Lord-in-waiting
Lords-in-waiting(male) orbaronesses-in-waiting(female) arepeerswho hold office in theRoyal Householdof thesovereignof theUnited Kingdom.[1]In the officialCourt Circularthey 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 governmentwhipsin the House of Lords (the senior whips have the positions ofCaptain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-ArmsandCaptain 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 ascrossbenchers). 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-waitingViscount Brookeboroughwas in attendance at Stansted Airport to welcome U.S. presidentDonald Trumpand First LadyMelania Trumpon 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, theBaroness 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 atRAF Northoltto 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 apermanent lord-in-waitingis 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 thePrime Ministerand 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 theRoyal 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]
- ^abTomlinson, Richard (20 Dec 1992)."They also serve, who only ush".Independent.
- ^Court Circular, Buckingham Palace, 3 June 2019.
- ^UK Parliament website biographical page
- ^Court Circular, Buckingham Palace, 27 February 2019.
- ^"His Majesty's Government: HM Household".UK Parliament.Retrieved2022-10-29.
- ^"Ministerial Appointments: September - October 2022".GOV.UK.Retrieved2022-10-29.
- ^E.g. Court Circular, Buckingham Palace, 30 July 2008
- ^Court Circular, Buckingham Palace
- ^Biography on UK Parliament website
- ^Court Circular, Buckingham Palace
- ^Court Circular, Buckingham Palace