View source for Lord Chamberlain

{{Short description|Most senior official of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom}}
{{distinguish|text=the [[Lord Great Chamberlain]], who is responsible for royal affairs in the Palace of Westminster}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox political post
| post = Lord Chamberlain
| body = the Household
| insignia = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (Tudor crown).svg
| insigniasize = 150px
| insigniacaption = Royal Coat of Arms of the [[United Kingdom]]
| department = '''[[Lord Chamberlain's Office]]''' <br/> [[Royal Households of the United Kingdom]]
| member_of = [[Royal Households of the United Kingdom|Royal Household of the United Kingdom]]
| image = Official portrait of Richard Benyon.jpg
| incumbent = [[Richard Benyon|The Lord Benyon]]
| incumbentsince = 4 November 2024
| style = <!-- Not gained as officeholder but will have the right to a style as a Privy Counsellor or from their title -->
| nominator = <!-- Source please: [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]]-->
| appointer = [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|His Majesty The King]]
| termlength = [[At His Majesty's Pleasure]]
| inaugural = Sir Thomas Erpingham
| formation = {{circa|1399}}
| last = 
| abolished = 
| succession = 
| deputy = 
| salary = 
| website = [https://www.royal.uk/ Official Website]
}}
The '''Lord Chamberlain of the Household''' is the most senior officer of the [[Royal Households of the United Kingdom|Royal Household of the United Kingdom]], supervising the departments which support and provide advice to the [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|Sovereign of the United Kingdom]] while also acting as the main channel of communication between the Sovereign and the [[House of Lords]]. The office organises all ceremonial activity such as garden parties, [[state visit]]s, [[royal wedding]]s, and the [[State Opening of Parliament]]. They also oversee the [[Royal Mews]] and royal travel, as well as the ceremony around the awarding of honours.

From 1737 to 1968, the Lord Chamberlain had the power to decide which [[Play (theatre)|plays]] would be granted a licence for performance; this meant that he had the capacity to censor theatre at his pleasure.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|title=The Lord Chamberlain Regrets...: A History of British Theatre Censorship|last=Handley|first=Miriam|publisher=British Library|year=2004|isbn=0712348654|location=London, England|pages=3–17, 86–87, 140, 149, 162, 169}}</ref>

The Lord Chamberlain is always sworn of the [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom|Privy Council]], is usually a [[peerage|peer]] and before 1782 the post was of [[Cabinet rank]]. The position was a political one until 1924. The office dates from the [[Middle Ages]] when the '''King's Chamberlain''' often acted as the King's spokesman in [[Privy Council of England|Council]] and [[Parliament of England|Parliament]].<ref name=Monarchy>{{cite web|title=The Lord Chamberlain|url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/TheRoyalHousehold/RoyalHouseholddepartments/TheLordChamberlain.aspx|publisher=[[Monarchy of the United Kingdom]]|access-date=30 May 2011| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110602063159/http://www.royal.gov.uk/TheRoyalHousehold/RoyalHouseholddepartments/TheLordChamberlain.aspx | archive-date=2 June 2011}}</ref>

The current Lord Chamberlain is [[Richard Benyon]], Baron Benyon, who has been in office since 4 November 2024.

==Historic role==
During the [[early modern]] period, the Lord Chamberlain was one of the three principal officers of the Royal Household, the others being the [[Lord Steward]] and the [[Master of the Horse#Master of the Horse (United Kingdom)|Master of the Horse]]. The Lord Chamberlain was responsible for the "chamber" or the household "above stairs": that is, the series of rooms used by the Sovereign to receive increasingly select visitors, terminating in the royal bedchamber (although the bedchamber itself came to operate semi-autonomously under the [[Groom of the Stool]]/Stole). His department not only furnished the servants and other personnel (such as physicians and bodyguards, the [[Yeomen of the Guard]] and [[Gentlemen Pensioners]]) in intimate attendance on the Sovereign but also arranged and staffed ceremonies and entertainments for the court. He also had (secular) authority over the [[Chapel Royal]]. Under the terms of the [[Civil List and Secret Service Money Act 1782]] ([[22 Geo. 3]]. c. 82), the Lord Chamberlain took on direct responsibility for items kept and maintained by the [[Wardrobe (government)#Great Wardrobe|Great Wardrobe]] and the [[Jewel House]] (whereby these formerly semi-independent sub-departments were abolished).<ref name="bucholz-intro">{{cite book | editor-first=Robert O. | editor-last=Bucholz | title=Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 11 (Revised), Court Officers, 1660-1837 | chapter=Introduction: Administrative structure and work | publisher=University of London | location=London | year=2006 | url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/office-holders/vol11/xx-xxxvii}}</ref>

