Lord Privy Seal

United Kingdom
This article is part of a series on the politics and government of the United Kingdom
Constitution Constitution Taxation
The Crown Monarch Queen Elizabeth II Prince of Wales Prince Charles Royal prerogative Privy Council Royal Family
Government Prime Minister David Cameron Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg First Secretary of State William Hague 90th Cabinet Her Majesty's Civil Service Departments Executive agencies Public bodies
Legislature State Opening of Parliament Act of Parliament Statutory Instruments House of Lords Lord Speaker Baroness D'Souza House of Commons Speaker The Rt Hon. John Bercow MP Prime Minister's Questions Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition Leader The Rt Hon. Ed Miliband MP Shadow Cabinet
Judiciary Supreme Court President Lord Neuberger Deputy President Lady Hale Courts of the United Kingdom Courts of England and Wales Courts of Northern Ireland Courts of Scotland
Devolution Northern Ireland Executive Assembly Scotland Government Parliament Wales Government National Assembly Reserved matters
Administrative geography England Subdivisions of England Local government in England Northern Ireland Local government in Northern Ireland Scotland Subdivisions of Scotland Local government in Scotland Wales Local government in Wales
Elections Parliament constituencies Political parties Last election Next election Referendums
Foreign policy Foreign relations UK and the UN Politics of the European Union
Other countries Atlas Politics portal

The Lord Privy Seal (or, more formally, the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal) is the fifth of the Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord President of the Council and above the Lord Great Chamberlain. The office is one of the traditional sinecure offices of state. Originally, its holder was responsible for the monarch's personal (privy) seal (as opposed to the Great Seal of the Realm, which is in the care of the Lord Chancellor). Today, the holder of the office is invariably given a seat in the Cabinet of the United Kingdom.

Though one of the oldest offices in government anywhere, it has no particular function today because the use of a privy seal has been obsolete for centuries; thus the office has generally been used as a kind of Minister without Portfolio. Since the premiership of Clement Attlee, the position of Lord Privy Seal has frequently been combined with that of Leader of the House of Lords or Leader of the House of Commons. The office of Lord Privy Seal, unlike those of Leader of the Lords or Commons, is eligible for a ministerial salary under the Ministerial and other Salaries Act 1975.^[1]

During the reign of Edward I, prior to 1307, the Privy Seal was kept by the Keeper of the Wardrobe.^[2] The Lord Privy Seal was the president of the Court of Requests during its existence.

English Lords Privy Seal, 1307–1707

14th century

• William Melton (1307–1312)
• Roger Northburgh (1312–1316)
• Thomas Charlton (1316–1320)
• Robert Baldock (1320–1323)
• Robert Wodehouse (1323)
• Robert Ayleston (1323–1324)
• William Ayermin (1324–1325)
• Henry Cliff (1325)
• William Herlaston (1325–1326)
• Robert Wyvil (1326–1327)
• Richard Airmyn (1327–1328)
• Adam Lymbergh (1328–1329)
• Richard Bury, Bishop of Durham (1329–1334, bishop since 1333)
• Robert Ayleston (1334)
• Robert Tawton (1334–1335)
• William de la Zouch (1335–1337)
• Richard Bintworth, Bishop of London (1337–1338)
• William Kilsby (1338–1342)
• John de Ufford, Archbishop of Canterbury (1342–1344)
• Thomas Hatfield, Bishop of Durham (1344–1345)
• John Thoresby, Archbishop of York (1345–1347)
• Simon Islip, Archbishop of Canterbury (1347–1350)
• Michael Northburgh (1350–1354)
• Thomas Bramber (1354–1355)
• John Winwick (1355–1360)
• John Buckingham, Bishop of Lincoln (1360–1363)
• William of Wykeham (1363–1367)
• Peter Lacy (1367–1371)
• Nicholas Carew (1371–1377)
• John Fordham (1377–1381)
• William Dighton (1381–1382)
• Walter Skirclaw, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield (1382–1386)
• John Waltham, Bishop of Salisbury (1386–1389)
• Edmund Stafford, Bishop of Exeter (1389–1396)
• Guy Mone (1396–1397)
• Richard Clifford (1397–1401)

