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Vice-Chamberlain of the Household facts for kids

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William Orpen Charles Robert 6th Earl Spencer
Charles Spencer, 6th Earl Spencer; Vice-Chamberlain of the Household 1892–1895

The Vice-Chamberlain of the Household is a member of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. The officeholder is usually a senior government whip in the British House of Commons ranking third or fourth after the Chief Whip and the Deputy Chief Whip. The Vice-Chamberlain is the Deputy to the Lord Chamberlain of the Household and, like the Lord Chamberlain, carries a white staff of office when on duty on state occasions.

The Vice-Chamberlain's main roles are to compile a daily private report to the Sovereign on proceedings in the House of Commons and to relay addresses from the Commons to the Sovereign and back. As a member of the Royal Household, the Vice-Chamberlain accompanies the Sovereign and Royal Household at certain diplomatic and social events, particularly the annual garden party at Buckingham Palace. When the Sovereign goes in procession to Westminster for the State Opening of Parliament, the Vice-Chamberlain stays and is "held captive" at Buckingham Palace. This custom began with the Stuart Restoration (1660), because of the previous parliament's role in the beheading of Charles I. During their captivity the Vice-Chamberlain is offered a choice of champagne or sherry to drink by the Lord Chamberlain as they watch the State Opening of Parliament on television.

During the latter part of her reign, the Vice-Chamberlain sent a daily email to Elizabeth II. The Queen was regarded as well informed about British political affairs as she typically read daily newspapers and was a listener of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. The late queen's private secretary told Andrew MacKay, who held the post in 1996, to include more "gossip and the inside track" as his initial efforts had been "rather stilted". MacKay turned his efforts into a "who's up, who's down" for the queen. Anne Milton, who held the post in 2014 and 2015, looked for things that "might amuse" the queen and to "give a bit of colour" to the proceedings in the House of Commons. The Queen reportedly told Jim Fitzpatrick, who held the post of Vice-Chamberlain between 2003 and 2005 to send her news which "doesn't make the press" and that he felt encouraged to be "frank and transparent" with her due to the privacy of their communications. Emails began to be sent to the Queen at Buckingham Palace in 2014; the dispatches had previously been collected by a messenger.

Notable holders of the office include Sir George Carteret, Lord Hervey, the Earl of Harrington, the Earl Spencer, Michael Stewart and Bernard Weatherill.