As other responsibilities of government were devolved to ministers, the ordering of the Royal Household was largely left to the personal taste of the Sovereign. To ensure that the chamber reflected the royal tastes, the Lord Chamberlain received commands directly from the sovereign to be transmitted to the heads of subordinate departments.<ref name="bucholz-intro" />

In 1594, the Lord Chamberlain, [[Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon]], founded the [[Lord Chamberlain's Men]], for which [[William Shakespeare]] was a part (and later a shareholder in the company) and for whom he wrote most of his plays during his career. Carey served under [[Elizabeth I]] at the time and was in charge of all court entertainment, a duty traditionally given to the [[Master of the Revels]], a deputy of the Lord Chamberlain. Later, in 1603, [[James VI and I|James I]], elevated the Chamberlain's Men to royal patronage and changed the name to the [[King's Men (playing company)|King's Men]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|title=Theatre Histories, An Introduction|last=Zarrilli|first=Phillip B.|publisher=Routledge|year=2006|isbn=0-415-22727-5|location=New York, NY|pages=157–158, 188}}</ref>

=== Theatre censorship ===
[[File:Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford by Arthur Pond.jpg|thumb|Sir [[Robert Walpole]], the Prime Minister who gave the Lord Chamberlain official censorship duties. Painting by [[Arthur Pond]].]]

==== The Licensing Act 1737 ====
{{main|Licensing Act 1737}}
In 1737, Sir [[Robert Walpole]] officially introduced statutory censorship with the [[Licensing Act 1737]] by appointing the Lord Chamberlain to act as the theatrical censor. The Licensing Act 1737 gave the Lord Chamberlain the statutory authority to veto the performance of any new plays: he could prevent any new play, or any modification to an existing play, from being performed for any reason, and theatre owners could be prosecuted for staging a play (or part of a play) that had not received prior approval.

Historically, the Lord Chamberlain had been exercising a commanding authority on London's theatre companies under the [[Royal prerogative in the United Kingdom|royal prerogative]] for many decades already. But by the 1730s the theatre was not controlled by royal patronage anymore. Instead it had become more of a commercial business. Therefore, the fact the Lord Chamberlain still retained censorship authority for the next 200 years gave him uniquely repressive authority during a period where Britain was experiencing "growing political enfranchisement and liberalization".<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|title=Theatre Censorship: From Walpole to Wilson|last=Thomas|first=David|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2007|isbn=978-0-19-926028-7|location=Oxford, England|pages=iix – xiii, 2, 4, 36, 53–57, 182–188, 205, 216–225}}</ref>

Even further confusion rested in the fact that Members of Parliament could not present changes to the censorship laws because although the Lord Chamberlain exercised his authority under statute law, he was still an official whose authority was derived from the royal prerogative.<ref name=":3" />

==== Theatres Act 1843 ====
{{main|Theatres Act 1843}}

By the 1830s, it started to become clear that the theatre licensing system in England needed an upgrade. Playwrights, instead of representatives of minor theatres, actually initiated the final push for reform as they felt that their livelihoods were being negatively affected by the monopoly the larger theatres had on the industry, backed by the laws in the Licensing Act 1737.<ref name=":3" />

A select committee was formed in 1832 with the purpose of examining the laws that affected dramatic literature. Their main complaints were the lack of copyright protection for their work and more importantly that only two [[patent theatres]] in London could legitimately perform new plays. After more pressure from playwrights and theatre managers, the findings of the committee were finally presented to Parliament.<ref name=":3" />

