FeaturesInsight

The Royal Household: Master of the Household's Department

<![CDATA[The Master of the Household Department was created in 1539. Originally there were four Masters of the Household, but in the 17th Century it was reduced to one. The position was also one that required little to no effort, which was until Prince Albert reorganized the structure in the 1840s. The current Master of the Household Department comprises over 250 employees and is the largest…
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The Royal W: Counsellors of State

<![CDATA[In the case of the Sovereign not being able to attend a Privy Council meeting because of an absence due to travel abroad or temporary illness, two or more members of the Royal Family will stand in as Counsellors of State. Their role is to carry out the functions…
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The Royal Household: The Lord Chamberlain

<![CDATA[The Lord Chamberlain is the Head of Her Majesty's working Household. He is responsible for recommending to The Queen, candidates for the senior appointments in the Household. He also coordinates the activities of the different Household offices. The Lord…
FeaturesHistoryInsight

Official Royal Posts: The Queen's Piper

<![CDATA[The Queen’s Piper principal duty is to play every weekday at 9 am for approximately 15 minutes under Her Majesty’s window when she is in residence at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Balmoral Castle or the Palace Holyroodhouse. The piper though does not travel to Sandringham and play due to the shortage of accommodations there. At Windsor, Balmoral and Holyroodhouse, he also…
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Insight

"No requirement" for the wife of a king to be Queen

<![CDATA[Frequent followers of Royal Central will be aware of our long-running debate on the Duchess of Cornwall's titles and, especially, what she will be known as when Prince Charles accedes to the throne as King. In August, I researched into the matter to try and…
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Official Royal Posts: Lord Great Chamberlain

<![CDATA[Considered one of the Great Officers of State, the Lord Great Chamberlain is accountable for the conduct of royal affairs in the Palace of Westminster. On ceremonial occasions, the Lord Great Chamberlain wears a gold key of his office which hangs from his waist…
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Official Royal Posts: Lord Lieutenants

<![CDATA[The Lord Lieutenants are the representatives of the Crown for each county in the United Kingdom. They are chosen by The Queen on the recommendation of the Prime Minister and may be peers or commoners. Lord Lieutenants were at first selected as part of the restructuring of local Government during King Henry VIII’s reign. The plan was for those chosen to take over the military…
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Official Royal Posts: Master of the Horse

<![CDATA[The honourary head of the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace is known as the Master of the Horse. Today the Master of the Horse is mainly a ceremonial office and seldom is seen apart from on state occasions, and particularly when the Sovereign is mounted. Such…
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The Royal Mint: coin portraits of the monarchy

<![CDATA[The idea of currency was created as a system that allows people to exchange goods, but do any of us know what it represents? The Royal Mint has long been in existence, and tells the story of Britain’s history. Over eleven hundred years ago a convention was…
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Official Royal Posts: The Earl Marshal

<![CDATA[The Earl Marshal is a Great Officer of State with a significant role in the arrangement of coronations and other State ceremonies. Upon the death of the Sovereign, he is in charge of organising the funeral as well as the accession and coronation of the new monarch. The Earl Marshal is a senior figure, which takes precedence after the Lord Great Chamberlain before all peers of his own…
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