List of Vice-Chamberlains of the Household

Name Entered office Left office Notes Reference
Sir Charles Somerset 1501 Unknown Lord Chamberlain from 1509; created Baron Herbert in 1504 and Earl of Worcester in 1514
Sir Robert Wingfield 1521 Unknown
William Sandys, 1st Baron Sandys of the Vyne Unknown 1526 Became Lord Chamberlain
Sir John Gage 1526 1533 Lord Chamberlain from 1553
Sir William Kingston 1536 1539
Sir Anthony Wingfield 1539 1550
Sir Thomas D'Arcy 1550 1551 Became Lord Chamberlain; created Baron Darcy of Chiche in 1551
Sir John Gates 1551 Unknown
Sir Henry Jerningham 1553 1557
Sir Henry Bedingfeld 1557 1558
Sir Edward Rogers 1558 1559
Sir Francis Knollys 1559 Unknown
Sir Christopher Hatton 1577 1587
Sir Thomas Heneage 1587 1595
Sir John Stanhope, from 1605 Baron Stanhope 1601 1616
Sir John Digby, from 1618 Baron Digby and from 1622 Earl of Bristol 1616 1625
Sir Dudley Carleton 1625 1626 Created Baron Carleton in 1626 and Viscount Dorchester in 1628
Sir Humphrey May 1626 1630
Sir Thomas Jermyn 1630 1639
George Goring, 1st Baron Goring 1639 1644 Created Earl of Norwich in 1644
Vacant
Sir George Carteret, 1st Baronet 1660 1680 Notionally held the office from 1647
Henry Savile 1680 1687
James Porter 1687 1689
Sir John Lowther, Bt 1689 1694 Created Viscount Lonsdale in 1679
Peregrine Bertie 1694 1706
Thomas Coke 1706 1727
William Stanhope 1727 1730 Created Baron Harrington in 1730 and Earl of Harrington in 1742
John Hervey, 2nd Baron Hervey 1730 1740 Became Lord Privy Seal
Lord Sidney Beauclerk 1740 1742
William Finch 1742 1765
George Villiers, Viscount Villiers 1765 1770 Succeeded as Earl of Jersey in 1769
Thomas Robinson, from 1770 Lord Grantham 1770 1771
John Montagu, Viscount Hinchingbrooke 1771 1782 Succeeded as Earl of Sandwich in 1792
George Waldegrave, Viscount Chewton 1782 1784 Succeeded as Earl Waldegrave in 1784
George Herbert, Lord Herbert 1784 1794 Succeeded as Earl of Pembroke in 1794
Charles Francis Greville 1794 1804 or 1809
Lord John Thynne 1804 or 1809 1812 Succeeded as Baron Carteret in 1838
Francis Seymour-Conway, Earl of Yarmouth 1812 1812 Succeeded as Marquess of Hertford in 1822
Robert Jocelyn, Viscount Jocelyn, from 1820 Earl of Roden 1812 1821
James Graham, Marquess of Graham 1821 1827 Succeeded as Duke of Montrose in 1836
Sir Samuel Hulse 1827 1830
George Chichester, Earl of Belfast 1830 1834 First period in office; succeeded as Marquess of Donegall in 1844
Frederick Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh 1834 1835 Succeeded as Marquess of Londonderry in 1854
Lord Charles FitzRoy 1835 1838
George Chichester, Earl of Belfast 1838 1841 Second period in office; succeeded as Marquess of Donegall in 1844
Lord Ernest Brudenell-Bruce 1841 1846 First period in office; succeeded as Marquess of Ailesbury in 1878
Lord Edward Howard 1846 1852 Created Baron Howard of Glossop in 1869
Orlando Bridgeman, Viscount Newport 1852 1852 First period in office; Lord Chamberlain from 1866; succeeded as Earl of Bradford in 1865
Lord Ernest Brudenell-Bruce 1852 1858 Second period in office; succeeded as Marquess of Ailesbury in 1878
Orlando Bridgeman, Viscount Newport 1858 1859 Second period in office; Lord Chamberlain from 1866; succeeded as Earl of Bradford in 1865
Valentine Browne, Viscount Castlerosse 1859 1866 First period in office; succeeded as Earl of Kenmare in 1871
Lord Claud Hamilton 1866 1868
Valentine Browne, Viscount Castlerosse, from 1871 Earl of Kenmare 1868 1872 Second period in office; Lord Chamberlain from 1880
Lord Richard Grosvenor 1872 1874 Created Baron Stalbridge in 1886
George Barrington, 7th Viscount Barrington 1874 1880
Lord Charles Bruce 1880 1885
William Legge, Viscount Lewisham 1885 1886 First period in office; succeeded as Earl of Dartmouth in 1881
Frederick Lambart, Viscount Kilcoursie 1886 1886 Succeeded as Earl of Cavan in 1887
William Legge, Viscount Lewisham, from 1891 Earl of Dartmouth 1886 1891 Second period in office
Lord Burghley 1891 1892 Succeeded as Marquess of Exeter in 1895
