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{{short description|Peers who hold office in the Royal Household of the United Kingdom}}
{{short description|Peers who hold office in the Royal Household of the United Kingdom}}
{{for|female personal assistants at a court, royal or feudal, attending on a queen, a princess, or a high-ranking noblewoman|Lady-in-waiting}}

'''Lords-in-waiting''' (male) or '''baronesses-in-waiting''' (female) are [[Peerages in the United Kingdom|peers]] who hold office in the [[Royal Household]] of the [[Monarch|sovereign]] of the [[United Kingdom]].<ref name="ush">{{cite news|last=Tomlinson|first=Richard|title=They also serve, who only ush|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/they-also-serve-who-only-ush-why-is-the-queen-followed-by-people-in-antique-clothes-richard-tomlinson-on-the-lords-ladies-women-masters-silver-sticks-and-white-staves-at-court-1564751.html|newspaper=Independent|date=20 Dec 1992}}</ref> In the official Court Circular they are styled "Lord in Waiting" or "Baroness in Waiting" (without hyphenation).
'''Lords-in-waiting''' (male) or '''baronesses-in-waiting''' (female) are [[Peerages in the United Kingdom|peers]] who hold office in the [[Royal Household]] of the [[Monarch|sovereign]] of the [[United Kingdom]].<ref name="ush">{{cite news|last=Tomlinson|first=Richard|title=They also serve, who only ush|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/they-also-serve-who-only-ush-why-is-the-queen-followed-by-people-in-antique-clothes-richard-tomlinson-on-the-lords-ladies-women-masters-silver-sticks-and-white-staves-at-court-1564751.html|newspaper=Independent|date=20 Dec 1992}}</ref> In the official Court Circular they are styled "Lord in Waiting" or "Baroness in Waiting" (without hyphenation).


There are two kinds of lord-in-waiting: political appointees by the government of the day who serve as junior government [[Chief Whip|whips]] in the House of Lords (the senior whips have the positions of [[Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms]] and [[Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard]]); and non-political appointments by the monarch (who, if they have a seat in the House of Lords, sit as [[crossbenchers]]). Lords-in-waiting (whether political or non-political) may be called upon periodically to represent the sovereign; for example, one of their number is regularly called upon to greet visiting heads of state on arrival at an airport at the start of a state or official visit, and they may then play a role in accompanying them for the duration of their stay (for instance, on 3 June 2019 lord-in-waiting [[Alan Brooke, 3rd Viscount Brookeborough|Viscount Brookeborough]] was in attendance at Stansted Airport to welcome U.S. president [[Donald Trump]] and First Lady [[Melania Trump]] on behalf of the Queen; he and Viscountess Brookeborough then remained "specially attached" to the Trumps for the duration of their visit.)<ref>Court Circular, Buckingham Palace, 3 June 2019.</ref> They are also occasionally in attendance on other state or royal occasions. "Extra" lords-in-waiting may also be appointed, supernumerary to the regular appointees, who fulfil a similar role; for example, the [[Baroness Rawlings]], whose appointment as a government whip (and baroness-in-waiting) ceased in 2012, continued to serve as an extra baroness-in-waiting,<ref>[https://www.parliament.uk/biographies/lords/baroness-rawlings/3278 UK Parliament website biographical page]</ref> and represented the Queen on certain occasions (for example on 27 February 2019 she was present at [[RAF Northolt]] to welcome the King and Queen of Jordan, while at the same time another baroness-in-waiting, [[Baroness Manzoor]], was present at Heathrow Airport to welcome the President of Slovenia).<ref>Court Circular, Buckingham Palace, 27 February 2019.</ref>
There are two kinds of lord-in-waiting: political appointees by the government of the day who serve as junior government [[Chief Whip|whips]] in the House of Lords (the senior whips have the positions of [[Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms]] and [[Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard]]); and non-political appointments by the monarch (who, if they have a seat in the House of Lords, sit as [[crossbenchers]]). Lords-in-waiting (whether political or non-political) may be called upon periodically to represent the sovereign; for example, one of their number is regularly called upon to greet visiting heads of state on arrival at an airport at the start of a state or official visit, and they may then play a role in accompanying them for the duration of their stay (for instance, on 3 June 2019 lord-in-waiting [[Alan Brooke, 3rd Viscount Brookeborough|Viscount Brookeborough]] was in attendance at Stansted Airport to welcome U.S. president [[Donald Trump]] and First Lady [[Melania Trump]] on behalf of the Queen; he and Viscountess Brookeborough then remained "specially attached" to the Trumps for the duration of their visit).<ref>Court Circular, Buckingham Palace, 3 June 2019.</ref> They are also occasionally in attendance on other state or royal occasions. "Extra" lords-in-waiting may also be appointed, supernumerary to the regular appointees, who fulfil a similar role; for example, the [[Baroness Rawlings]], whose appointment as a government whip (and baroness-in-waiting) ceased in 2012, continued to serve as an extra baroness-in-waiting,<ref>[https://www.parliament.uk/biographies/lords/baroness-rawlings/3278 UK Parliament website biographical page]</ref> and represented the Queen on certain occasions (for example on 27 February 2019 she was present at [[RAF Northolt]] to welcome the King and Queen of Jordan, while at the same time another baroness-in-waiting, [[Baroness Manzoor]], was present at Heathrow Airport to welcome the President of Slovenia).<ref>Court Circular, Buckingham Palace, 27 February 2019.</ref>


