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English religious post in the household of the monarch
The College of Chaplains of the
Ecclesiastical Household of the
Sovereign of the
United Kingdom is under the Clerk of the Closet , an office dating from 1437. It is normally held by a
diocesan bishop , who may, however, remain in office after leaving his see. The current Clerk is
Richard Jackson ,
Bishop of Hereford .
[1]
The Clerk of the Closet is responsible for advising the
Private Secretary to the Sovereign on the names for candidates to fill vacancies in the Roll of Chaplains to the Sovereign. He presents bishops for
homage to the Sovereign, examines any theological books to be presented to the Sovereign, and preaches annually in the Chapel Royal,
St James's Palace . He receives a salary of £7 a year.
The
Deputy Clerk of the Closet , an office dating from 1677, is the Domestic Chaplain to the Sovereign, and Sub-
Dean of the Chapel Royal , and is the sole full-time clerical member of the Household.
Other members of the royal family may also have their own Clerk of the Closet.
List of Clerks of the Closet of the Sovereign's Household
Richard Jackson ,
Bishop of Hereford , 2023–
[2]
James Newcome ,
KCVO ,
[3]
Bishop of Carlisle 2014–2023
Christopher Hill ,
KCVO ,
Bishop of Guildford 2005–2014
Jonathan Bailey ,
KCVO ,
Bishop of Derby 1997–2005
John Waine ,
KCVO
Bishop of Chelmsford 1989–1997
John Bickersteth ,
KCVO
Bishop of Bath and Wells 1979–1989
Gordon Fallows ,
KCVO
Bishop of Sheffield 1975–1979
Roger Wilson ,
KCVO
Bishop of Chichester 1963–1975
Percy Herbert ,
KCVO
Bishop of Norwich 1942–1963
Cyril Garbett ,
GCVO
Bishop of Winchester 1937–1942
Thomas Banks Strong ,
GBE
Bishop of Oxford 1925–1937
Hubert Murray Burge ,
Bishop of Oxford 1918–1925
William Boyd-Carpenter ,
KCVO
Bishop of Ripon 1903–1918
Randall Davidson ,
KCVO
Bishop of Rochester 1891–1903
Henry Philpott ,
Bishop of Worcester 1865–1891
John Graham ,
Bishop of Chester 1849–1865
Edward Stanley ,
Bishop of Norwich 1837–1849
Robert James Carr ,
Bishop of Chichester 1827–1837
[4]
George Pelham ,
Bishop of Exeter 1815–1827
[4]
William Jackson ,
Bishop of Oxford by 1813–1815
[4]
Richard Hurd ,
Bishop of Worcester 1781–1808
[4]
William Buller 1763–1773 (later
Bishop of Exeter )
John Thomas ,
Bishop of Salisbury ,
Bishop of Winchester 1757–1763
[4]
John Gilbert ,
Bishop of Salisbury 1752–1757
[4]
Joseph Butler ,
Bishop of Bristol 1746–1752
[4]
Henry Egerton ,
Bishop of Hereford 1735–1746
[4]
Richard Willis ,
Bishop of Winchester 1723–1734
[4]
Charles Trimnell ,
Bishop of Norwich 1714–1723
[4]
William Graham ,
Dean of Carlisle 1702–1714 (jointly)
[4]
John Younger ,
Dean of Salisbury 1702–1714 (jointly)
[4]
Samuel Pratt ,
Dean of Rochester 1702–1714 (jointly)
[4]
Hon. John Montagu ,
Dean of Durham 1695–1702
[4]
Thomas Burnet 1691–1695
[4]
James Canaries 1691–1692 (representing Scottish Episcopalian Church)
John Tillotson ,
Dean of St Paul's 1689–1691
[4]
Sir
Edward Petre S.J. 1687–1693 (after 1689 in exile with
James II )
[4]
Thomas Sprat ,
Bishop of Rochester 1685–1687
[4]
Hon. Nathaniel Crew ,
Dean of Chichester ,
Bishop of Oxford ,
Bishop of Durham 1669–1685
[4]
Walter Blandford ,
Bishop of Worcester 1668–1669
[4]
John Dolben ,
Dean of Westminster 1664–1668
[4]
John Earle ,
Bishop of Salisbury 1651–1664
[4] (1651–1660 in exile with
Charles II )
Gilbert Sheldon 1646–1651 later
Archbishop of Canterbury
Richard Steward 1636–1646 designated
Dean of St Paul's
Matthew Wren ,
Bishop of Hereford 1633–1636
William Juxon ,
Dean of Worcester 1632–1633
Walter Balcanquhall 1617–1621 (represented the
Church of Scotland at the
Synod of Dort )
Richard Neile ,
Archbishop of York 1603–1632
John Thornborough ,
Bishop of Limerick 1588–1603
[5]
John Rycarde c.1556
John Rudd 1540s
Edward Layton ,
Archdeacon of Sarum by 1538–after 1544
[6]
Edward Higgins c.1520
Geoffrey Wren 1510- >1515
Edward Atherton
Clerks of the Closet in other Royal Households
Henry Burton , Clerk of the Closet to
Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales
William Stanley , Clerk of the Closet to
Queen Mary 1689–1694
Lancelot Blackburne , Clerk of the Closet to
Caroline of Ansbach
Isaac Maddox , Clerk of the Closet to
Caroline of Ansbach 1729–1736
Joseph Butler , Clerk of the Closet to
Caroline of Ansbach 1736–37
Francis Ayscough , Clerk of the Closet to
Frederick, Prince of Wales 1736–51
[7]
Samuel Squire, Clerk of the Closet to
the Prince of Wales 1756-
Rev Dr Lockman, Clerk of the Closet to
the Prince of Wales 1787–1808
[8]
Frederick William Blomberg, Clerk of the Closet to
the Prince of Wales 1808-
[8]
Edward Young , Clerk of the Closet to
Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha 1761–1765
References