Lord Chamberlain

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The Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom, and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the great officers of state.

The Lord Chamberlain is always a peer and a privy councillor, and before 1782 was of cabinet rank. Until 1924 the position was a political one. The Lord Chamberlain is the chief functionary of the court, and is generally responsible for organizing all court functions. Until recently, the Lord Chamberlain also had the role of licenser of plays in the City of London, Westminster, and certain other areas. This role made the Lord Chamberlain effectively the official censor of theatrical performances, though the responsibility was in practice delegated to the Lord Chamberlain's Office. This duty was abolished under the Theatres Act of 1968.

Although the senior officer of the Royal Household on a daily basis is the Private Secretary to the Sovereign, the Lord Chamberlain exercises a major co-ordination role. The post is normally part-time, though in recent times Lord Maclean served full-time.

In Denmark there is also a Lord Chamberlain (Hofmarskallatet) who fulfils a similar role for the Danish Royal Family

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Lord Chamberlains, 1485-present

Commonwealth and Protectorate 1649-1660

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Further reading

  • Dominic Shellard, Steve Nicholson and Miriam Handley: The Lord Chamberlain Regrets ... A History of British Theatre Censorship (British Library: 2004) (ISBN 0712348654).
  • J.R. Stephens. The Censorship of English Drama 1824-1901 (Cambridge University Press, 1981).sv:Kammarherre
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