15th century

• Thomas Langley (1401–1405)
• Nicholas Bubwith (1405–1406)
• John Prophet (1406–1415)
• John Wakering, Bishop of Norwich (1415–1416)
• Henry Ware (1416–1418)
• John Kemp, Bishop of Rochester (1418–1421)
• John Stafford (1421–1422)
• William Alnwick, Bishop of Norwich (1422–1432)
• William Lyndwood, Bishop of St David's (1432–1443)
• Thomas Beckington, Bishop of Bath and Wells (1443–1444)
• Adam Moleyns, Bishop of Chichester (1444–1450)
• Andrew Holes (1450–1452)
• Thomas Lisieux (1452–1456)
• Laurence Booth, Bishop of Durham (1456–1460)
• Robert Stillington, Bishop of Bath and Wells (1460–1467)
• Thomas Rotheram, Bishop of Rochester (1467–1470)
• John Hales, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield (1470–1471)
• Thomas Rotheram, Bishop of Rochester (1471–1474)
• John Russell, Bishop of Rochester, later Bishop of Lincoln (1474–1483)
• John Gunthorpe, Dean of Wells (1483–1485)
• Peter Courtenay, Bishop of Exeter (1485–1487)
• Richard Foxe, Bishop of Exeter, later Bishop of Bath and Wells, Bishop of Durham and Bishop of Winchester (1487–1516)

16th century

• Thomas Ruthall, Bishop of Durham (1516–1523)
• The Lord Marney (1523)
• Cuthbert Tunstall, Bishop of London (1523–1530)
• The Earl of Wiltshire (1530–1536)
• Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex (1536–1540)
• The Earl of Southampton (1540–1542)
• The Earl of Bedford (1542–1555)
• The Lord Paget (1555–1558)
• Sir Nicholas Bacon (1558–1571)
• The Lord Burghley (1571–1572)
• The Lord Howard of Effingham (1572–1573)
• Sir Thomas Smith (1573–1576)
• Francis Walsingham (1576–1590)
• The Lord Burghley (1590–1598)
• The Earl of Salisbury (1598–1608)

17th century

• The Earl of Northampton (1608–1614)
• The Earl of Somerset (1614–1616)
• The Earl of Worcester (1616–1625)
• Sir John Coke (1625–1628)
• Sir Robert Naunton (1628)
• The Earl of Manchester (1628–1642)
• The Viscount Falkland (1643)
• Sir Edward Nicholas (1643–1644)
• The Earl of Bath (1644–1654)
• The Lord Robartes (1661–1673)
• Commissioners during Robartes' absence as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, 1669
  • Sir Edward Dering, 2nd Baronet
  • Sir Thomas Strickland
  • Robert Milward
• The Earl of Anglesey (1673–1682)
• The Marquess of Halifax (1682–1685)
• The Earl of Clarendon (1685–1687)
• Commissioners during Clarendon's absence in Ireland, 1685
  • Thomas Livingston, 1st Viscount Teviot
  • Colonel Robert Phillips
  • John Evelyn
• The Lord Arundell of Wardour (1687–1688)
• The Marquess of Halifax (1689–1690)
• Commissioners 1690–1692
  • William Cheney
  • Sir John Knatchbull, 2nd Baronet
  • Sir William Pulteney
• The Earl of Pembroke (1692–1699)
• Commissioners during Pembroke's absence as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, 1697
  • Sir Thomas Mompesson
  • Sir Charles Cotterell
  • James Tyrrell
• The Viscount Lonsdale (1699–1700)

18th century

• The Earl of Tankerville (1700–1701)
• Commissioners 1701–1702
  • Edward Southwell
  • Christopher Musgrave
  • James Vernon
• The Duke of Buckingham and Normanby (1702–1705)
• The Duke of Newcastle (1705–1707)