It was the proposals of this committee that Parliament implemented in the [[Theatres Act 1843]]. The act still confirmed the absolute powers of censorship enjoyed by the Lord Chamberlain but still slightly restricted his powers so that he could only prohibit the performance of plays where he was of the opinion that "it is fitting for the preservation of good manners, decorum or of the public peace so to do". The Act, however, did abolish the monopoly that the patent houses had in London, providing a minor win for playwrights and theatre managers wishing to produce new work.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":2" />

==== Theatres Act 1968 ====
In 1909, a Joint Select Committee on Stage Plays (Censorship) was established and recommended that the Lord Chamberlain should continue to act as censor but that it could be lawful to perform plays without a licence from the Lord Chamberlain.<ref name=":2" /> However, King [[Edward VII]] refused to accept these recommendations. The outbreak of both World Wars put an end to any parliamentary initiatives to change the laws regarding theatre censorship for many years. In 1948, the first British Theatre Conference recommended the termination of theatre censorship with the plan to pursue parliamentary action to ratify this.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />

In the 1960s the debate to abolish theatre censorship rose again as a new generation of young playwrights came on the scene. They gained popularity with their new plays in local establishments, but since many were refused a licence by the Lord Chamberlain, they could not transfer to the [[West End theatre|West End]]. In the case of [[John Osborne]]'s play ''[[A Patriot for Me]]'', the Lord Chamberlain at the time, [[Cameron Cobbold, 1st Baron Cobbold]], was irritated that the play was so widely publicized even though he had banned it and therefore pursued legal action. In the end, the play was allowed to continue as it was. At this point, several widely regarded authors had all been censored by the Lord Chamberlain at one time or another, including playwrights [[Henrik Ibsen]] and [[George Bernard Shaw]]. Sometimes censorship was self-serving. A comedy written for the [[Edinburgh Festival Fringe]] in the early 1960s had, as its plot, a jocular scheme to steal the [[Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom|crown jewels]]. The Lord Chamberlain issued a one-line letter requiring the excision of that plot element. As [[Michael Palin]], one of its authors and performers notes, that meant banning the entire production.<ref>{{Cite AV media|title=The Fringe, Fame and Me|medium=Television production|publisher=BBC Scotland|date=2022}}</ref> Another joint select committee was founded to further debate on the issue and present a solution. This time the argument largely centred on this issue on the portrayal of living and recently dead individuals, particularly in reference to the monarchy as well as politicians.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />

After much debate, the [[Theatres Act 1968]] was finally passed; it officially abolished the censorship of the stage and repealed the Lord Chamberlain's power to refuse a licence to a play of any kind.<ref name=":2" /> The first London performance of the musical ''[[Hair (musical)|Hair]]'' was actually delayed until the act was passed after a licence had been refused.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.orlok.com/hair/holding/articles/HairArticles/NYT9-29-68.html|title=Londoners Cool To Hair's Nudity Four Letter Words Shock Few at Musical's Debut|last=Lewis|first=Anthony|date=29 September 1968|website=The New York Times|access-date=10 December 2017}}</ref>

==== Aftermath ====
The battle regarding the abolition of censorship was largely a political one, fought on principle. Those who opposed the termination of this particular duty of the Lord Chamberlain were mostly concerned about how to protect the reputation of the royal family and the government instead of controlling obscenity and [[Blasphemy law in the United Kingdom|blasphemy]] on stage. However, this concern has largely been unfounded. Since the termination of censorship, British drama has flourished and produced several prominent playwrights and new works since. The abolition of censorship opened a floodgate of theatrical creativity.<ref name=":3" />

