The Comptroller of the Household is an ancient position in the British
royal household, nominally the second-ranking member of the
Lord Steward's department after the
Treasurer of the Household. The Comptroller was an
ex officio member of the
Board of Green Cloth, until that body was abolished in the reform of local government licensing in 2004. In recent times, a senior government
whip has invariably occupied the office. On state occasions the Comptroller (in common with certain other senior officers of the Household) carries a
white staff of office, as often seen in portraits.[1]
"
Comptroller" is an alternative spelling of "controller", recorded since around 1500 in a number of British titles, and later also in the United States. The variant in spelling results from the influence of French compte "account".
History
Sir Edward Rogers, 'Controller to Queen Elizabeth' in the 1560s, holding his white staff of office
The office of Comptroller of the Household derives from the medieval Household office of Controller of the
Wardrobe, who was deputy to the
Keeper (or Treasurer) of the Wardrobe, as well as an important official in his own right as keeper of the
Privy Seal. Later, both these offices became high-ranking political appointments.
Modern role
In modern times, the Comptroller has become a less prominent position in
British politics. The holder is the third-most senior Government
whips in the
House of Commons and is responsible for the day-to-day activity in the House.[2] Their responsibilities for the
Royal Household are now largely ceremonial, such as serving as an
usher at royal garden parties.[2] The role has been occupied by
Rebecca Harris since 2022.
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abcdThe Household of Edward IV, Manchester University Press ND
Google ebook
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abThe DNB gives Sir William Parr as Comptroller of the Household from 1471 to 1483; Household of Edward IV gives Parr's office dates as 1471–1475 and again in 1481–1483
^
abcKinney, Arthur F. (1973). Titled Elizabethans: A Directory of Elizabethan Court, State, and Church Officers, 1558–1603. North Haven, Connecticut: Shoe String Press.
^J. Palmer, A Biographical History of England (1824), 86–87