Lord Steward

Common card · No. 376536

The Lord Steward or Lord Steward of the Household is one of the three Great Officers of the Household of the British monarch. He is, by tradition, the first great officer of the Court and he takes precedence over all other officers of the household. Historically the Lord Steward oversaw the Household 'below stairs'. He also presided at the Board of Green Cloth, which in early centuries had a financial, administrative and judicial role (latterly the Board retained a vestigial legal remit, until it was finally abolished in a 2004 reform of local government licensing). Prior to 1924 the Lord Steward was always a member of the Government, and until 1782 the office had been one of considerable political importance and carried Cabinet rank. In the modern period, Lord Stewards (up to and including Hugh Percy, 10th Duke of Northumberland in 1973) were invariably made Privy Counsellors on appointment. Over time the domestic responsibilities of the office came increasingly to be carried out by a...

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