as of 2015[update]) holders of the office are shown in bold face.
| Peregrine Bertie, 3rd Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Priscilla Bertie, 21st Baroness Willoughby de Eresby 1⁄2 1780–1828 | Georgiana Cholmondeley, Marchioness of Cholmondeley 1⁄2 1780–1838 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Peter Drummond-Burrell, 22nd Baron Willoughby de Eresby 1⁄2 1828–1865 | George Cholmondeley, 2nd Marquess of Cholmondeley 1⁄2 1838–1870 | William Cholmondeley, 3rd Marquess of Cholmondeley 1⁄2 1870–1884 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Albyric Drummond-Willoughby, 23rd Baron Willoughby de Eresby 1⁄2 1865–1870 | Clementina Drummond-Willoughby, 24th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby 1⁄4 1870–1888 | Charlotte Augusta Carrington, Lady Carrington 1⁄4 1870–1879 | Charles George Cholmondeley, Viscount Malpas | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 1st Earl of Ancaster 1⁄4 1888–1910 | Charles Wynn-Carington, 1st Marquess of Lincolnshire 1⁄4 1879–1928 | George Cholmondeley, 4th Marquess of Cholmondeley 1⁄2 1884–1923 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 2nd Earl of Ancaster 1⁄4 1910–1951 | Marjorie Wilson, Baroness Nunburnholme 1⁄20 1928–1968 | Lady Alexandra Llewellen Palmer 1⁄20 1928–1955 | Ruperta Legge, Countess of Dartmouth 1⁄20 1928–1963 | Judith Keppel, Countess of Albemarle | Lady Victoria Weld-Forester 1⁄20 1928–1966 | George Cholmondeley, 5th Marquess of Cholmondeley 1⁄2 1923–1968 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
James Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 3rd Earl of Ancaster 1⁄4 1951–1983 | Charles Wilson, 3rd Baron Nunburnholme 1⁄20 1968–1974 | Brig. Anthony Llewellen Palmer 1⁄20 1955–1990 | Timothy Llewellen Palmer | Derek Keppel, Viscount Bury 1⁄20 1928–1968 | Sir Henry Legge-Bourke 1⁄20 1966–1973 | Hugh Cholmondeley, 6th Marquess of Cholmondeley 1⁄2 1968–1990 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jane Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 28th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby 1⁄4 1983– | Ben Wilson, 4th Baron Nunburnholme 1⁄20 1974–1998 | Julian Llewellen Palmer 1⁄20 1990–2002 | Rufus Keppel, 10th Earl of Albemarle 1⁄20 1968– | William Legge-Bourke 1⁄20 1973–2009 | David Cholmondeley, 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley 1⁄2 1990– | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nicholas Llewellen Palmer 1⁄20 2002– | Lady Mary Findlay 1⁄100 1963–2003 | Lady Elizabeth Basset 1⁄100 1963–2000 | Lady Diana Matthews 1⁄100 1963–1970 | Lady Barbara Kwiatkowska 1⁄100 1963–2013 | Josceline Chichester, Marchioness of Donegall 1⁄100 1963–1995 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cdr Jonathan Findlay 1⁄100 2003–2015 Christopher Findlay 1⁄100 2015- | Bryan Basset 1⁄100 2000–2010 | Col James Gustavus Hamilton-Russell 1⁄100 1970– | Jan Witold Kwiatkowski 1⁄100 2013– | Patrick Chichester, 8th Marquess of Donegall 1⁄100 1995– | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Hon. Lorraine Wilson 1⁄80 1998– | The Hon. Tatiana Dent 1⁄80 1998– | The Hon. Ines Garton 1⁄80 1998– | The Hon. Ysabel Wilson 1⁄80 1998– | David Basset 1⁄100 2010 | Michael James Basset 1⁄100 2010– | Capt. Harry Russell Legge-Bourke 1⁄20 2009– | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Persons exercising the office of Lord Great Chamberlain, 1780–present
| Acted as Lord Great Chamberlain | Years | Monarch |
|---|---|---|
Peter Burrell, 1st Baron Gwydyr as Deputy | 1780–1820 | George III |
Peter Burrell, 1st Baron Gwydyr as Deputy | 1820–1821 | George IV |
Peter Drummond-Willoughby, 2nd Baron Gwydyr as Deputy | 1821–1828 | |
Peter Drummond-Willoughby, 22nd Baron Willoughby de Eresby | 1828–1830 | |
George Cholmondeley, 2nd Marquess of Cholmondeley as Deputy | 1830–1837 | William IV |
Peter Drummond-Willoughby, 22nd Baron Willoughby de Eresby | 1837–1865 | Victoria |
Albyric Drummond-Willoughby, 23rd Baron Willoughby de Eresby | 1865–1870 | |
Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 2nd Baron Aveland as Deputy | 1871–1888 | |
Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 1st Earl of Ancaster | 1888–1901 | |
George Cholmondeley, 4th Marquess of Cholmondeley | 1901–1910 | Edward VII |
Charles Wynn-Carington, 1st Marquess of Lincolnshire | 1910–1928 | George V |
William Legge, Viscount Lewisham as Deputy | 1928–1936 | |
George Cholmondeley, 5th Marquess of Cholmondeley | 1936 | Edward VIII |
Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 2nd Earl of Ancaster | 1936–1951 | George VI |
James Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 3rd Earl of Ancaster | 1951–1952 | |
George Cholmondeley, 5th Marquess of Cholmondeley | 1952–1966 | Elizabeth II |
George Cholmondeley, Earl of Rocksavage as Deputy [3] | 1966–1968 | |
George Cholmondeley, 6th Marquess of Cholmondeley | 1968–1990 | |
David Cholmondeley, 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley | 1990– |
References
^ Thomas Mortimer (ed.). The British Plutarch. p. 115..mw-parser-output cite.citationfont-style:inherit.mw-parser-output qquotes:"""""""'""'".mw-parser-output code.cs1-codecolor:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registrationcolor:#555.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration spanborder-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-errordisplay:none;font-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-errorfont-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-formatfont-size:95%.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-leftpadding-left:0.2em.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-rightpadding-right:0.2em
^ Loades, D. (2004) Intrigue and Treason: the Tudor Court, 1547–1558 Harlow: Pearson, p.309
^ Later 6th Marquess of Chomondeley
External links
Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Lord Great Chamberlain". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
- www.debretts.com
- 1965 decisions regarding the Lord Great Chamberlain's responsibilities in the Palace of Westminster
- Planning Act 2008, s. 227(5)(h,i)
Principal Office Holders in the House of Lords. House of Lords Library Note (LLN 2015/007), includes a very brief overview of the Lord Great Chamberlain- www.cracroftspeerage.co.uk
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