==== The Lord Chamberlain's plays ====
{{main|The Lord Chamberlain's plays}}
The long standing role of the Lord Chamberlain as theatrical censor resulted in an extensive archive of both licensed and unlicensed play scripts being preserved.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dossett |first=Kate |date=2023-01-17 |title=How British theatre censorship laws have inadvertently created a rich archive of Black history |url=http://theconversation.com/how-british-theatre-censorship-laws-have-inadvertently-created-a-rich-archive-of-black-history-195168 |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=The Conversation |language=en-US}}</ref> The collection held at the [[British Library]] also includes correspondence and administrative documents related to the censorship process.<ref>{{Cite web |title=British Library |url=https://performingartscollections.org.uk/our-members/member/british-library/ |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=APAC |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Duties of the office==
[[File:Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Kent.jpg|thumb|The [[Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Kent|Henry Grey, 12th Earl of Kent]] in 1705, carrying the wand of office and wearing the insignia of a gold key, as Lord Chamberlain.]]
The Lord Chamberlain is the most senior official of the Royal Household and oversees its business, including liaising with the other senior officers of the Household, chairing Heads of Department meetings, and advising in the appointment of senior Household officials.<ref name="Monarchy" /><ref name=":0">{{cite web|title=Great Officers of the Household|url=http://www.debretts.com/people/royal-family/the-royal-household/great-officers-of-the-household.aspx|publisher=[[Debrett's]]|access-date=30 May 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101010043134/http://www.debretts.com/people/royal-family/the-royal-household/great-officers-of-the-household.aspx|archive-date=10 October 2010}}</ref> The Lord Chamberlain also undertakes ceremonial duties and serves as the channel of communication between the Sovereign and the [[House of Lords]].<ref name="Monarchy" /> 

Under [[David Ogilvy, 13th Earl of Airlie]], the Lord Chamberlain’s ceremonial and non-executive role was altered to that of chief executive.<ref name="Telegraph">{{cite news |title=The Earl of Airlie, dashing courtier who led Schroders through the Big Bang and reviewed the royal finances – obituary |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2023/06/28/earl-of-airlie-obituary-lord-chamberlain-queen-schroders/ |access-date=29 June 2023 |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=28 June 2023}}</ref> Airlie initiated changes in the early 1990s under the auspices of "The Way Ahead Group".<ref name="Grdn2023">{{cite news |last1=Corby |first1=Tom |title=The Earl of Airlie obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jul/03/the-earl-of-airlie-david-ogilvy-obituary |access-date=18 July 2023 |work=The Guardian |date=3 July 2023}}</ref> Under these plans, Queen [[Elizabeth II]] agreed to pay tax, greater transparency for the public subsidy of the monarchy began, and a greater emphasis on public relations started.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.1843magazine.com/features/can-meghan-markle-modernise-the-monarchy|title = Can Meghan Markle modernise the monarchy?|newspaper = The Economist|date = 23 May 2018}}</ref> In 1986, he produced a 1,393-page report recommending 188 changes for smoother operations of the Royal Household.<ref name="Times">{{cite news |title=The Earl of Airlie obituary |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/obituaries/article/the-earl-of-airlie-obituary-xg7v0nbjs |access-date=1 July 2023 |work=[[The Times]] |date=30 June 2023}}</ref>

The [[Lord Chamberlain's Office]] is a department of the Royal Household and its day-to-day work is headed by the [[Comptroller of the Household|Comptroller]]. It is responsible for organizing ceremonial activities including state visits, investitures, garden parties, the State Opening of Parliament, weddings and funerals.<ref name="Monarchy" />

On State and ceremonial occasions, the Lord Chamberlain carries specific symbols that represent his office: a [[Staff of office#White Staves|white staff]] and a key (which is worn at the hip pocket). These insignia are returned to the monarch when the Lord Chamberlain retires from office;<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.royal.uk/court-circular?text=Royal+Victorian+Chain&mrf=&date%5Bmin%5D%5Bdate%5D=24%2F04%2F2020&date%5Bmax%5D%5Bdate%5D=24%2F04%2F2021&id=|title=Windsor Castle|newspaper=The Royal Family |publisher=[[Court Circular]]|date=13 April 2021|accessdate=24 April 2021}}</ref> but if the monarch dies, the white staff is symbolically broken by the Lord Chamberlain and placed on the coffin of the deceased Sovereign at the end of the [[State funerals in the United Kingdom|State Funeral]] service. This was last done by [[Andrew Parker, Baron Parker of Minsmere]], who broke his staff over the coffin of Elizabeth II in 2022.<ref name="Monarchy" /><ref name=":0" />

The Lord Chamberlain is ''ex-officio'' the [[Royal Victorian Order#Composition#List of officers|Chancellor]] of the [[Royal Victorian Order]], having possession of a Badge corresponding to that office.<ref>{{cite web|title=Royal Victorian Order|url=http://royalchapelsavoy.org/royal-victorian-order/|website=The Queen's Chapel of the Savoy|access-date=18 March 2020}}</ref> As such, they are often appointed to the said Order either upon appointment as Lord Chamberlain, or later in their career. The Lord Chamberlain also regulates the design and the wearing of [[Court uniform and dress in the United Kingdom|court uniform and dress]] and how insignia are worn.

