lord great chamberlain

The Lord Great Chamberlain of England is the sixth of the Great Officers of State, ranking beneath the Lord Privy Seal and above the Lord High Constable. The position is an hereditary one, and 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 female heirs. The earldom was inherited by a more distant heir-male, his second cousin. The Sovereign then declared that the office belonged to the Crown, and was not transmitted along with the earldom. The Sovereign appointed the fifteenth and sixteenth Earls to the office, but the appointments were deemed for life and were uninheritable. Then, 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 a male heir, but a closer one as a female heir. The House of Lords eventually ruled that the office belonged to the male heir, Robert Bertie, 13th Baron Willoughby de Eresby, who later became Earl of Lindsey. The office remained vested in the Earls of Lindsey, who later became the Duke 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 a male heir. The uncle became fifth Duke, but the House of Lords ruled that the two sisters were jointly Lord Great Chamberlain, and could appoint a deputy to fulfill its functions. 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. 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. 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 female, females having been forbidden to sit 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 fact, as a deputy of the Lord Great Chamberlain, to fulfill the latter's duties in the royal household, but now they are quite distinct. The Lord Great Chamberlain has charge over the Palace of Westminster, and especially of the House of Lords, and technically bears the Sword of State at state openings and closings of Parliament, though this duty is usually delegated to a Lord of Parliament who is also a Field Marshal . 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. 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, so that they may continue to carry out their ceremonial functions.

Lords Great Chamberlain, 1485-present

See Earl of Oxford for earlier Earls of Oxford who have served as Lord Great Chamberlain.

ears!!Holder of the Lord Great Chamberlainship!!Share
485-1513	John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford	1
513-1526	John de Vere, 14th Earl of Oxford	1
526-1540	John de Vere, 15th Earl of Oxford	1
540-1562	John de Vere, 16th Earl of Oxford	1
562-1604	Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford	1
604-1625	Henry de Vere, 18th Earl of Oxford	1
626-1642	Robert Bertie, 1st Earl of Lindsey	1
642-1666	Montagu Bertie, 2nd Earl of Lindsey	1
666-1701	Robert Bertie, 3rd Earl of Lindsey	1
701-1723	Robert Bertie, 1st Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven	1
723-1742	Peregrine Bertie, 2nd Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven	1
742-1778	Peregrine Bertie, 3rd Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven	1
778-1779	Robert Bertie, 4th Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven	1
owspan="2"\|1780-1828	Priscilla Bertie, 21st Baroness Willoughby de Eresby	1/2
eorgiana Cholmondeley, Marchioness of Cholmondeley	1/2
owspan="2"\|1828-1838	Peter Drummond-Willoughby, 22nd Baron Willoughby de Eresby	1/2
eorgiana Cholmondeley, Marchioness of Cholmondeley	1/2
owspan="2"\|1838-1865	Peter Drummond-Willoughby, 22nd Baron Willoughby de Eresby	1/2
eorge Cholmondeley, 2nd Marquess of Cholmondeley	1/2
owspan="2"\|1865-1870	Albyric Drummond-Willoughby, 23rd Baron Willoughby de Eresby	1/2
