Treasurer of the Household

The Treasurer of the Household is a member of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. The position is usually held by one of the government deputy Chief Whips in the House of Commons. The current holder of the office is Mark Tami MP.[1]

The position had its origin in the office of Treasurer (or Keeper) of the Wardrobe and was ranked second after the Lord Steward. The office was often staffed by the promotion of the Comptroller of the Household. On occasion (e.g. 1488–1503) the office was vacant for a considerable period and its duties undertaken by the Cofferer of the Household. By the end of the 17th century the office of Treasurer was more or less a sinecure,[2] and in the 18th and 19th centuries it was usually occupied by peers who were members of the Government.[3] The Treasurer was automatically a member of the privy council.[citation needed][when?] They were a member of the Board of Green Cloth until that was abolished by reform of local government licensing in 2004 under section 195 of the Licensing Act 2003.

On state occasions, the Treasurer of the Household (in common with certain other senior officers of the Household) carries a white staff of office.[4]

  1. ^ "Ministerial Appointments: July 2024". GOV.UK. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  2. ^ Office Holders in Modern Britain (vol. 11). London: University of London. 2006. pp. 398–399. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
  3. ^ "Lord Steward" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 17 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 6.
  4. ^ Astington, John (1999). English Court Theatre, 1558–1642. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. p. 177. ISBN 978-0-521-64065-7.