==List of Lords Chamberlain of the Household from 1399==
{{clear}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left"
|-
! Name 
! Began
! Ended 
! Notes 
! {{abbr|2=Reference|Ref.}}
|-
| Sir [[Thomas Erpingham]]|| 1399 || 1404 || ||<ref name="ODNB">{{cite ODNB|title=Lord chamberlains of the royal household in the ''Oxford DNB''|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/theme/93179|date=2006 |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/93179 |isbn=978-0-19-861412-8 |access-date=6 February 2011}} </ref>
|-
| [[Richard Grey, 4th Baron Grey of Codnor]] || 1404 || 1413 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[Henry FitzHugh, 3rd Baron FitzHugh]] || 1413 || 1425 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[Ralph de Cromwell, 3rd Baron Cromwell]] || {{circa|1425}} || 1432 || First period in office ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[William Phelip, 6th Baron Bardolf]] || 1432 || 1441 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| Sir [[Ralph Boteler, 1st Baron Sudeley|Ralph Boteler]],<br>from 1441 The Lord Sudeley || 1441 || 1447 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[James Fiennes, 1st Baron Saye and Sele]] || 1447 || 1450 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| Ralph de Cromwell, 3rd Baron Cromwell || 1450 || 1455 || Second period in office ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[Thomas Stanley, 1st Baron Stanley|Thomas Stanley]],<br>from 1456 The Lord Stanley || 1455 || 1459 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury]]|| 1460 || 1460 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings]] || 1461 || 1470 || First period in office ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| '''Unknown''' || 1470 || 1471 || Second reign of [[Henry VI of England|Henry VI]] ||
|-
| William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings || 1471 || 1483 || Second period in office ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[Francis Lovell, 1st Viscount Lovell]]|| 1483 || 1485 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| Sir [[William Stanley (Battle of Bosworth)|William Stanley]] || 1485 || 1494 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[Giles Daubeney, 1st Baron Daubeney]] || 1494 || 1508 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester|Charles Somerset, 1st Baron Herbert]],<br>from 1514 Earl of Worcester || 1509 || 1526 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[William Fitzalan, 11th Earl of Arundel]] || 1526 || 1530 || ||
|-
| [[William Sandys, 1st Baron Sandys]] || 1530 || 1540 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| '''Vacant''' || 1540 || 1543 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[William Paulet, 1st Marquess of Winchester|William Paulet, 1st Baron St John]] || 1543 || 1545 || Created Earl of Wiltshire in 1550 and Marquess of Winchester in 1551 ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| '''Unknown''' || 1545 || 1546 || ||
|-
| [[Henry Fitzalan, 12th Earl of Arundel]] || 1546 || 1550 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[Thomas Wentworth, 1st Baron Wentworth]] || 1550 || 1551 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[Thomas Darcy, 1st Baron Darcy of Chiche]] || 1551 || 1553 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| Sir [[John Gage (Tudor politician)|John Gage]] || 1553 || 1556 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| '''Unknown''' || 1556 || 1557 || ||
|-
| Sir [[Edward Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings of Loughborough|Edward Hastings]]<br>from 1558 Lord Hastings of Loughborough || 1557 || 1558 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[William Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Effingham]] || 1558 || 1572 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[Thomas Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Sussex]] || 1572 || 1585 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon]] || 1585 || 1596 || Founded the famous [[Lord Chamberlain's Men]] for whom Shakespeare wrote for most of his career.
|<ref name="ODNB" /><ref name=":1" />
|-
| [[William Brooke, 10th Baron Cobham]] || 1596 || 1597 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[George Carey, 2nd Baron Hunsdon]] || 1597 || 1603 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk]],<br>from 1603 The Earl of Suffolk || 1603 || 1614 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset]] || 1614 || 1615 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke]] || 1615 || 1626 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[Philip Herbert, 4th Earl of Pembroke]],<br>from 1630 Earl of Pembroke || 1626 || 1641 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex]] || 1641 || 1642 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| '''Unknown''' || 1642 || 1644 || ||
|-
| [[Edward Sackville, 4th Earl of Dorset]] || 1644 || 1649 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| '''Vacant''' || 1649 || 1655 || Position became vacant at the start of the [[Interregnum (England)|Interregnum]] and the [[Commonwealth of England|Commonwealth]] ||
|-
