Keeper of the Privy Purse
The Keeper of the Privy Purse and Treasurer to the King/Queen is responsible for the financial management of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom.
They are assisted by the Deputy Treasurer to the King/Queen for the management of the Sovereign Grant.
They are also assisted by the Deputy Keeper of the Privy Purse for semi-private concerns, such as racing stables, the Royal Philatelic Collection, Royal Ascot, the Chapel Royal, Page of Honour, Military Knights of Windsor, Royal Maundy, the Royal Victorian Order, grace and favour apartments, and the Duchy of Lancaster. These are funded from the Privy Purse, which is drawn largely from the Duchy of Lancaster and the Duchy of Cornwall. The Keeper of the Privy Purse meets the Sovereign at least weekly.
The current Keeper of the Privy Purse and Treasurer to The Queen is Sir Michael Stevens.
At coronations in recent centuries the holders of this office have invariably carried a ceremonial purse, embroidered with the royal coat of arms.List of Keepers of the Privy Purse
Henry VIII
- Henry Norris by 1526–?1536
- Anthony Denny c. 1536
Edward VI
- Peter Osborne 1551–1552
Elizabeth I
- John Tamworth, 1559–1569
- Henry Seckford 1559–1603
James I
- Sir Richard Molyneux, 1st Baronet, 1607–?
- George Home, 1st Earl of Dunbar, c. 1610–1611
- John Murray, 1st Earl of Annandale 1611–1616
Charles I
- Richard Molyneux, 1st Viscount Molyneux, PC 1616?–1636
- Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Ancram, PC 1636?–1639
Charles II
- Henry Bennet, 1st Earl of Arlington, KG, PC
- Charles Berkeley, 1st Earl of Falmouth, PC 1662–1665
- Baptist May 1665–1685
James II
- James Graham, 1685–1689
William III
- William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland, KG, PC 1689–1700
- Caspar Frederick Henning, 1700–1702
Anne
- Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough 1702–1711
- Abigail Masham, Baroness Masham 1711–1714
George I
- Caspar Frederick Henning, 1714–1727
George II
- Augustus Schutz, 1727–1757
- The Honourable Edward Finch, 1757–1760
George III
- John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute, KG, PC 1760–1763
- William Breton, 1763–1773
- James Brudenell, 5th Earl of Cardigan, PC 1773–1811
- The Right Honourable Colonel Sir John McMahon, 1st Baronet, 1812–1817
- Lieutenant-General Benjamin Bloomfield, 1st Baron Bloomfield, GCB GCH PC 1817–1822
George IV
- The Right Honourable Sir William Knighton, 1st Baronet, GCH 1821–1830
William IV
- Major-General Sir Henry Wheatley, 1st Baronet, GCH, CB 1830–1846
Victoria
- George Edward Anson 1847–1849
- Colonel The Honourable Sir Charles Beaumont Phipps KCB 1849–1866
- General The Honourable Sir Charles Grey 1866–1867
- Colonel Thomas Myddleton-Biddulph KCB 1866–1878
- Major-General Sir Henry Ponsonby GCB 1878–1895
- The Right Honourable Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Fleetwood Edwards GCVO, KCB, ISO 1895–1901
Edward VII
- The Right Honourable General Sir Dighton Probyn, VC, GCB, GCSI, GCVO, ISO 1901–1910
George V
- The Right Honourable Lieutenant-Colonel Sir William Carington GCVO KCB JP 1910–1914
- Lieutenant-Colonel Frederick Ponsonby, 1st Baron Sysonby GCB GCVO PC 1914–1935
- Colonel Clive Wigram, 1st Baron Wigram GCB GCVO CSI PC 1935–1936
George VI
- Major Sir Ulick Alexander 19361952
Elizabeth II
- Brigadier-General Charles George Vivian Tryon, 2nd Baron Tryon, GCVO, KCB, DSO, DL, OStJ 1952–1971
- Major Sir Rennie Maudslay, GCVO KCB MBE 1971–1981
- Sir Peter Miles, KCVO 1981–1987
- Major Sir Shane Blewitt, GCVO 1988–1996
- Sir Michael Peat, GCVO 1996–2002
- Sir Alan Reid, GCVO 2002–2017
- Sir Michael Stevens KCVO 2018–
Deputies
Deputy Keepers
This list is not complete.
- 1922–1925: Paymaster Rear-Admiral Sir John Henry George Chapple, KCB, CVO, RN
- 1985–1988: Major Sir Shane Gabriel Basil Blewitt, GCVO
- 1988–2002: Sir John Christopher Parsons, KCVO, FCA, FIC
- 2002–?: Harold Smith
- ?–2011: Ian Donald McGregor, CVO
- 2011–2017: Sir Michael John Stevens, KCVO
Deputy Treasurers
- 1923–1935: Sir Ralph Endersby Harwood, KCB, KCVO, CBE
- 1941–1958: Commander Sir Dudley Colles, KCB, KCVO, OBE, RN
- 1958–1968: Commander Sir Philip John Row, KCVO, OBE, RN
- 1969–1985: Sir Russell Dillon Wood, KCVO, VRD
- 1988–2002: Sir John Christopher Parsons, KCVO, FCA, FIC
- 2003–2007: Stephen Ingleby Cawley, CVO, FCA
- 2007–2017: Sir Michael John Stevens, KCVO