eorge Cholmondeley, 2nd Marquess of Cholmondeley	1/2
owspan="2"\|1870	Albyric Drummond-Willoughby, 23rd Baron Willoughby de Eresby	1/2
illiam Cholmondeley, 3rd Marquess of Cholmondeley	1/2
owspan="3"\|1870-1879	Clementine Elizabeth, 24th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby	1/4
harlotte Augusta Wynn-Carrington, Baroness Carrington	1/4
illiam Cholmondeley, 3rd Marquess of Cholmondeley	1/2
owspan="3"\|1879-1884	Clementine Elizabeth, 24th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby	1/4
harles Robert Wynn-Carrington, 1st Marquess of Lincolnshire	1/4
illiam Cholmondeley, 3rd Marquess of Cholmondeley	1/2
owspan="3"\|1884-1888	Clementine Elizabeth, 24th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby	1/4
harles Robert Wynn-Carrington, 1st Marquess of Lincolnshire	1/4
eorge Henry Hugh Cholmondeley, 4th Marquess of Cholmondeley	1/2
owspan="3"\|1884-1910	Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 1st Earl of Ancaster	1/4
harles Robert Wynn-Carrington, 1st Marquess of Lincolnshire	1/4
eorge Henry Hugh Cholmondeley, 4th Marquess of Cholmondeley	1/2
owspan="3"\|1910-1923	Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 2nd Earl of Ancaster	1/4
harles Robert Wynn-Carrington, 1st Marquess of Lincolnshire	1/4
eorge Henry Hugh Cholmondeley, 4th Marquess of Cholmondeley	1/2
owspan="3"\|1923-1928	Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 2nd Earl of Ancaster	1/4
harles Robert Wynn-Carrington, 1st Marquess of Lincolnshire	1/4
eorge Horatio Charles Cholmondeley, 5th Marquess of Cholmondeley	1/2
owspan="7"\|1928-1951	Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 2nd Earl of Ancaster	1/4
arjorie Cecilia Wilson, Baroness Nunburnholme	1/20
ady Alexandra Llewellen Palmer	1/20
uperta Legge, Countess of Dartmouth	1/20
erek Keppel, Viscount Bury	1/20
ady Victoria Weld-Forester	1/20
eorge Horatio Charles Cholmondeley, 5th Marquess of Cholmondeley	1/2
owspan="7"\|1951-1953	Gilbert James Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 3rd Earl of Ancaster	1/4
arjorie Cecilia Wilson, Baroness Nunburnholme	1/20
ady Alexandra Llewellen Palmer	1/20
uperta Legge, Countess of Dartmouth	1/20
erek Keppel, Viscount Bury	1/20
ady Victoria Weld-Forester	1/20
eorge Horatio Charles Cholmondeley, 5th Marquess of Cholmondeley	1/2
owspan="7"\|1953-1955	Gilbert James Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 3rd Earl of Ancaster	1/4
arjorie Cecilia Wilson, Baroness Nunburnholme	1/20
ady Alexandra Llewellen Palmer	1/20
uperta Legge, Countess of Dartmouth	1/20
erek Keppel, Viscount Bury	1/20
ady Victoria Weld-Forester	1/20
eorge Horatio Charles Cholmondeley, 5th Marquess of Cholmondeley	1/2
owspan="7"\|1955-1963	Gilbert James Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 3rd Earl of Ancaster	1/4
arjorie Cecilia Wilson, Baroness Nunburnholme	1/20
nthony Llewellen Palmer	1/20
uperta Legge, Countess of Dartmouth	1/20
erek Keppel, Viscount Bury	1/20
ady Victoria Weld-Forester	1/20
eorge Horatio Charles Cholmondeley, 5th Marquess of Cholmondeley	1/2
owspan="11"\|1963-1966	Gilbert James Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 3rd Earl of Ancaster	1/4
arjorie Cecilia Wilson, Baroness Nunburnholme	1/20
nthony Llewellen Palmer	1/20
ady Mary Findlay	1/100
ady Elizabeth Basset	1/100
ady Diana Matthews	1/100
ady Barbara Kwiatkowski	1/100
osceline Chichester, Marchioness of Donegall	1/100
erek Keppel, Viscount Bury	1/20
ady Victoria Weld-Forester	1/20
eorge Horatio Charles Cholmondeley, 5th Marquess of Cholmondeley	1/2
owspan="11"\|1966-1968	Gilbert James Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 3rd Earl of Ancaster	1/4