| [[Sir Gilbert Pickering, 1st Baronet]] || 1655 || 1659 || Lord Chamberlain during The Protectorate ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester]] || 1660 || 1671 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[Henry Jermyn, 1st Earl of St Albans]] || 1672 || 1674 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[Henry Bennet, 1st Earl of Arlington]] || 1674 || 1685 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[Robert Bruce, 1st Earl of Ailesbury]], 2nd Earl of Elgin || 1685 || 1685 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[John Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normanby|John Sheffield, 3rd Earl of Mulgrave]] || 1685 || 1688 || Created [[Marquess of Normanby]] in 1694 and [[Duke of Buckingham and Normanby]] in 1703 ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[Charles Sackville, 6th Earl of Dorset]] || 1689 || 1697 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland]] || 1697 || 1697 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| '''Vacant''' || 1697 || 1699 || [[William III of England|William III]] did not accept the resignation of the Earl of Sunderland ||
|-
| [[Charles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury]] || 1699 || 1700 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[Edward Villiers, 1st Earl of Jersey]] || 1700 || 1704 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Kent|Henry Grey, 12th Earl of Kent]]<br />from 1706 The Marquess of Kent || 1704 || 1710 || Created  [[Duke of Kent]] in 1710 and [[Marquess Grey]] in 1740 ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| Charles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury || 1710 || 1715 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[Charles Paulet, 2nd Duke of Bolton]] || 1715 || 1717 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle]] || 1717 || 1724 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Grafton]] || 1724 || 1757 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire]] || 1757 || 1762 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough]] || 1762 || 1763 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Marquess of Stafford|Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Gower]] || 1763 || 1765 || Created [[Marquess of Stafford]] in 1786 ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland]] || 1765 || 1766 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[Francis Seymour-Conway, 1st Marquess of Hertford|Francis Seymour-Conway, 1st Earl of Hertford]] || 1766 || 1782 || First period in office; created [[Marquess of Hertford]] in 1793 ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[George Montagu, 4th Duke of Manchester]] || 1782 || 1783 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| Francis Seymour-Conway, 1st Earl of Hertford || 1783 || 1783 || Second period in office ||<ref name="ODNB" /><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=12430|page=1|date=8 April 1783}}</ref>
|-
| [[James Cecil, 1st Marquess of Salisbury|James Cecil, 7th Earl of Salisbury]],<br>from 1789 [[Marquess of Salisbury]] || 1783 || 1804 || ||
|-
| [[George Legge, 3rd Earl of Dartmouth]] || 1804 || 1810 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| '''Vacant''' || 1810 || 1812 || ||
|-
| [[Francis Ingram-Seymour-Conway, 2nd Marquess of Hertford]] || 1812 || 1821 || ||<ref name="ODNB" /><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=16581|page=450|date=7 March 1812}}</ref>
|-
| [[James Graham, 3rd Duke of Montrose]] || 1821 || 1827 || First period in office ||<ref name="ODNB" /><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=17772|page=2405|date=11 December 1821}}</ref>
|-
| [[William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire]] || 1827 || 1828 || First period in office ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[James Graham, 3rd Duke of Montrose]] || 1828 || 1830 || Second period in office ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[George Child Villiers, 5th Earl of Jersey]]|| 1830 || 1830 || First period in office ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire]] || 1830 || 1834 || Second period in office ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| George Child Villiers, 5th Earl of Jersey || 1834 || 1835 || Second period in office ||<ref name="ODNB" /><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=19221|page=2266|date=16 December 1834}}</ref>
|-
| [[Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley]] || 1835 || 1835 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[Francis Conyngham, 2nd Marquess Conyngham]] || 1835 || 1839 || ||
|-
| [[Henry Paget, 2nd Marquess of Anglesey|Henry Paget, Earl of Uxbridge]] || 1839 || 1841 || Succeeded as [[Marquess of Anglesey]] in 1854 ||
|-
| [[George Sackville-West, 5th Earl De La Warr]] || 1841 || 1846 || First period in office ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[Frederick Spencer, 4th Earl Spencer]] || 1846 || 1848 || ||<ref name="ODNB" /><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=20621|page=2533|date=10 July 1846}}</ref>
|-
| [[John Campbell, 2nd Marquess of Breadalbane]] || 1848 || 1852 || First period in office ||<ref name="ODNB" /><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=20894|page=3275|date=5 September 1848}}</ref>
|-
| [[Brownlow Cecil, 2nd Marquess of Exeter]] || 1852 || 1852 || ||<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=21297|page=670|date=2 March 1852}}</ref>
|-
| John Campbell, 2nd Marquess of Breadalbane || 1853 || 1858 || Second period in office ||<ref name="ODNB" /><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=21403|page=137|date=18 January 1853}}</ref>
