Comptroller of the Household

History

"Comptroller" is an archaic spelling of "controller", recorded since around 1500 in a number of British titles, and later also in the USA. The variant in spelling results from the influence of French compte "account".

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.

In modern times, the Comptroller has become a less prominent position in British politics. The holder is one of the Government whips in the House of Commons, and their responsibilities for the Royal Household are now largely ceremonial. The current Comptroller of the Household is Mel Stride, appointed 17 July 2016.

15th century

1399–1400: Sir Robert Lytton

1402–1413: John Spencer

1432–c1450: Thomas Stanley, 1st Baron Stanley

1460: Thomas Charlton

1461–?1470: Sir John Scott

1471–1475: Sir William Parr, 1st Baron Parr of Kendal

1475–1481: Sir Robert Wingfield

1481–1483: Sir William Parr, 1st Baron Parr of Kendal

1483–1485: Sir Robert Percy of Scotton

1485–1489: Sir Richard Edgecumbe

1489?–1492: Sir Roger Tocotes

1492–1494: vacant

1494–1506: Sir Richard Guildford

16th century

1507–1509: Sir John Hussey

1509–1519: Sir Edward Poynings

Sir Thomas Parr

1519–1521: Sir Thomas Boleyn

1521–1532: Sir Henry Guildford

1532–1537: Sir William Paulet

1537–1539: Sir John Russell

1539–1540: Sir William Kingston

1540–1547: Sir John Gage

1547–1550: Sir William Paget

1550–1552: Sir Richard Wingfield

1552–1553: Sir Richard Cotton

1553–1557: Sir Robert Rochester

1557–1558: Sir Thomas Cornwallis

1558–1559: Sir Thomas Parry

1559–1568: Sir Edward Rogers

1568: Anthony Crane

1568–1570: vacant

1570–1590: Sir James Croft

1590–1596: vacant

1596–1602: William Knollys, 1st Earl of Banbury

17th century

1602-1604: Sir Edward Wotton

c1604: William Pitt

1616–1618: Sir Thomas Edmonds

1618–1622: Sir Henry Cary, 1st Viscount Falkland (so created 1620)

1622–1627: Sir John Suckling

1627–1629: Sir John Savile, created a baron in 1628.

1629–1639: Henry Vane the Elder

1639–1641: Sir Thomas Jermyn

1641–1643: Sir Peter Wyche

1643–1646: Christopher Hatton, 1st Baron Hatton

1660–1662: Sir Charles Berkeley

1662–1666: Sir Hugh Pollard, 2nd Baronet

1666–1668: Sir Thomas Clifford

1668–1672: Francis Newport, 2nd Baron Newport

1672–1687: William Maynard, 2nd Baron Maynard

1687–1688: Henry Waldegrave, 1st Baron Waldegrave

1689–1702: Thomas Wharton, 5th Baron Wharton

18th century

1702–1704: Sir Edward Seymour, Bt

1704–1708: Sir Thomas Mansell, Bt

1708: The Earl of Cholmondeley

1708–1709: Sir Thomas Felton, Bt

1709–1711: Sir John Holland, Bt

1711–1712: The Lord Lansdowne

1713–1714: Sir John Stonhouse, Bt

1714–1720: Hugh Boscawen

1720–1725: Paul Methuen

1725–1730: Lord Finch

1730–1754: Sir Conyers Darcy

1754–1756: The Earl of Hillsborough

1756: Lord Hobart

1756–1761: The Lord Edgcumbe

1761: The Earl of Powis

1761–1762: Lord George Cavendish

1762–1763: Humphry Morice

1763–1765: Lord Charles Spencer

1765–1774: Thomas Pelham

1774–1777: Sir William Meredith, Bt

1777–1779: The Lord Onslow

1779–1782: Sir Richard Worsley, Bt

1782–1784: The Earl Ludlow

1784–1787: The Viscount Galway

1787–1790: Hon. John Villiers

1790–1791: Hon. Dudley Ryder

1791–1797: The Earl of Macclesfield

1797–1804: Lord Charles Somerset

19th century

1804–1812: Lord George Thynne

1812–1830: Lord George Beresford

1830–1834: Lord Robert Grosvenor

1834–1835: Hon. Henry Lowry-Corry

1835–1841: Hon. George Byng

1841: Lord Marcus Hill

1841–1846: Hon. George Dawson-Damer

1846–1847: Lord Marcus Hill

1847–1851: Hon. William Lascelles

1851–1852: Earl of Mulgrave

1852: Hon. George Weld-Forester

1853–1856: Viscount Drumlanrig

1856–1858: Viscount Castlerosse

1858–1859: Hon. George Weld-Forester

1859–1866: Lord Proby

1866–1868: Viscount Royston

1868–1874: Lord Otho FitzGerald

1874–1879: Lord Henry Somerset

1879–1880: Earl of Yarmouth

1880–1885: The Lord Kensington

1885–1886: Lord Arthur Hill

1886: Edward Marjoribanks

1886–1892: Lord Arthur Hill

1892–1895: George Leveson-Gower

1895–1898: Lord Arthur Hill

1898–1905: The Viscount Valentia

20th century

1905–1909: Master of Elibank

1909–1912: The Earl of Liverpool

1912–1915: The Lord Saye and Sele

1915–1916: Charles Henry Roberts

1916–1919: Sir Edwin Cornwall

1919–1921: George Frederick Stanley

1921–1924: Harry Barnston

1924: John Allen Parkinson

1924–1928: Sir Harry Barnston

1928–1929: Sir William Cope

1929–1931: Thomas Henderson

1931: Goronwy Owen

1931–1932: Walter Rea

1932–1935: Sir Frederick Penny, Bt

1935: Sir Victor Warrender, Bt

1935: George Bowyer

1935–1937: Sir Lambert Ward

1937: Sir George Frederick Davies

1937–1939: Charles Waterhouse

1939–1940: Charles Kerr

1940–1942: William Whiteley

1942–1945: William John

1945: George Mathers

1945: Leslie Pym

1945–1946: Arthur Pearson

1946: Michael Stewart

1946–1951: Frank Collindridge

1951–1954: Roger Conant

1954–1955: Tam Galbraith

1955–1957: Hendrie Oakshott

1957–1958: Gerald Wills

1958–1959: Edward Wakefield

1959–1961: Harwood Harrison

1961–1964: Robin Chichester-Clark

1964–1966: Charles Grey

1966–1967: William Whitlock

1967–1968: William Howie

1968–1970: Ioan Evans

1970: Walter Elliot

1970–1972: Reginald Eyre

1972–1973: Bernard Weatherill

1973–1974: Walter Clegg

1974–1978: Joseph Harper

1978–1979: James Hamilton

1979–1981: Spencer le Marchant

1981–1983: Anthony Berry

1983–1986: Carol Mather

1986–1988: Robert Boscawen

1988–1989: Tristan Garel-Jones

1989–1990: Alastair Goodlad

1990: Sir George Young, 6th Baronet

1990–1995: David Lightbown

1995–1997: Timothy Wood

1997–2008: Tommy McAvoy

21st century

2008–2010: John Spellar

2010–2013: Alistair Carmichael

2013–2015: Don Foster

2015–2016: Gavin Barwell

2016–present: Mel Stride