arjorie Cecilia Wilson, Baroness Nunburnholme	1/20
nthony Llewellen Palmer	1/20
ady Mary Findlay	1/100
ady Elizabeth Basset	1/100
ady Diana Matthews	1/100
ady Barbara Kwiatkowski	1/100
osceline Chichester, Marchioness of Donegall	1/100
erek Keppel, Viscount Bury	1/20
ir Edward Legge-Bourke	1/20
eorge Horatio Charles Cholmondeley, 5th Marquess of Cholmondeley	1/2
owspan="11"\|1968	Gilbert James Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 3rd Earl of Ancaster	1/4
harles John Wilson, 3rd Baron Nunburnholme	1/20
nthony Llewellen Palmer	1/20
ady Mary Findlay	1/100
ady Elizabeth Basset	1/100
ady Diana Matthews	1/100
ady Barbara Kwiatkowski	1/100
osceline Chichester, Marchioness of Donegall	1/100
erek Keppel, Viscount Bury	1/20
ir Edward Legge-Bourke	1/20
eorge Horatio Charles Cholmondeley, 5th Marquess of Cholmondeley	1/2
owspan="11"\|1968	Gilbert James Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 3rd Earl of Ancaster	1/4
harles John Wilson, 3rd Baron Nunburnholme	1/20
nthony Llewellen Palmer	1/20
ady Mary Findlay	1/100
ady Elizabeth Basset	1/100
ady Diana Matthews	1/100
ady Barbara Kwiatkowski	1/100
osceline Chichester, Marchioness of Donegall	1/100
erek Keppel, Viscount Bury	1/20
ir Edward Legge-Bourke	1/20
eorge Hugh Cholmondeley, 6th Marquess of Cholmondeley	1/2
owspan="11"\|1968-1970	Gilbert James Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 3rd Earl of Ancaster	1/4
harles John Wilson, 3rd Baron Nunburnholme	1/20
nthony Llewellen Palmer	1/20
ady Mary Findlay	1/100
ady Elizabeth Basset	1/100
ady Diana Matthews	1/100
ady Barbara Kwiatkowski	1/100
osceline Chichester, Marchioness of Donegall	1/100
ufus Arnold Alexis Keppel, 10th Earl of Albemarle	1/20
ir Edward Legge-Bourke	1/20
eorge Hugh Cholmondeley, 6th Marquess of Cholmondeley	1/2
owspan="11"\|1970-1973	Gilbert James Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 3rd Earl of Ancaster	1/4
harles John Wilson, 3rd Baron Nunburnholme	1/20
nthony Llewellen Palmer	1/20
ady Mary Findlay	1/100
ady Elizabeth Basset	1/100
ames Hamilton-Russell	1/100
ady Barbara Kwiatkowski	1/100
osceline Chichester, Marchioness of Donegall	1/100
ufus Arnold Alexis Keppel, 10th Earl of Albemarle	1/20
ir Edward Legge-Bourke	1/20
eorge Hugh Cholmondeley, 6th Marquess of Cholmondeley	1/2
owspan="11"\|1973-1974	Gilbert James Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 3rd Earl of Ancaster	1/4
harles John Wilson, 3rd Baron Nunburnholme	1/20
nthony Llewellen Palmer	1/20
ady Mary Findlay	1/100
ady Elizabeth Basset	1/100
ames Hamilton-Russell	1/100
ady Barbara Kwiatkowski	1/100
osceline Chichester, Marchioness of Donegall	1/100
ufus Arnold Alexis Keppel, 10th Earl of Albemarle	1/20
illiam Legge-Bourke	1/20
eorge Hugh Cholmondeley, 6th Marquess of Cholmondeley	1/2
owspan="11"\|1974-1983	Gilbert James Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 3rd Earl of Ancaster	1/4
en Charles Wilson, 4th Baron Nunburnholme	1/20
nthony Llewellen Palmer	1/20
ady Mary Findlay	1/100
ady Elizabeth Basset	1/100
ames Hamilton-Russell	1/100
ady Barbara Kwiatkowski	1/100
osceline Chichester, Marchioness of Donegall	1/100
ufus Arnold Alexis Keppel, 10th Earl of Albemarle	1/20
illiam Legge-Bourke	1/20
eorge Hugh Cholmondeley, 6th Marquess of Cholmondeley	1/2
owspan="11"\|1983-1990	Nancy Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 28th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby	1/4
en Charles Wilson, 4th Baron Nunburnholme	1/20
nthony Llewellen Palmer	1/20
ady Mary Findlay	1/100
ady Elizabeth Basset	1/100