In addition, the honour of serving as a '''permanent lord-in-waiting''' is occasionally bestowed on very senior courtiers following their retirement. A permanent lord-in-waiting may also represent the sovereign, as often happens at funerals or memorial services for former courtiers.
In addition, the honour of serving as a '''permanent lord-in-waiting''' is occasionally bestowed on very senior courtiers following their retirement. A permanent lord-in-waiting may also represent the sovereign, as often happens at funerals or memorial services for former courtiers.
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! Portfolio !! Name !! Since
! Portfolio !! Name !! Since
|-
|-
| rowspan=4|Lord-in-waiting
| rowspan=5|Lord-in-waiting
| [[Jasset Ormsby-Gore, 7th Baron Harlech|The Lord Harlech]]
| [[Jasset Ormsby-Gore, 7th Baron Harlech|The Lord Harlech]]
| 22 September 2022
| 22 September 2022
|-
|-
| [[Byron Davies|The Lord Davies of Gower]]
| [[Jonathan Caine, Baron Caine|The Lord Caine]] (unpaid)
| 22 September 2022
⚫
|-
⚫
| [[Jonathan Caine, Baron Caine|The Lord Caine]]
| 24 November 2022
| 24 November 2022
|-
|-
| [[Graham Evans, Baron Evans of Rainow|The Lord Evans of Rainow]]
| [[Graham Evans, Baron Evans of Rainow|The Lord Evans of Rainow]]
| 1 January 2023
| 1 January 2023
⚫
|-
| [[Benjamin Gascoigne, Baron Gascoigne|The Lord Gascoigne]]
⚫
| 14 November 2023
|-
| [[Massey Lopes, 4th Baron Roborough|The Lord Roborough]]
| 1 December 2023
|-
|-
| Baroness-in-waiting
| Baroness-in-waiting
| [[Olivia Bloomfield, Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist|The Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist]]
| [[Kay Swinburne, Baroness Swinburne|The Baroness Swinburne]] (unpaid)
| 30 July 2019
| 2 June 2023
|-
|-
|}
|}
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{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
! Name !! Since !! Formerly
! Name !! Since !! Timeline
|-
|-
⚫
! colspan=3|[[Lord Great Chamberlain|Lord Great Chamberlain of England]]
| [[Edward Young (courtier)|The Lord Young]]
⚫
| 15 May 2023
| [[Private Secretary to the Sovereign|Private Secretary to Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles II]]
|-
|-
| [[David Cholmondeley, 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley|The Marquess of Cholmondeley]]
| [[David Cholmondeley, 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley|The Marquess of Cholmondeley]]
| 17 March 2023
| 17 March 2023
| 1990–2022
⚫
| [[Lord Great Chamberlain|Lord Great Chamberlain of England]]
|-
⚫
! colspan=3|[[Lord Chamberlain|Lord Chamberlain of the Household]]
|-
⚫
| [[Richard Luce, Baron Luce|The Lord Luce]]
| 16 July 2007
| 2000–2006
|-
|-
| [[William Peel, 3rd Earl Peel|The Earl Peel]]
| [[William Peel, 3rd Earl Peel|The Earl Peel]]
| 1 April 2021
| 1 April 2021
| 2006–2021
⚫
| [[Lord Chamberlain|Lord Chamberlain of the Household]]
|-
|-
⚫
! colspan=3|[[Private Secretary to the Sovereign]]
| [[Christopher Geidt, Baron Geidt|The Lord Geidt]]
| 4 March 2019
⚫
| [[Private Secretary to the Sovereign|Private Secretary to Queen Elizabeth II]]
|-
|-
| [[Robin Janvrin, Baron Janvrin|The Lord Janvrin]]
| [[Robin Janvrin, Baron Janvrin|The Lord Janvrin]]
| 13 November 2007
| 13 November 2007
| 1999–2007
| [[Private Secretary to the Sovereign|Private Secretary to Queen Elizabeth II]]
|-
|-
| [[Richard Luce, Baron Luce|The Lord Luce]]
| [[Christopher Geidt, Baron Geidt|The Lord Geidt]]
| 16 July 2007
| 4 March 2019
| 2007–2017
| [[Lord Chamberlain|Lord Chamberlain of the Household]]
|-
|-
| [[David Ogilvy, 13th Earl of Airlie|The Earl of Airlie]]
| [[Edward Young, Baron Young of Old Windsor|The Lord Young of Old Windsor]]
| 17 December 1997
| 15 May 2023
| 2017–2023
| [[Lord Chamberlain|Lord Chamberlain of the Household]]
|-
|-
|}
|}

Latest revision as of 05:07, 1 April 2024

Lords-in-waiting (male) or baronesses-in-waiting (female) are peers who hold office in the Royal Household of the sovereign of the United Kingdom.[1] In the official Court Circular they are styled "Lord in Waiting" or "Baroness in Waiting" (without hyphenation).