|-
| George Sackville-West, 5th Earl De La Warr|| 1858 || 1859 || Second period in office ||<ref name="ODNB" /><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=22106|page=1207|date=2 March 1858}}</ref>
|-
| [[John Townshend, 1st Earl Sydney|John Townshend, 3rd Viscount Sydney]] || 1859 || 1866 || First period in office ||<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=22279|page=2471|date=24 June 1859}}</ref>
|-
| [[Orlando Bridgeman, 3rd Earl of Bradford]] || 1866 || 1868 || ||<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=23137|page=3984|date=13 July 1866}}</ref>
|-
| John Townshend, 3rd Viscount Sydney || 1868 || 1874 || Second period in office; created [[Earl Sydney]] in 1874 ||<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=23450|page=6654|date=15 December 1868}}</ref>
|-
| [[Francis Seymour, 5th Marquess of Hertford]] || 1874 || 1879 || ||<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=24071|page=1452|date=3 March 1874}}</ref>
|-
| [[William Edgcumbe, 4th Earl of Mount Edgcumbe]] || 1879 || 1880 || ||<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=24721|page=3311|date=13 May 1879}}</ref>
|-
| [[Valentine Browne, 4th Earl of Kenmare]] || 1880 || 1885 || First period in office ||<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=24841|page=2836|date=4 May 1880}}</ref>
|-
| [[Edward Bootle-Wilbraham, 1st Earl of Lathom]] || 1885 || 1886 || First period in office ||<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=25485|page=3000|date=30 June 1885}}</ref>
|-
| Valentine Browne, 4th Earl of Kenmare || 1886 || 1886 || Second period in office ||<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=25558|page=677|date=12 February 1886}}</ref>
|-
| Edward Bootle-Wilbraham, 1st Earl of Lathom || 1886 || 1892 || Second period in office ||<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=25615|page=3853|date=10 August 1886}}</ref>
|-
| [[Charles Wynn-Carington, 1st Marquess of Lincolnshire|Charles Wynn-Carington, 1st Earl Carrington]] || 1892 || 1895 || Created Earl Carrington in 1895 and Marquess of Lincolnshire in 1912 ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| Edward Bootle-Wilbraham, 1st Earl of Lathom || 1895 || 1898 || Third period in office ||<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=26644|page=4022|date=16 July 1895}}</ref>
|-
| [[John Hope, 1st Marquess of Linlithgow|John Hope, 7th Earl of Hopetoun]] || 1898 || 1900 || Created [[Marquess of Linlithgow]] in 1902 ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[Edward Villiers, 5th Earl of Clarendon]] || 1900 || 1905 || ||<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=27232|page=5891|date=25 September 1900}}</ref>
|-
| [[Charles Spencer, 6th Earl Spencer|Charles Spencer, Viscount Althorp]]<br />from 1910 Earl Spencer || 1905 || 1912 || ||<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=27866|page=9171|date=22 December 1905}}</ref>
|-
| [[William Mansfield, 1st Viscount Sandhurst]]<br />from 1917 Viscount Sandhurst || 1912 || 1921 || ||<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=28581|page=1169|date=16 February 1912}}</ref>
|-
| [[John Stewart-Murray, 8th Duke of Atholl]] || 1921 || 1922 || ||<ref name="ODNB" /><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=32525|page=9245|date=22 November 1921}}</ref>
|-
| [[Rowland Baring, 2nd Earl of Cromer]] || 1922 || 1938 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[George Villiers, 6th Earl of Clarendon]] || 1938 || 1952 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[Roger Lumley, 11th Earl of Scarbrough]] || 1952 || 1963 || ||<ref name="ODNB" />
|-
| [[Cameron Cobbold, 1st Baron Cobbold]] || 29 January 1963 || 30 November 1971 || ||<ref name="ODNB" /><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=42909|page=979|date=1 February 1963}}</ref>
|-
| [[Charles Maclean, Baron Maclean]] || 1 December 1971 || 30 November 1984 || ||<ref name="ODNB" /><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=45536|page=13243|date=3 December 1971}}</ref>
|-
| [[David Ogilvy, 13th Earl of Airlie]] || 1 December 1984 || 31 December 1997 || ||<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=49948|page=16413|date=4 December 1984}}</ref>
|-
| [[Thomas Stonor, 7th Baron Camoys]] || 1 January 1998 || 31 May 2000 || ||
|-
| [[Richard Luce, Baron Luce]] || 1 October 2000 || 15 October 2006 || ||
|-
| [[William Peel, 3rd Earl Peel]] || 16 October 2006 || 31 March 2021 || ||<ref name="Peel">[http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page9773.asp Appointment of Lord Chamberlain] at the Royal Household official website, 2006 {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060719001554/http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page9773.asp |date=19 July 2006 }}</ref>
|-
| [[Andrew Parker, Baron Parker of Minsmere]] || 1 April 2021 || 4 November 2024 || ||<ref name="parker">{{Cite news|last=Kirsty.Oram|date=2021-02-05|title=Lord Parker of Minsmere KCB appointed as Lord Chamberlain|url=https://www.royal.uk/lord-parker-minsmere-kcb-appointed-lord-chamberlain|access-date=2021-02-06|website=The Royal Family|language=en}}</ref>
|-
| [[Richard Benyon]], Baron Benyon || 4 November 2024 || present || ||<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=64563|page=22855|date=11 November 2024}}</ref>
|}