British Lords Privy Seal, 1707–present

18th century

• The Duke of Newcastle (1707–1711)
• John Robinson, Bishop of Bristol (1711–1713)
• Commissioners during the Bishop's absence at the Treaty of Utrecht, 1711
  • Sir George Beaumont, 4th Baronet
  • Robert Byerley
  • Edward Nicholas
• The Earl of Dartmouth (1713–1714)
• The Marquess of Wharton (1714–1715)
• Commissioners 1715
  • Edward Southwell
  • Sir Christopher Musgrave, 5th Baronet
  • Andrew Charleton
• The Earl of Sunderland (1715–1716)
• Commissioners during Sunderland's absence at Aix-la-Chapelle, 1716^[3]
  • Edward Southwell
  • James Vernon^[4] or James Vernon^[5]
  • Andrew Charleton
• The Duke of Kingston (1716–1718)
• The Duke of Kent (1718–1719)
• The Duke of Kingston (1720–1726)
• The Lord Trevor (1726–1730)
• The Earl of Wilmington (1730–1731)
• In Commission 1731
• The Duke of Devonshire (1731–1733)
• The Viscount Lonsdale (1733–1735)
• The Earl of Godolphin (1735–1740)
• The Lord Hervey (1740–1742)
• The Lord Gower (1742–1743)
• The Earl of Cholmondeley (1743–1744)
• The Earl Gower (1744–1755)
• The Duke of Marlborough (1755)
• The Earl Gower (1755–1757)
• The Earl Temple (1757–1761)
• In Commission 1761
• The Duke of Bedford (1761–1763)
• The Duke of Marlborough (1763–1765)
• The Duke of Newcastle (1765–1766)
• The Earl of Chatham (1766–1768)
• Commissioners 1768
  • Richard Sutton
  • William Blair
  • William Fraser
• The Earl of Chatham (1768)
• The Earl of Bristol (1768–1770)
• The Earl of Halifax (1770–1771)
• The Earl of Suffolk (1771)
• The Duke of Grafton (1771–1775)
• The Earl of Dartmouth (1775–1782)
• The Duke of Grafton (1782–1783)
• The Earl of Carlisle (1783)
• The Duke of Rutland (1783–1784)
• Commissioners 1784
  • William Fraser
  • Stephen Cotterell
  • Evan Nepean
• The Marquess of Stafford (1784–1794)
• The Earl Spencer (1794)
• The Earl of Chatham (1794–1798)
• The Earl of Westmorland (1798–1806)

19th century

• The Viscount Sidmouth (1806)
• The Lord Holland (1806–1807)
• The Earl of Westmorland (1807–1827)
• The Duke of Portland (1827)
• The Earl of Carlisle (1827–1828)
• The Lord Ellenborough (1828–1829)
• The Earl of Rosslyn (1829–1830)
• The Lord Durham (1830–1833)
• The Earl of Ripon (1833–1834)
• The Earl of Carlisle (1834)
• The Earl of Mulgrave (1834)
• The Lord Wharncliffe (1834–1835)
• Viscount Duncannon (1835–1840)
• The Earl of Clarendon (1840–1841)
• The Duke of Buckingham and Chandos (1841–1842)
• The Duke of Buccleuch (1842–1846)
• The Earl of Haddington (1846)
• The Earl of Minto (1846–1852)
• The Marquess of Salisbury (1852)
• The Duke of Argyll (1853–1855)
• The Earl of Harrowby (1855–1858)
• The Marquess of Clanricarde (1858)
• The Earl of Hardwicke (1858–1859)
• The Duke of Argyll (1859–1866)
• The Earl of Malmesbury (1866–1868)
• The Earl of Kimberley (1868–1870)
• The Viscount Halifax (1870–1874)
• The Earl of Malmesbury (1874–1876)
• The Earl of Beaconsfield (1876–1878)
• The Duke of Northumberland (1878–1880)
• The Duke of Argyll (1880–1881)
• The Lord Carlingford (1881–1885)
• The Earl of Rosebery (1885)
• The Earl of Harrowby (1885–1886)
• William Ewart Gladstone (1886)
• The Earl Cadogan (1886–1892)
• William Ewart Gladstone (1892–1894)
• The Lord Tweedmouth (1894–1895)
• The Viscount Cross (1895–1900)

