Lord Privy Seal

Template:Short description {{#invoke:other uses|otheruses}} Template:More citations needed Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox official post Template:PoliticsUK 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. 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) until the use of such a seal became obsolete. Though one of the oldest offices in European governments, it has no particular function today because the use of a privy seal has been obsolete for centuries; it may be regarded as a traditional sinecure, but today, the holder of the office is invariably given a seat in the Cabinet of the United Kingdom, and is sometimes referred to as a 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The office does not confer membership of the House of Lords, leading to Ernest Bevin's remark on holding this office that he was "neither a Lord, nor a Privy, nor a Seal".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

During the reign of Edward I, prior to 1307, the privy seal was kept by the controller of the wardrobe.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> During the time that the Court of Requests existed, the Lord Privy Seal was its president.

List of Lord Keepers of the Privy Seal

Lord Keepers of the Privy Seal (c. 1307–1714)

Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal

Lord Keeper	Term of office		Monarch Template:Small
William Melton	1307	1312	Edward II File:Coat of Arms of England (-1340).svg Template:Small
Roger Northburgh	1312	1316
Thomas Charlton	1316	1320
Robert Baldock Template:Small	1320	1323
Robert Wodehouse	1323	1323
Robert Ayleston	1323	1324
William Ayermin	1324	1325
Henry de Cliff	1325	1325
William Herlaston	1325	1326
Robert Wyvil	1326	1327
Richard Airmyn	1327	1328	Edward III File:Coat of Arms of Edward III of England (1327-1377) (Attributed).svg Template:Small
Adam de Lymbergh	1328	1329
Richard Bury Template:Small	1329	1334
Robert Ayleston	1334	1334
Robert Tawton	1334	1335
William de la Zouch	1335	1337
Richard Bintworth	1337	1338
William Kilsby	1338	1342
John de Ufford	1342	1344
Thomas Hatfield	1344	1345
John Thoresby Template:Small	1345	1347
Simon Islip Template:Small	1347	1350
Michael Northburgh Template:Small	1350	1354
Thomas Bramber	1354	1355
John Winwick	1355	1360
John Buckingham Template:Small	1360	1363
William of Wykeham Template:Small	1363	1367
Peter Lacy	1367	1371
Nicholas Carew Template:Small	1371	1377
John Fordham	1377	1381	Richard II File:Coat of Arms of Richard II of England (1377-1399).svg Template:Small
William Dighton	1381	1382
Walter Skirclaw Template:Small	1382	1386
John Waltham Template:Small	1386	1389
Edmund Stafford Template:Small	1389	1396
Guy Mone	1396	1397
Richard Clifford Template:Small	1397	1401
			Henry IV File:Coat of Arms of Henry IV of England (1399-1413).svg Template:Small
Thomas Langley	1401	1405
Nicholas Bubwith	1405	1406
John Prophet Template:Small	1406	1415
			Henry V File:Coat of Arms of Henry IV & V of England (1413-1422).svg Template:Small
John Wakering Template:Small	1415	1416
Henry Ware	1416	1418
John Kemp Template:Small	1418	1421
John Stafford	1421	1422
William Alnwick Template:Small<ref group=nb>Archdeacon of Sarum until 1426; Bishop of Norwich from 1426</ref>	1422	1432	Henry VI File:Coat of Arms of Henry VI of England (1422-1471).svg Template:Small
William Lyndwood Template:Small<ref group=nb>Archdeacon of Oxford 1434–1442; Bishop of St David's from 1442</ref>	1432	1443
Thomas Beckington Template:Small	1443	1444
Adam Moleyns Template:Small<ref group=nb>Dean of Salisbury until 1446; Bishop of Chichester from 1446</ref>	1444	1450
Andrew Holes Template:Small	1450	1452
Thomas Lisieux Template:Small	1452	1456
Laurence Booth Template:Small<ref group=nb>Dean of St Paul's until 1457</ref>	1456	1460
Robert Stillington Template:Small<ref group=nb>Archdeacon of Taunton until 1465; Bishop of Bath and Wells from 1466</ref>	1460	1467
			Edward IV File:Coat of Arms of Edward IV of England (1461-1483).svg Template:Small
Thomas Rotherham Template:Small<ref group=nb>Bishop of Rochester from 1468</ref>	1467	1470
John Hales Template:Small	1470	1471	Henry VI File:Coat of Arms of Henry VI of England (1422-1471).svg Template:Small
Thomas Rotherham Template:Small<ref group=nb>Bishop of Rochester until 1472; Bishop of Lincoln from 1472</ref>	1471	1474	Edward IV File:Coat of Arms of Edward IV of England (1461-1483).svg Template:Small
