Vice-Chamberlain of the Household

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.

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

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.^[1] 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.^[1]

During the latter part of her reign, the Vice-Chamberlain sent a daily email to Elizabeth II.^[1] 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.^[1] 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.^[1] 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.^[1] 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.^[1] Emails began to be sent to the Queen at Buckingham Palace in 2014; the dispatches had previously been collected by a messenger.^[1]

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	[2]
Sir Robert Wingfield	1521	Unknown		[3]
William Sandys, 1st Baron Sandys of the Vyne	Unknown	1526	Became Lord Chamberlain	[4]
Sir John Gage	1526	1533	Lord Chamberlain from 1553	[5]
Sir William Kingston	1536	1539
Sir Anthony Wingfield	1539	1550		[6]
Sir Thomas D'Arcy	1550	1551	Became Lord Chamberlain; created Baron Darcy of Chiche in 1551	[7]
Sir John Gates	1551	Unknown		[8]
Sir Henry Jerningham	1553	1557		[9]
Sir Henry Bedingfeld	1557	1558		[10]
Sir Edward Rogers	1558	1559		[11]
Sir Francis Knollys	1559	Unknown		[12]
Sir Christopher Hatton	1577	1587		[13]
Sir Thomas Heneage	1587	1595		[14]
Sir John Stanhope, from 1605 Baron Stanhope	1601	1616		[15]
Sir John Digby, from 1618 Baron Digby and from 1622 Earl of Bristol	1616	1625		[16]
Sir Dudley Carleton	1625	1626	Created Baron Carleton in 1626 and Viscount Dorchester in 1628
Sir Humphrey May	1626	1630		[17]
Sir Thomas Jermyn	1630	1639
George Goring, 1st Baron Goring	1639	1644	Created Earl of Norwich in 1644	[18]
Vacant
Sir George Carteret, 1st Baronet	1660	1680	Notionally held the office from 1647	[19][20][21]
Henry Savile	1680	1687		[20][21]
James Porter	1687	1689		[20][21]
Sir John Lowther, Bt	1689	1694	Created Viscount Lonsdale in 1679	[20][21]
Peregrine Bertie	1694	1706		[20][21]
Thomas Coke	1706	1727		[20][21]
William Stanhope	1727	1730	Created Baron Harrington in 1730 and Earl of Harrington in 1742	[20][21]
John Hervey, 2nd Baron Hervey	1730	1740	Became Lord Privy Seal	[20][21]
Lord Sidney Beauclerk	1740	1742		[20][21]
William Finch	1742	1765		[20][21]
George Villiers, Viscount Villiers	1765	1770	Succeeded as Earl of Jersey in 1769	[20][21]
Thomas Robinson, from 1770 Lord Grantham	1770	1771		[20][21]
John Montagu, Viscount Hinchingbrooke	1771	1782	Succeeded as Earl of Sandwich in 1792	[20][21]
George Waldegrave, Viscount Chewton	1782	1784	Succeeded as Earl Waldegrave in 1784	[20][21]
George Herbert, Lord Herbert	1784	1794	Succeeded as Earl of Pembroke in 1794	[20][21]
Charles Francis Greville	1794	1804 or 1809		[20][22][21]
Lord John Thynne	1804 or 1809	1812	Succeeded as Baron Carteret in 1838	[20][21]
Francis Seymour-Conway, Earl of Yarmouth	1812	1812	Succeeded as Marquess of Hertford in 1822	[20][21]
Robert Jocelyn, Viscount Jocelyn, from 1820 Earl of Roden	1812	1821		[20][21]
James Graham, Marquess of Graham	1821	1827	Succeeded as Duke of Montrose in 1836	[20][21]
Sir Samuel Hulse	1827	1830		[20][21]
George Chichester, Earl of Belfast	1830	1834	First period in office; succeeded as Marquess of Donegall in 1844	[20][21]
Frederick Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh	1834	1835	Succeeded as Marquess of Londonderry in 1854	[20][21]
Lord Charles FitzRoy	1835	1838		[20][21]
George Chichester, Earl of Belfast	1838	1841	Second period in office; succeeded as Marquess of Donegall in 1844	[23]
Lord Ernest Brudenell-Bruce	1841	1846	First period in office; succeeded as Marquess of Ailesbury in 1878	[24]
Lord Edward Howard	1846	1852	Created Baron Howard of Glossop in 1869	[25]
Orlando Bridgeman, Viscount Newport	1852	1852	First period in office; Lord Chamberlain from 1866; succeeded as Earl of Bradford in 1865	[26]
Lord Ernest Brudenell-Bruce	1852	1858	Second period in office; succeeded as Marquess of Ailesbury in 1878	[27]
Orlando Bridgeman, Viscount Newport	1858	1859	Second period in office; Lord Chamberlain from 1866; succeeded as Earl of Bradford in 1865	[28]
Valentine Browne, Viscount Castlerosse	1859	1866	First period in office; succeeded as Earl of Kenmare in 1871	[29]
Lord Claud Hamilton	1866	1868		[30]
