Worldwide Guide to Women
in Leadership
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Traditional Offices
See also United Kingdom Heads
and United Kingdoms Ministers
Lord Privy Seal
One of the traditional
sinecure offices in the British Cabinet. Though
one of the oldest offices in government anywhere, since it has no particular
function the office has generally been used as a kind of Minister without
Portfolio.
1983-1983
Baroness
Janet Young
of Farnworth
1998-2001 Baroness Margaret Jay
of Paddington
2007-10 Harriet Harman
The Lord President of the
Council
As Presiding officer of the
Privy Council. His principal responsibility is
to preside at meetings of the Privy Council, at which the British monarch
formally assents to Orders-in-Council. In recent years, the Lord President has
also served as
Leader of the House of Commons, though the
current Lord President also serves as
Leader of the House of Lords.
1997-1998 Ann Taylor
1998-2001 Margaret Beckett
2003-07 Baroness
Valerie Amos
2007-08 Rt. Hon the Baroness Ashton of Upholland
2008-09 The Baroness Royall of Blaisdon
Leader of the House of Lords
A function in the
British government that is always held in
combination with a formal
Cabinet position, most often
Lord Privy Seal or
Lord President of the Council. The Leader of
the
House of Lords takes charge of the government's
business in the House, and has some responsibility for determining the order of
speakers.
1998-2001 Baroness Margaret Jay of Paddington
2003-07 Baroness
Valerie Amos
2007-08 Rt. Hon the Baroness Ashton of Upholland
2008-09 The Baroness Royall of Blaisdon
Chancellor of the
Duchy of Lancaster
The Duchy reverted to the crown in
1413, and the chief officer of the Duchy is the
Chancellor, a high position which is
sometimes a cabinet post. Since, for at least the last two centuries, the
Chancellor rarely has had any significant duties pertaining to management of the
Duchy itself, he is usually available as a
Minister
without Portfolio.
1981-1982 Baroness Young of Farnworth
1999-2001 Mo Mowlam
2006-07 Hilary Armstrong
2009-10 The Baroness Royall of Blaisdon
Holders of the Lord Great
Chamberlainship
The office has been exercised by the Marquesses of Cholmondeley since
1952
(the Earls of Ancaster and Barons of Willoughby exerciesed it 1936-52)
1781-1828 Joint Hereditary Lord Great Chamberlain The Baroness Willoughby de
Eresby of the kingdom of Great Britain (1/2)
Princilla Barbara Elizabeth Burrel née Bertie, succeeded to the title of 20th Baroness upon the death of her brother in 1779, and was
admitted to the dignity of Lord Great Chamberlain, by a ruling by the House of
Lords, that stipulated that she and her sister were to appoint Deputies to
conduct the office. She appointed her
husband, Sir Peter Burrel of Beckenham, bt. who was appointed deputy lord great
chamberlain of the kingdom of Great Britain. The lord great chamberlain has
charge of the palace of Westminster, especially of the House of Lords, and when
the sovereign opens parliament in person he is responsible for the arrangements,
and walks himself in the procession on the right of the sword of state, a little
before it and next to the sovereign. Her part has since been split again among
several female heirs.
1781-1838
Joint Hereditary
Lord Great Chamberlain
Georgiana Bertie
Cholmondeley, Marchioness
of Cholmondeley (1/2)
She was installed to the dignity jointly with her sister. First
her brother-in-law acted as deputy and after his death in 1821 her nephew,
Peter Drummond-Willoughby, 2nd Lord Gwydyr,
who succeeded to the office after her
death. Her part has been inherited by the male line since.
1870-88 Joint Hereditary Lord Great Chamberlain The Baroness Willoughby de
Eresby of the kingdom of Great Britain (1/4)
Clementine Drummond, the 23rd Baroness and Dowager Lady
Aveland, held the office jointly with with
William Cholmondeley, 3rd Marquess of Cholmondeley,
Charlotte Augusta, and after her death in 1879 with her heirs.
