The private secretary to the sovereign is the senior operational member of the Royal Household of the sovereign of the United Kingdom (as distinct from the great officers of the Household , whose duties are largely ceremonial). The private secretary is the principal channel of communication between the monarch and the governments in most of the Commonwealth realms . They also have responsibility for the official programme and correspondence of the sovereign. Through these roles the position wields considerable influence. This is one of the most senior positions within the Royal Household .
19-649: The secretary of state for justice is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom , with responsibility for the Ministry of Justice . The incumbent is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom . Since the office's inception, the incumbent has concurrently been appointed Lord Chancellor . The officeholder works alongside the other justice ministers . The corresponding shadow minister
38-534: A recommendation of the Security Commission in 2004. The post was first held by Brigadier Jeffrey Cook , OBE MC , who was in office 2004-2008. The private secretary has general oversight of security policy, though the master of the household is also involved, and the keeper of the Privy Purse has responsibility for the ceremonial bodyguards, such as the gentlemen at arms and the yeomen of
57-454: Is acknowledged as the first private secretary to the sovereign. However, the office was not formally established until 1867. Constitutionally there was some opposition on the part of ministers to the creation of an office which might grow to have considerable influence upon the sovereign. However, it was soon realised that the sovereign was in need of secretarial support, since his or her ministers had ceased to provide daily advice and support with
76-439: Is always made a privy counsellor on appointment, and has customarily received a peerage upon retirement (a life peerage since 1972, although a small number have been given hereditary titles). Until 1965, peerages granted to Private Secretaries were hereditary baronies, with the exception of Lord Knollys, who was created a viscount in 1911. All private secretaries since the time of Lord Stamfordham have been created peers, with
95-860: Is responsible throughout the UK for: In relation to England and Wales, the justice secretary's portfolio concerns the following matters: The then Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer of Thoroton , was appointed to the post of Secretary of State for Justice when it was created in 2007. The office of the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs was abolished, along with the Department for Constitutional Affairs. The home secretary , John Reid , told Parliament that future secretaries of state for justice would be MPs rather than peers. Secretary of State (United Kingdom) His Majesty's principal secretaries of state , or secretaries of state , are senior ministers of
114-487: Is the shadow secretary of state for justice , and the performance of the secretary of state is also scrutinised by the Justice Select Committee . According to what is generally known as a justice minister in many other countries, the justice secretary's remit encompasses justice policy for the whole United Kingdom along with matters of justice specific to England and Wales . The justice secretary
133-580: Is true for Principal Private Secretaries to other members of the Royal Household , such as the Prince of Wales . The private secretary is head of only one of the several operational divisions of the Royal Household . However, he or she is involved in co-ordination between various parts of the household, and has direct control over royal communications, the Royal Archives , and the office of
152-681: The Defence Services Secretary . There are 57 people employed in the office of the monarch's private secretary. The private secretary is responsible for liaising with the Cabinet Secretary , the Privy Council Office (PCO), and the Ministry of Justice's Crown Office in relation to: Reporting to the private secretary is the role of director for security liaison which was established following
171-554: The Monarch exercising royal prerogative on the advice of the government. By convention secretaries of state must be a member of either the House of Commons or the House of Lords , but the prime minister can advise the monarch to confer a peerage to satisfy this requirement. Most secretaries of state are incorporated as a " corporation sole ". This gives the minister a separate legal personality, allowing continuity in areas such as
190-520: The Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom . Secretaries of state head most major government departments and make up the majority of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom . Legislation in the United Kingdom is often written like this example section of a hypothetical Silly Walks Act 1970 : 1. Grant powers On the appointed day, the Secretary of State shall be empowered to grant money towards
209-469: The Sovereign The office of private secretary was first established in 1805. As of 2024 the position has been held exclusively by men. One woman has served as both deputy and assistant private secretary and an additional two women have served as assistant private secretaries. The current private secretary position is held by Sir Clive Alderton . Colonel Herbert Taylor , who was appointed in 1805,
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#1732801299488228-526: The development of fatuous ambulations as seen fit. In legislation, the term "Secretary of State", thus capitalised, is interpreted under the Interpretation Act 1978 as referring to any one of the secretaries of state in use; in practice, such secretaries of state are each allocated a portfolio by the prime minister, and only exercise the powers in that portfolio. In this example, a "Secretary of State for Silly Walks" would be appointed to exercise
247-510: The embryonic offices of foreign secretary and home secretary . Over time, the number of secretaries of states grew, so that there were five in 1900 and 14 by 1996. There are currently 16 secretaries of state. The secretaries of state that have been used for the matters of health, education, work, business, energy, environment, transport and the regions are shown in the graphic below. It shows how portfolios of responsibilities have been broadly passed down from one secretary of state position to
266-534: The exceptions of Sir Alexander Hardinge (inherited his father's barony in 1944), Sir Alan Lascelles (declined as he felt titles to be a show of self-importance) and Sir William Heseltine (who is an Australian). Private secretaries to the sovereign are always appointed Knights Bachelor, or knights of one of the orders of chivalry, typically the Order of The Bath or the Royal Victorian Order . The same
285-621: The form of the offices of the secretary of state for the Northern Department and the secretary of state for the Southern Department , was made in 1689, though the office had been first divided into the Northern and Southern Department purviews in 1660. In 1782, the responsibilities of these offices were changed, so that one would be responsible for foreign affairs and one for domestic affairs, thus establishing
304-419: The growth of ministerial government. Queen Victoria did not have a private secretary until she appointed General Charles Grey to the office in 1861; her husband Prince Albert had effectively been her secretary until his death. The principal functions of the office are: The position of private secretary is regarded as equivalent to that of the permanent secretary of a government department. The incumbent
323-522: The ownership of property between office-holder changes. The origin of the office lies in the office of the king's private secretary . However, by the Tudor period , the office's purview had become more onerous. In 1539 or 1540, Henry VIII appointed two people to the office. After the Stuart Restoration , the practice of appointing two secretaries of state resumed. A formal division, in
342-669: The position(s) directly below it. However, it is impossible for such a graphic to be completely accurate; it cannot show smaller changes, or gains or losses of responsibilities within a position due to changes of responsibilities for the UK Government (for example, due to devolution or Brexit ). It is not to scale. In the gaps, and before the first of these secretaries of state, relevant responsibilities were taken on by ministers not titled 'Secretary of State'. Key: The Secretaries of state that have been used for culture, heritage and sport are as follows: Private Secretary to
361-528: The provisions of the Act, but could theoretically exercise the powers of, for example, the Secretary of State for Scotland at any time. There are exceptions, in that legislation sometimes refers to particular secretaries of state. Under the Ministerial and other Salaries Act 1975 , a maximum of 21 secretaries of state can receive a salary. Secretaries of state and other government ministers are appointed by
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