Valentine Browne, Viscount Castlerosse, from 1871 Earl of Kenmare	1868	1872	Second period in office; Lord Chamberlain from 1880	[31]
Lord Richard Grosvenor	1872	1874	Created Baron Stalbridge in 1886	[32]
George Barrington, 7th Viscount Barrington	1874	1880		[33]
Lord Charles Bruce	1880	1885		[34]
William Legge, Viscount Lewisham	1885	1886	First period in office; succeeded as Earl of Dartmouth in 1881	[35]
Frederick Lambart, Viscount Kilcoursie	1886	1886	Succeeded as Earl of Cavan in 1887	[36]
William Legge, Viscount Lewisham, from 1891 Earl of Dartmouth	1886	1891	Second period in office	[37]
Lord Burghley	1891	1892	Succeeded as Marquess of Exeter in 1895	[38]
Charles Spencer	1892	1895		[39]
Ailwyn Fellowes	1895	1900	Created Baron Ailwyn in 1921	[40]
Sir Alexander Acland-Hood, Bt	1900	1902	Created Lord St Audries in 1911	[41]
Frederick Glyn, 4th Baron Wolverton	1902	1905		[42]
Wentworth Beaumont, from 1907 Lord Allendale	1905	1907	Created Viscount Allendale in 1911	[43]
John Fuller, from 1910 Sir John, 1st Baronet	1907	1911		[44]
Geoffrey Howard	1911	1915		[45]
Cecil Beck	1915	1917		[46]
William Dudley Ward	1917	1922		[47]
Douglas Hacking	1922	1924	First period in office; created Baron Hacking in 1945	[48]
John Davison	1924	1924		[49]
Douglas Hacking	1924	1925	Second period in office; created Baron Hacking in 1945	[50]
George Hennessy, from 1927 Sir George, 1st Baronet	1925	1928	Became Treasurer of the Household; created Baron Windlesham in 1937	[51]
Frederick Thomson, from 1929 Sir Frederick, 1st Baronet	1928	1929	First period in office	[52]
Jack Hayes	1929	1931		[53]
Sir Frederick Thomson, 1st Baronet	1931	1931	Second period in office	[54]
Sir George Penny	1931	1932	Became Comptroller of the Household; created Viscount Marchwood in 1945	[55]
Sir Victor Warrender, Bt	1932	1935	Became Comptroller of the Household; created Baron Bruntisfield in 1942	[56]
Sir Lambert Ward, 1st Baronet	1935	1935	Became Comptroller of the Household	[57]
George Davies, from 1936 Sir George	1935	1936	Became Comptroller of the Household	[58]
Arthur Hope	1937	1937	Became Treasurer of the Household; succeeded as Baron Rankeillour in 1949	[59]
Ronald Cross	1937	1938		[60]
Robert Grimston	1938	1939	Became Treasurer of the Household; created Baron Grimston of Westbury in 1952	[61]
James Edmondson	1939	1942	Became Treasurer of the Household	[62]
William Boulton, from 1944 Sir William, 1st Baronet	1942	1944		[63]
Arthur Young	1944	1945		[64]
Julian Snow	1945	1946	Created Lord Burntwood in 1970	[65]
Michael Stewart	1946	1947	Created Lord Stewart of Fulham in 1979	[66]
Ernest Popplewell	1947	1951	Created Lord Popplewell in 1966	[67]
Henry Studholme	1951	1956		[68]
Richard Thompson	1956	1957		[69]
Peter Legh	1957	1959	Became Treasurer of the Household; succeeded as Lord Newton in 1960	[70]
Edward Wakefield	1959	1960	Became Treasurer of the Household	[71]
Richard Brooman-White	1960	1960		[72]
Graeme Finlay	1960	1964		[73]
William Whitlock	1964	1966		[74]
Jack McCann	1966	1967		[75]
Charles Morris	1967	1969	Became Treasurer of the Household	[76]
Alan Fitch	1969	1970		[77]
Jasper More	1970	1971		[78]
Bernard Weatherill	1971	1972	Became Comptroller of the Household; created Lord Weatherill in 1992	[79]
Walter Clegg	1972	1973	Became Comptroller of the Household	[80]
Paul Hawkins	1973	1974		[81]
Don Concannon	1974	1974		[82]
James Hamilton	1974	1978	Became Comptroller of the Household	[82]
Donald Coleman	1978	1979		[83]
Hon. Anthony Berry	1979	1981	Became Comptroller of the Household	[84]
Carol Mather	1981	1983	Became Comptroller of the Household	[85]
Robert Boscawen	1983	1986	Became Comptroller of the Household	[86]
Tristan Garel-Jones	1986	1988	Became Comptroller of the Household; created Lord Garel-Jones in 1997	[87]
Michael Neubert	1988	1988		[88]
Tony Durant	1988	1990		[89]
David Lightbown	1990	1990	Became Comptroller of the Household	[90]
John Mark Taylor	1990	1992		[91]
Sydney Chapman	1992	1995		[92]
Timothy Kirkhope	1995	1996		[93]
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		[94]
Claire Ward	2008	2009		[95][96]
Helen Jones	2009	2010		[97]
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		[98]
Michael Tomlinson	2022	2022		[98]
Jo Churchill	2022	2023		[99]
Stuart Anderson	2023	2024		[100]
Samantha Dixon	2024	present

List of Shadow Vice-Chamberlains of the Household

• Jessica Morden was appointed the first shadow in 2020.^{[citation needed]}