The Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister is a senior official in the British Civil Service who acts as Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The holder of this office is traditionally the head of the Prime Minister's Office. In the Civil Service, the role is currently graded as a Director-General. To date, no woman has ever occupied the office. In fiction, the character of Bernard Woolley in the television series Yes, Prime Minister, occupied this post.
During Tony Blair's administration, he modified the law under which the Civil Service operated to create the role of Downing Street Chief of Staff, which though held by a political advisor outranked the Principal Private Secretary. When Gordon Brown ascended to office, he reversed the change to the Civil Service law. When David Cameron became Prime Minister, he promoted the then-PPS to a new post of "Permanent Secretary, Downing Street", a position which took over heading the Prime Minister's Office. In 2012, the postholder, Jeremy Heywood, was appointed as Cabinet Secretary, this post ceased to exist, and the role of Civil Service head of the Office reverted to the Principal Private Secretary.
Algernon West 1868–1872
Arthur Godley 1880–1882
Edward Walter Hamilton CB 1882–1885
The Marquess of Granby 1885–1888
Capt the Hon Schomberg Kerr McDonnell CB 1888–1892
Sir Algernon West KCB 1892–1894
Capt the Hon Sir Schomberg Kerr McDonnell KCB CVO 1894-1902
John Satterfield Sandars CVO 1902–1905
Vaughan Nash CB CVO 1905–1911
Sir Maurice Bonham Carter KCB 1911–1916
Sir John Davies KCB CVO 1916–1922
Lt Col Sir Edward Grigg KCVO CMG DSO MC 1921–1922
Sir Patrick Gower KBE CB CVO 1922–1928
Lt Col Sir Ronald Waterhouse KCB CMG CVO 1922–1928
Alan Barlow CB CBE 1933–1934
Osmund Cleverly CB CVO 1936–1939
Arthur Rucker CB CBE 1939–1940
Eric Seal CB 1940–1941
John Martin CB CVO 1941–1945
Leslie Rowan CB CVO 1945–1947
Laurence Helsby CB 1947–1950
Denis Rickett CB CMG 1950–1951
Jock Colville CB CVO 1951–1955
David Pitblado CB CVO 1951–1956
Frederick Bishop CVO 1956–1959
Derek Mitchell CVO 1964–1966
Lt Col Arthur Halls MBE TD 1966–1970
Alexander Isserlis 1970
Robert Armstrong CB CVO 1970–1975
Kenneth Stowe CB 1975–1979
Clive Whitmore 1979–1982
Robin Butler 1982–1985
Nigel Wicks CBE 1985–1988
Andrew Turnbull CB CVO 1988–1992
The Hon Alex Allan 1992–1997
Sir John Holmes KBE CMG CVO 1997–1999
Jeremy Heywood CB CVO 1999–2003
Ivan Rogers 2003–2006
Oliver Robbins 2006–2007
Tom Scholar 2007–2008
Sir Jeremy Heywood KCB CVO 2008–2010
James Bowler 2010–2011
Chris Martin CB CVO 2011–2015
Simon Case 2015–present