There are two kinds of lord-in-waiting: political appointees by the government of the day who serve as junior government whips in the House of Lords (the senior whips have the positions of Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms and Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard); and non-political appointments by the monarch (who, if they have a seat in the House of Lords, sit as crossbenchers). Lords-in-waiting (whether political or non-political) may be called upon periodically to represent the sovereign; for example, one of their number is regularly called upon to greet visiting heads of state on arrival at an airport at the start of a state or official visit, and they may then play a role in accompanying them for the duration of their stay (for instance, on 3 June 2019 lord-in-waiting Viscount Brookeborough was in attendance at Stansted Airport to welcome U.S. president Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on behalf of the Queen; he and Viscountess Brookeborough then remained "specially attached" to the Trumps for the duration of their visit).[2] They are also occasionally in attendance on other state or royal occasions. "Extra" lords-in-waiting may also be appointed, supernumerary to the regular appointees, who fulfil a similar role; for example, the Baroness Rawlings, whose appointment as a government whip (and baroness-in-waiting) ceased in 2012, continued to serve as an extra baroness-in-waiting,[3] and represented the Queen on certain occasions (for example on 27 February 2019 she was present at RAF Northolt to welcome the King and Queen of Jordan, while at the same time another baroness-in-waiting, Baroness Manzoor, was present at Heathrow Airport to welcome the President of Slovenia).[4]

In addition, the honour of serving as a permanent lord-in-waiting is occasionally bestowed on very senior courtiers following their retirement. A permanent lord-in-waiting may also represent the sovereign, as often happens at funerals or memorial services for former courtiers.

Political appointments[edit]

Most baronesses and lords-in-waiting serve as government whips in the House of Lords. Being members of the government, they are appointed by the sovereign on the recommendation of the Prime Minister and invariably relinquish their position when there is a change of government.

Currently, there are five lords and baronesses-in-waiting who serve as junior whips in the House of Lords:[5][6]

Portfolio Name Since
Lord-in-waiting The Lord Harlech 22 September 2022
The Lord Caine (unpaid) 24 November 2022
The Lord Evans of Rainow 1 January 2023
The Lord Gascoigne 14 November 2023
The Lord Roborough 1 December 2023
Baroness-in-waiting The Baroness Swinburne (unpaid) 2 June 2023

Non-political appointments[edit]

Alongside the political appointees two non-political lords-in-waiting are always appointed,[1] at the personal discretion of the sovereign (distinguished from their political counterparts by the designation 'Personal Lord in Waiting').[7]

Those currently serving in this capacity are:[8]

Portfolio Name Since
Personal lord-in-waiting The Viscount Brookeborough[9] 1 May 1997
The Viscount Hood 30 July 2008

Additional appointments[edit]

Any additional appointees are termed extra lords or baronesses-in-waiting.

Those currently serving in this capacity are:[10]

Portfolio Name Since
Extra baroness-in-waiting The Baroness Rawlings 2012
Extra lord-in-waiting The Lord St John of Bletso 19 March 1998

Permanent lords-in-waiting[edit]

Permanent lords-in-waiting are retired senior officials of the Royal Household. Those serving in this capacity include:[11]

Name Since Timeline
Lord Great Chamberlain of England
The Marquess of Cholmondeley 17 March 2023 1990–2022
Lord Chamberlain of the Household
The Lord Luce 16 July 2007 2000–2006
The Earl Peel 1 April 2021 2006–2021
Private Secretary to the Sovereign
The Lord Janvrin 13 November 2007 1999–2007
The Lord Geidt 4 March 2019 2007–2017
The Lord Young of Old Windsor 15 May 2023 2017–2023

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Tomlinson, Richard (20 Dec 1992). "They also serve, who only ush". Independent.
  2. ^ Court Circular, Buckingham Palace, 3 June 2019.
  3. ^ UK Parliament website biographical page
  4. ^ Court Circular, Buckingham Palace, 27 February 2019.
  5. ^ "His Majesty's Government: HM Household". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  6. ^ "Ministerial Appointments: September - October 2022". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  7. ^ E.g. Court Circular, Buckingham Palace, 30 July 2008
  8. ^ Court Circular, Buckingham Palace
  9. ^ Biography on UK Parliament website
  10. ^ Court Circular, Buckingham Palace
  11. ^ Court Circular, Buckingham Palace
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