Charles Spencer 1892 1895
Ailwyn Fellowes 1895 1900 Created Baron Ailwyn in 1921
Sir Alexander Acland-Hood, Bt 1900 1902 Created Lord St Audries in 1911
Frederick Glyn, 4th Baron Wolverton 1902 1905
Wentworth Beaumont, from 1907 Lord Allendale 1905 1907 Created Viscount Allendale in 1911
John Fuller, from 1910 Sir John, 1st Baronet 1907 1911
Geoffrey Howard 1911 1915
Cecil Beck 1915 1917
William Dudley Ward 1917 1922
Douglas Hacking 1922 1924 First period in office; created Baron Hacking in 1945
John Davison 1924 1924
Douglas Hacking 1924 1925 Second period in office; created Baron Hacking in 1945
George Hennessy, from 1927 Sir George, 1st Baronet 1925 1928 Became Treasurer of the Household; created Baron Windlesham in 1937
Frederick Thomson, from 1929 Sir Frederick, 1st Baronet 1928 1929 First period in office
Jack Hayes 1929 1931
Sir Frederick Thomson, 1st Baronet 1931 1931 Second period in office
Sir George Penny 1931 1932 Became Comptroller of the Household; created Viscount Marchwood in 1945
Sir Victor Warrender, Bt 1932 1935 Became Comptroller of the Household; created Baron Bruntisfield in 1942
Sir Lambert Ward, 1st Baronet 1935 1935 Became Comptroller of the Household
George Davies, from 1936 Sir George 1935 1936 Became Comptroller of the Household
Arthur Hope 1937 1937 Became Treasurer of the Household; succeeded as Baron Rankeillour in 1949
Ronald Cross 1937 1938
Robert Grimston 1938 1939 Became Treasurer of the Household; created Baron Grimston of Westbury in 1952
James Edmondson 1939 1942 Became Treasurer of the Household
William Boulton, from 1944 Sir William, 1st Baronet 1942 1944
Arthur Young 1944 1945
Julian Snow 1945 1946 Created Lord Burntwood in 1970
Michael Stewart 1946 1947 Created Lord Stewart of Fulham in 1979
Ernest Popplewell 1947 1951 Created Lord Popplewell in 1966
Henry Studholme 1951 1956
Richard Thompson 1956 1957
Peter Legh 1957 1959 Became Treasurer of the Household; succeeded as Lord Newton in 1960
Edward Wakefield 1959 1960 Became Treasurer of the Household
Richard Brooman-White 1960 1960
Graeme Finlay 1960 1964
William Whitlock 1964 1966
Jack McCann 1966 1967
Charles Morris 1967 1969 Became Treasurer of the Household
Alan Fitch 1969 1970
Jasper More 1970 1971
Bernard Weatherill 1971 1972 Became Comptroller of the Household; created Lord Weatherill in 1992
Walter Clegg 1972 1973 Became Comptroller of the Household
Paul Hawkins 1973 1974
Don Concannon 1974 1974
James Hamilton 1974 1978 Became Comptroller of the Household
Donald Coleman 1978 1979
Hon. Anthony Berry 1979 1981 Became Comptroller of the Household
Carol Mather 1981 1983 Became Comptroller of the Household
Robert Boscawen 1983 1986 Became Comptroller of the Household
Tristan Garel-Jones 1986 1988 Became Comptroller of the Household; created Lord Garel-Jones in 1997
Michael Neubert 1988 1988
Tony Durant 1988 1990
David Lightbown 1990 1990 Became Comptroller of the Household
John Mark Taylor 1990 1992
Sydney Chapman 1992 1995
Timothy Kirkhope 1995 1996
Andrew MacKay 1996 1996
Derek Conway 1996 1997
Janet Anderson 1997 1998
Graham Allen 1998 2001
Gerry Sutcliffe 2001 2003
Jim Fitzpatrick 2003 2005
John Heppell 2005 2007
Liz Blackman 2007 2008
Claire Ward 2008 2009
Helen Jones 2009 2010
Mark Francois 2010 2012
Greg Knight 2012 2013 Previously Treasurer of the Household 1993-96
Desmond Swayne 2013 2014
Anne Milton 2014 2015
Kris Hopkins 2015 2016
Julian Smith 2016 2017 Became Treasurer of the Household
Chris Heaton-Harris 2017 2018 Became Comptroller of the Household
Mark Spencer 2018 2018 Became Comptroller of the Household
Andrew Stephenson 2018 2019
Craig Whittaker 2019 2019
Stuart Andrew 2019 2020 Became Treasurer of the Household
Marcus Jones 2020 2021 Became Comptroller of the Household
James Morris 2021 2022
Michael Tomlinson 2022 2022
Jo Churchill 2022 2023
Stuart Anderson 2023 Incumbent

List of Shadow Vice-Chamberlains of the Household

  • Jessica Morden was appointed the first shadow in 2020.
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