20th century

• The Marquess of Salisbury (1900–1902)
• Arthur Balfour (1902–1903)
• The Marquess of Salisbury (1903–1905)
• The Marquess of Ripon (1905–1908)
• The Earl of Crewe (1908–1911)
• The Earl Carrington (1911–1912)
• The Marquess of Crewe (1912–1915)
• The Earl Curzon of Kedleston (1915–1916)
• The Earl of Crawford (1916–1919)
• Andrew Bonar Law (1919–1921)
• Sir Austen Chamberlain (1921–1922)
• Lord Robert Cecil (1922–1924)
• J. R. Clynes (1924)
• The Marquess of Salisbury (1924–1929)
• James Henry Thomas (1929–1930)
• Vernon Hartshorn (1930–1931)
• Tom Johnston (1931)
• The Earl Peel (1931)
• The Viscount Snowden (1931–1932)
• Stanley Baldwin (1932–1934)
• Anthony Eden (1934–1935)
• The Marquess of Londonderry (1935)
• The Viscount Halifax (1935–1937)
• The Earl De La Warr (1937–1938)
• Sir John Anderson (1938–1939)
• Sir Samuel Hoare, Bt (1939–1940)
• Sir Kingsley Wood (1940)
• Clement Attlee (1940–1942)
• Sir Stafford Cripps (1942)
• Viscount Cranborne (1942–1943)
• The Lord Beaverbrook (1943–1945)
• Arthur Greenwood (1945–1947)
• The Lord Inman (1947)
• The Viscount Addison (1947–1951)
• Ernest Bevin (1951)
• Richard Stokes (1951)
• The Marquess of Salisbury (1951–1952)
• Harry Crookshank (1952–1955)
• R. A. Butler (1955–1959)
• The Viscount Hailsham (1959–1960)
• Edward Heath (1960–1963)
• Selwyn Lloyd (1963–1964)
• The Earl of Longford (1964–1965)
• Sir Frank Soskice (1965–1966)
• The Earl of Longford (1966–1968)
• The Lord Shackleton (1968)
• Fred Peart (1968)
• The Lord Shackleton (1968–1970)
• The Earl Jellicoe (1970–1973)
• The Lord Windlesham (1973–1974)
• The Lord Shepherd (1974–1976)
• The Lord Peart (1976–1979)
• Sir Ian Gilmour, Bt (1979–1981)
• Humphrey Atkins (1981–1982)
• The Baroness Young (1982–1983)
• John Biffen (1983–1987)
• John Wakeham (1987–1988)
• The Lord Belstead (1988–1990)
• The Lord Waddington (1990–1992)
• The Lord Wakeham (1992–1994)
• Viscount Cranborne (1994–1997)
• The Lord Richard (1997–1998)
• The Baroness Jay of Paddington (1998–2001)

21st century

• The Lord Williams of Mostyn (2001–2003)
• Peter Hain (2003–2005)
• Geoff Hoon (2005–2006)
• Jack Straw (2006–2007)
• Harriet Harman (2007–2010)
• Sir George Young, Bt (2010–2012)
• Andrew Lansley (2012-2014)
• Baroness Stowell of Beeston (2014-)

Other countries

• Keeper of the seals of France
• Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal of Japan
• Keeper of the Rulers' Seal of Malaysia

See also

• Keeper of the seals
• Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland
• Lord Keeper of the Great Seal
• Lord Privy Seal (term)

References

• Sergeant, John (2002). Give me ten seconds. Pan Books. ISBN 0-330-48490-7. 

Great Officers of State of England and Scotland England Lord High Steward Lord High Chancellor (of Great Britain) Lord High Treasurer Lord President of the Council Lord Privy Seal Lord Great Chamberlain Lord High Constable Earl Marshal Lord High Admiral Scotland Lord Chancellor Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland Chamberlain of Scotland Lord High Treasurer of Scotland Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland Lord Clerk Register Lord Advocate Lord Justice Clerk Lord Justice General Lord Lyon King of Arms Italics indicate officers that are in commission, purely ceremonial or defunct