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On ceremonial occasions, the Lord Great Chamberlain wears a gold
key of his office which hangs from his waist, a scarlet court
uniform and carries a white stave as the insignia of his
office.
The Lord Great Chamberlain has authority, entrusted by the Queen,
for certain areas of the Palace of Westminster, which are not
overseen by the House of Lords and House of Commons.
The two main areas are the and the Royal Gallery and the Royal
Robing Room. The Crypt Chapel and Westminster Hall and jointly
controlled with the Speakers of the two Houses.
For the State Opening of Parliament, the Lord Great Chamberlain and
Earl Marshal are in charge of meeting Her Majesty upon her arrival
at Parliament and are charged with her welfare whilst in
Parliament.
The office is a hereditary one. After endless debates, The House of
Lords determined in 1902, the office was jointly vested in the
families of Marquessate of Cholmondeley, the Earldom of Ancaster
and the Marquessate of Lincolnshire.
King Edward VII be in agreement that the post should be held in
turn for the length of a sovereign’s reign.
The office is held by the Cholmondeleys in alternate reigns.
David George Philip Cholmondeley, 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley,
KCVO, was styled from birth Viscount Malpas until 1968, and then
Earl of Rocksavage until 1990. He is a Peer of the United Kingdom
and has served as Lord Great Chamberlain of the United Kingdom
since 1990.
Lord Cholmondeley is a direct descendant of Sir Robert Walpole, the
first Prime Minister of Great Britain.
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Why is the position hereditary and only available to the families of Marquessate of Cholmondeley, the Earldom of Ancaster and the Marquessate of Lincolnshire?
Tradition. The best reason.
A part of the office of Lord Great Chamberlain is
the Cholmondeley inheritance. This hereditary privilege is part of the Cholmondeley
family through the marriage of the first Marquess of Cholmondeley to Lady
Georgiana Charlotte Bertie, daughter of Peregrine Bertie, 3rd Duke of Ancaster
and Kesteven.
The second, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh holders of the Marquessate
have all held this office, which shifts between the heirs of the two daughters
of the Duke with each new reign.