1870-1879
Joint Hereditary
Lord Great
Chamberlain Charlotte Augusta
Wynn-Carrington,
Dowager Lady Carrington (1/4)
Together with her sister, The Baroness Willoughby and another joint holder,
who continued in office together with Charlotte Augusta's heirs.
1923-53 Joint Hereditary Lord
Great Chamberlains Lady Nunburnholme, Lady Alexandra
Llewellen Palmer, Lady
Lewisham, Lady Bury, and Lady Victoria Weld-Forester (1/20)
Coheiress with the following four of the Marquess
of Lincolnshire's daughter's and his portion of the Lord Great
Chamberlainship.
1923-1963 Marjorie Cecilia Wilson, Baroness Nunburnholme 1/20
1928-1963 Ruperta Legge, Countess of Dartmouth 1/20
Her husband William Legge, 7th Earl of Dartmouth, acted as Deputy Lord
Chamberlain during the reign of George V (1928-38).
1928-1966 Lady Victoria Weld-Forester 1/20
1963-2000 Lady Elizabeth Basset 1/100
1963-70 Lady Diana Matthews 1/100
1963- Lady Mary Findlay 1/100
1963- Josceline Chichester, Marchioness of Donegall 1/100
1966- Lady Barbara Kwiatkowski 1/100
1983- Joint Hereditary Lord Great Chamberlain The Baroness Willoughby de
Eresby of the kingdom of Great Britain (1/4)
Lady Nancy Jane Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby is the only daughter of James
Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 27th Baron Willoughby d'Eresby and 3rd Earl of
Ancaster and Honourable Nancy Astor, and was one of the ladies-in-waiting to
Queen Elizabeth's coronation. The office of Lord Great
Chamberlain is executed by one of the other Joint Hereditary Holders of the
Office for the duration of Elizabeth's reign. Lady Willoughby is unmarried.(b.
1934-).
1995- Lorraine Mary Charmain
Nicole Wilson (1/80)
She is first in line among the many co-heirs to the office to exercise the
position of Lord Chamberlain when the next monarch succeeds to the throne.
1995- Tatiana Ines Alexandra Dent (1/80)
1995- Ines Monica Gartion (1/80)
1995- Ysabel Wilson (1/80)
Mistress of the Robes
Until 1901 the appointment to
the office of Mistress of the Robes - the highest ranking female official at
court - for a Queen regnant was a political appointment, changing with the
government.
1553-58 Mistress of the Robes Susan Tonge
To Queen Mary I
1559/62–1603 Mistress of the Robes Dorothy, Lady Stafford
To Queen Elizabeth I
1704-10 Mistress of the Robes Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough
To Queen Anne. Groom of the Stole (another high office at court) 1702-11.
1710-14 Mistress of the Robes Elizabeth Seymour, Duchess of Somerset
1711–14 Groom of the Stole
To Queen Anne.
1837-1841,
1846-1852,
1853-58 and
1859-61 Mistress of the Robes Harriet Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of
Sutherland
The first holder of the office during the reign of Queen Victoria.
1841-1846 Mistress of the Robes Charlotte Montagu-Douglas-Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch
1852-1853 Mistress of the Robes Anne Murray, Duchess of Atholl
1858-1859 Mistress of the Robes Louisa Montagu, Duchess of Manchester
1861-1868 and
1874-80 Mistress of the Robes Elizabeth Wellesley, Duchess of Wellington
1868-1870 Mistress of the Robes Elizabeth Campbell, Duchess of Argyll
1870-74 Mistress of the Robes Anne Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of
Sutherland
1880-1883 Mistress of the Robes Elizabeth Russell, Duchess of Bedford
1883-1885 Mistress of the Robes Anne Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe
1885-1886,
1886-92 and
1895-1901 Mistress of the Robes Louisa Montagu-Douglas-Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch
1892-95 Joint
Acting Mistress of the Robes Anne Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe
1892-95 Joint
Acting Mistress of the Robes Anne
Murray, Dowager Duchess of Atholl
Keeper of the Privy Purse (of Queen Anne)
1702-11 Sarah Churchill, Duchess of
Marlborough
1711-14 Abigail Masham, Baroness Masham
Last update 20.08.13