ames Hamilton-Russell	1/100
ady Barbara Kwiatkowski	1/100
osceline Chichester, Marchioness of Donegall	1/100
ufus Arnold Alexis Keppel, 10th Earl of Albemarle	1/20
illiam Legge-Bourke	1/20
eorge Hugh Cholmondeley, 6th Marquess of Cholmondeley	1/2
owspan="11"\|1990	Nancy Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 28th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby	1/4
en Charles Wilson, 4th Baron Nunburnholme	1/20
ulian Palmer	1/20
ady Mary Findlay	1/100
ady Elizabeth Basset	1/100
ames Hamilton-Russell	1/100
ady Barbara Kwiatkowski	1/100
osceline Chichester, Marchioness of Donegall	1/100
ufus Arnold Alexis Keppel, 10th Earl of Albemarle	1/20
illiam Legge-Bourke	1/20
eorge Hugh Cholmondeley, 6th Marquess of Cholmondeley	1/2
owspan="11"\|1990-1995	Nancy Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 28th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby	1/4
en Charles Wilson, 4th Baron Nunburnholme	1/20
ulian Palmer	1/20
ady Mary Findlay	1/100
ady Elizabeth Basset	1/100
ames Hamilton-Russell	1/100
ady Barbara Kwiatkowski	1/100
osceline Chichester, Marchioness of Donegall	1/100
ufus Arnold Alexis Keppel, 10th Earl of Albemarle	1/20
illiam Legge-Bourke	1/20
avid George Philip Cholmondeley, 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley	1/2
owspan="11"\|1995-1998	Nancy Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 28th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby	1/4
en Charles Wilson, 4th Baron Nunburnholme	1/20
ulian Palmer	1/20
ady Mary Findlay	1/100
ady Elizabeth Basset	1/100
ames Hamilton-Russell	1/100
ady Barbara Kwiatkowski	1/100
rthur Patrick Chichester, Earl of Belfast/8th Marquess of Donegall	1/100
ufus Arnold Alexis Keppel, 10th Earl of Albemarle	1/20
illiam Legge-Bourke	1/20
avid George Philip Cholmondeley, 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley	1/2
owspan="11"\|1998-2000	Nancy Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 28th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby	1/4
harles Wilson, 5th Baron Nunburnholme	1/20
ulian Palmer	1/20
ady Mary Findlay	1/100
ady Elizabeth Basset	1/100
ames Hamilton-Russell	1/100
ady Barbara Kwiatkowski	1/100
rthur Patrick Chichester, Earl of Belfast/8th Marquess of Donegall	1/100
ufus Arnold Alexis Keppel, 10th Earl of Albemarle	1/20
illiam Legge-Bourke	1/20
avid George Philip Cholmondeley, 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley	1/2
owspan="11"\|2000	Nancy Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 28th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby	1/4
harles Wilson, 5th Baron Nunburnholme	1/20
ulian Palmer	1/20
ady Mary Findlay	1/100
eter Francis Basset	1/100
ames Hamilton-Russell	1/100
ady Barbara Kwiatkowski	1/100
rthur Patrick Chichester, Earl of Belfast/8th Marquess of Donegall	1/100
ufus Arnold Alexis Keppel, 10th Earl of Albemarle	1/20
illiam Legge-Bourke	1/20
avid George Philip Cholmondeley, 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley	1/2
owspan="11"\|2000-	Nancy Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 28th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby	1/4
?)Stephen Wilson, 6th Baron of Nunburnholme(?)	1/20
ulian Palmer	1/20
ady Mary Findlay	1/100
eter Francis Basset	1/100
ames Hamilton-Russell	1/100
ady Barbara Kwiatkowski	1/100
rthur Patrick Chichester, Earl of Belfast/8th Marquess of Donegall	1/100
ufus Arnold Alexis Keppel, 10th Earl of Albemarle	1/20
illiam Legge-Bourke	1/20
avid George Philip Cholmondeley, 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley	1/2

The list is presently incomplete.