John Russell Template:Small<ref group=nb>Bishop of Rochester 1476–1480; Bishop of Lincoln from 1480</ref>	1474	1483
			Edward V File:Coat of Arms of Edward V of England (1483).svg Template:Small
John Gunthorpe Template:Small	1483	1485
			Richard III File:Coat of Arms of Richard III of England (1483-1485).svg Template:Small
Peter Courtenay Template:Small	1485	1487	Henry VII File:Coat of Arms of Henry VII of England (1485-1509).svg Template:Small
Richard Foxe Template:Small<ref group=nb>Bishop of Exeter until 1492; Bishop of Bath and Wells 1492–1494; Bishop of Durham 1494–1501; Bishop of Winchester from 1501</ref>	1487	1516
			Henry VIII File:Coat of Arms of England (1509-1554) - Dragon with pizzle.png Template:Small
Thomas Ruthall Template:Small	1516	1523
Henry Marney 1st Baron Marney	1523	1523
Cuthbert Tunstall Template:Small	1523	1530
Thomas Boleyn 1st Earl of Wiltshire	1530	1536
Thomas Cromwell 1st Earl of Essex<ref group=nb>Concurrently held the offices of Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1533, Secretary of State from 1534, and Lord Great Chamberlain in 1540</ref>	1536	1540
William FitzWilliam 1st Earl of Southampton	1540	1542
John Russell 1st Earl of Bedford<ref group=nb>Baron Russell from 1539, created Earl of Bedford in 1551</ref>	1542	1555
			Edward VI File:Coat of Arms of England (1509-1554) - Dragon with pizzle.png Template:Small
			Mary I File:Coat of Arms of England (1554-1558).svg Template:Small
William Paget 1st Baron Paget	1555	1558
Nicholas Bacon	1558	1571	Elizabeth I File:Coat of Arms of England (1558-1603).svg Template:Small
William Cecil 1st Baron Burghley	1571	1572
William Howard 1st Baron Howard of Effingham	1572	1573
Thomas Smith Template:Small	1573	1576
Francis Walsingham Template:Small	1576	1590
William Cecil 1st Baron Burghley	1590	1598
Robert Cecil 1st Earl of Salisbury	1598	1608
			James I File:Coat of Arms of England (1603-1649).svg Template:Small
Henry Howard 1st Earl of Northampton	1608	1614
Robert Carr 1st Earl of Somerset	1614	1616
Edward Somerset 4th Earl of Worcester	1616	1625
John Coke Template:Small	1625	1628	Charles I File:Coat of Arms of England (1603-1649).svg Template:Small
Robert Naunton	1628	1628
Henry Montagu 1st Earl of Manchester	1628	1642
Lucius Cary 2nd Viscount Falkland	1643	1643
Edward Nicholas<ref group=nb>Concurrently held the office of Secretary of State</ref>	1643	1644
Henry Bourchier 5th Earl of Bath	1644	1646 <ref group=nb>Appointed in the controversial Oxford Parliament, Bourchier is sometimes regarded as holding the office for life. However, during the Interregnum Bourchier was identified as a Delinquent by Parliamentarians and use of the Privy Seal ended. Until the Restoration of Charles II the Great Seal was the primary seal of government, for which the custody held in commission.</ref>
Interregnum Commissioners of Parliament's Great Seal	1646	1660	Charles II File:Coat of Arms of England (1660-1689).svg Template:Small
John Robartes 2nd Baron Robartes	1660	1673	Charles II File:Coat of Arms of England (1660-1689).svg Template:Small
Arthur Annesley 1st Earl of Anglesey	1673	1682
George Savile 1st Marquess of Halifax	1682	1685
Henry Hyde 2nd Earl of Clarendon	1685	1687	James II File:Coat of Arms of England (1660-1689).svg Template:Small
Henry Arundell 3rd Baron Arundell of Wardour	1687	1688
George Savile 1st Marquess of Halifax	1689	1690	Mary II File:Coat of Arms of England (1689-1694).svg Template:Small & William III File:Coat of arms of England (1694–1702).svg Template:Small
Thomas Herbert 8th Earl of Pembroke	1692	1699
John Lowther 1st Viscount Lonsdale	1699	1700
Ford Grey 1st Earl of Tankerville	1700	1701
John Sheffield 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normanby<ref group=nb>Marquess of Normanby from 1694; created Duke of Buckingham and Normanby in 1703</ref>	1702	1705	Anne File:Coat of Arms of England (1702-1707).svg Template:Small
John Holles 1st Duke of Newcastle upon Tyne	1705	1711
John Robinson Template:Small	1711	1713
William Legge 1st Earl of Dartmouth	1713	1714

Lord Keepers of the Privy Seal (1714–present)

Notes

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

• Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
• Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland
• Lord Keeper of the Great Seal
• Lord Privy Seal (term), as used in the television news business

References

• Template:Cite book