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The Royal Coats of Arms. 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 ...
Legally, however, he and his successors held separate English and Scottish kingships until the Act of Union of 1707, when the two kingdoms were united as the Kingdom of Great Britain. 3 The United Kingdom was formed on January 1, 1801, with the union of Great Britain and Ireland. After 1801 George III was styled "King of the United Kingdom of ...
NameDynasty Or HouseReignSaxon802–839Aethelwulf (Ethelwulf)Saxon839–856/858Aethelbald (Ethelbald)Saxon855/856–860Aethelberht (Ethelbert)Saxon860–865/866- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- James II (r.1685-1688)
- James I (r. 1603-1625)
- The Stuarts.
- The Stuarts.
- Overview
- The Royal Household in the modern era
The history of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom from the mid-19th century has been mainly one of reorganization in order to achieve increased efficiency. Formerly there was much overlapping and confusion in the duties of the various departments. The prince consort undertook a thorough reorganization of the household in 1844, thereby effecting great economies and abolishing various sinecures and other abuses. Further changes were made by King Edward VII and by subsequent monarchs.
In its main outlines, the household in the 20th century was essentially the same as it was in earlier times. The great officers were still the lord chamberlain, the lord steward, and the master of the horse. Until 1924 these three officials were appointed by the prime minister. Since then, in practice, they have been appointed by the sovereign, subject to the proviso that they do not vote against the existing government. The treasurer, comptroller, and vice-chamberlain of the household are always members of the House of Commons. Together with the lords in waiting, the captains of the Corps of Gentlemen at Arms, and the Yeomen of the Guard, these positions are political in nature and change with the government. All other appointments in the household are made by the sovereign.
Perhaps the most notable feature of the modern period has been the increase in importance of the sovereign’s private secretary and assistants. The office is an ancient one, but after the death of Albert, Prince Consort (1861), who had virtually constituted himself the queen’s private secretary, Queen Victoria and successive sovereigns have come more and more to rely on it. The help and impartial advice of their secretaries is invaluable, not only in dealing with their immense correspondence on home and Commonwealth affairs but in arranging and organizing royal programs. The private secretary is supported by assistant secretaries and a press secretary (first appointed by King George VI).
The head of the household is the lord chamberlain, who has an office in St. James’s Palace under a comptroller and deals with all matters ceremonial. The lord chamberlain also oversees other departments, such as the ecclesiastical and medical households. Until 1968 this office was also responsible for stage censorship, a survival from the time when the lord chamberlain directed court entertainment.
The administrative duties of the lord steward are now carried out by the master of the household. This was an office created by the prince consort, and it took over and coordinated the somewhat miscellaneous duties of the old Board of Green Cloth. The master of the household is responsible for the staffing and administration of all the royal residences.
The whole of the financial side of the Royal Household is controlled by the keeper of the privy purse and personal treasurer to the sovereign. The treasurer also deals with the sovereign’s charitable donations and subscriptions and administers the grant made to the royal almonry. The ceremonial side of the latter, the annual distribution of the Royal Maundy, is carried out either by the sovereign in person or by the high almoner (an office dating from the 12th century and always held by a high ecclesiastic).
The history of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom from the mid-19th century has been mainly one of reorganization in order to achieve increased efficiency. Formerly there was much overlapping and confusion in the duties of the various departments. The prince consort undertook a thorough reorganization of the household in 1844, thereby effecting great economies and abolishing various sinecures and other abuses. Further changes were made by King Edward VII and by subsequent monarchs.
In its main outlines, the household in the 20th century was essentially the same as it was in earlier times. The great officers were still the lord chamberlain, the lord steward, and the master of the horse. Until 1924 these three officials were appointed by the prime minister. Since then, in practice, they have been appointed by the sovereign, subject to the proviso that they do not vote against the existing government. The treasurer, comptroller, and vice-chamberlain of the household are always members of the House of Commons. Together with the lords in waiting, the captains of the Corps of Gentlemen at Arms, and the Yeomen of the Guard, these positions are political in nature and change with the government. All other appointments in the household are made by the sovereign.
Perhaps the most notable feature of the modern period has been the increase in importance of the sovereign’s private secretary and assistants. The office is an ancient one, but after the death of Albert, Prince Consort (1861), who had virtually constituted himself the queen’s private secretary, Queen Victoria and successive sovereigns have come more and more to rely on it. The help and impartial advice of their secretaries is invaluable, not only in dealing with their immense correspondence on home and Commonwealth affairs but in arranging and organizing royal programs. The private secretary is supported by assistant secretaries and a press secretary (first appointed by King George VI).
The head of the household is the lord chamberlain, who has an office in St. James’s Palace under a comptroller and deals with all matters ceremonial. The lord chamberlain also oversees other departments, such as the ecclesiastical and medical households. Until 1968 this office was also responsible for stage censorship, a survival from the time when the lord chamberlain directed court entertainment.
The administrative duties of the lord steward are now carried out by the master of the household. This was an office created by the prince consort, and it took over and coordinated the somewhat miscellaneous duties of the old Board of Green Cloth. The master of the household is responsible for the staffing and administration of all the royal residences.
The whole of the financial side of the Royal Household is controlled by the keeper of the privy purse and personal treasurer to the sovereign. The treasurer also deals with the sovereign’s charitable donations and subscriptions and administers the grant made to the royal almonry. The ceremonial side of the latter, the annual distribution of the Royal Maundy, is carried out either by the sovereign in person or by the high almoner (an office dating from the 12th century and always held by a high ecclesiastic).
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- The Tudor Era (1485–1558): The Age of Religious Upheaval. Henry VII’s (reigned 1485-1509) victory at the Battle of Bosworth marked the end of the medieval Plantagenet age and raised an obscure Welsh nobleman to the crown of England.
- The Elizabethan Era (1558–1603): The Age of Discovery. Elizabeth Tudor’s route to the English throne was not easy. Her mother, Anne Boleyn, was executed when she was just a child; Elizabeth was then declared the illegitimate daughter of a traitor, though Henry VIII still recognized her as his own.
- The Stuart Era (1603–1714): The Age of Civil War. The Stuart family had already ruled Scotland for 232 years when James VI became James I of England (reigned 1603–1625).
- The Georgian Era (1714–1837): The Age of Science and Reason. With the 1701 Act of Settlement determining that only a Protestant could inherit the throne, Georg of Hanover became George I of Great Britain (reigned 1714–1727) despite there being more than 50 claimants ahead of him.
Royal Household of the United Kingdom, organization that provides support to the royal family of the United Kingdom. Its chief duties include assisting the monarch in carrying out the responsibilities of the head of state, organizing public ceremonies involving the royal family or royal residences, and maintaining and presenting the Royal ...
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Princess Sophia of the United Kingdom 1777–1848: Prince Octavius of Great Britain 1779–1783: Prince Alfred of Great Britain 1780–1782: Princess Amelia of the United Kingdom 1783–1810: Leopold I King of the Belgians 1790–1865: Princess Charlotte of Wales (1796–1817) 1796–1817: George V King of Hanover 1819–1878: Marie of Saxe ...