Persons exercising the office of Lord Great Chamberlain, 1780-present

onarch!!Acted as LGC!!Years
a href="/encyclopedia/George-III-of-the-United-Kingdom" title="George III of the United Kingdom">George III	Peter Burrell, 1st Baron Gwydyr as Deputy Lord Great Chamberlain (= D.L.Gr.Ch.)	1780-1820
owspan="2"\|George IV	Peter Burrell, 1st Baron Gwydyr as Deputy Lord Great Chamberlain	1820-1821
a href="/encyclopedia/Peter-Drummond-Willoughby,-21st-Baron-Willoughby-de-Eresby" title="Peter Drummond-Willoughby, 21st Baron Willoughby de Eresby">Peter Drummond-Willoughby, 21st Baron Willoughby de Eresby	1821-1830
a href="/encyclopedia/William-IV-of-the-United-Kingdom" title="William IV of the United Kingdom">William IV	George Horatio Cholmondeley, 2nd Marquess of Cholmondeley	1830-1837
owspan="4"\|Victoria	Peter Drummond-Willoughby, 22nd Baron Willoughby de Eresby	1837-1865
a href="/encyclopedia/Albyric-Drummond-Willoughby,-23rd-Baron-Willoughby-de-Eresby" title="Albyric Drummond-Willoughby, 23rd Baron Willoughby de Eresby">Albyric Drummond-Willoughby, 23rd Baron Willoughby de Eresby	1865-1870
a href="/encyclopedia/Gilbert-Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby,-1st-Earl-of-Ancaster" title="Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 1st Earl of Ancaster">Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 1st Earl of Ancaster as D.L.Gr.Ch.	1871-1888
a href="/encyclopedia/Gilbert-Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby,-1st-Earl-of-Ancaster" title="Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 1st Earl of Ancaster">Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 1st Earl of Ancaster	1888-1901
a href="/encyclopedia/Edward-VII-of-the-United-Kingdom" title="Edward VII of the United Kingdom">Edward VII	George Henry Hugh Cholmondeley, 4th Marquess of Cholmondeley	1901-1910
owspan="2"\|George V	Robert Wynn-Carrington, 1st Marquess of Lincolnshire	1910-1928
a href="/encyclopedia/William-Legge,-7th-Earl-of-Dartmouth" title="William Legge, 7th Earl of Dartmouth">William Legge, 7th Earl of Dartmouth as Deputy Lord Great Chamberlain	1928-1936
a href="/encyclopedia/Edward-VIII-of-the-United-Kingdom" title="Edward VIII of the United Kingdom">Edward VIII	George Horatio Charles Cholmondeley, 5th Marquess of Cholmondeley	1936
owspan="2"\|George VI	Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 2nd Earl of Ancaster	1936-1951
a href="/encyclopedia/Gilbert-James-Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby,-3rd-Earl-of-Ancaster" title="Gilbert James Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 3rd Earl of Ancaster">Gilbert James Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 3rd Earl of Ancaster	1951-1952
owspan="4"\|Elizabeth II	George Horatio Charles Cholmondeley, 5th Marquess of Cholmondeley	1952-1966
a href="/encyclopedia/George-Hugh-Cholmondeley,-6th-Marquess-of-Cholmondeley" title="George Hugh Cholmondeley, 6th Marquess of Cholmondeley">George Hugh Cholmondeley, 6th Marquess of Cholmondeley as D.L.Gr.Ch.	\|1966-1968
a href="/encyclopedia/George-Hugh-Cholmondeley,-6th-Marquess-of-Cholmondeley" title="George Hugh Cholmondeley, 6th Marquess of Cholmondeley">George Hugh Cholmondeley, 6th Marquess of Cholmondeley	\|1966-1990
a href="/encyclopedia/David-George-Philip-Cholmondeley,-7th-Marquess-of-Cholmondeley" title="David George Philip Cholmondeley, 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley">David George Philip Cholmondeley, 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley	\|1990-

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