==See also==
*[[List of Lords Chamberlain to British royal consorts]]
*[[Lord Chamberlain's Office]]
*[[Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book|first=J.R.|last= Stephens|title= ''The Censorship of English Drama 1824–1901''|publisher=Cambridge University Press|date= 1981}}
*{{cite book|first=John|last= Johnston|title= ''The Lord Chamberlain's Blue Pencil''|publisher=Hodder & Stoughton|date= 1990|isbn=0-340-52529-0}}
*{{cite book|first=Nicholas|last=de Jongh|title=''Politics, Prudery and Perversions: The Censoring of the English Stage 1901–1968''|publisher=Methuen|date=2000|isbn=0-413-70620-6|url=http://www.str.org.uk/The}}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
*{{cite book|first1=Dominic|last1= Shellard|first2= Steve|last2= Nicholson|first3= Miriam|last3= Handley|title= ''The Lord Chamberlain Regrets ... A History of British Theatre Censorship''|publisher=British Library|date= 2004|isbn=0-7123-4865-4}}

==External links==
{{EB1911 poster|Lord Chamberlain}}
*[http://www.royal.gov.uk/TheRoyalHousehold/RoyalHouseholddepartments/TheLordChamberlain.aspx The Lord Chamberlain] – Royal Household official website
*[http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=43760 Chamber Administration: Lord Chamberlain, 1660–1837]
*The Lord Chamberlain and [[censorship]] at [http://www.bl.uk/theatrearchive The Theatre Archive Project]

{{British Monarchy Household}}

[[Category:Monarchy of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Theatre of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Positions within the British Royal Household]]
[[Category:Ceremonial officers in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Censorship in the United Kingdom]]