Departments of the Royal Household
The interface between Her Majesty The Queen and the general public is the Royal Household. Employing some 1,200 people, the Household is not only responsible for catering, housekeeping and entertaining, but ceremonial duties, art curatorship and strategic planning.
There are five main departments of the Royal Household, all of which come under the management of The Lord Chamberlain, one of the Three Great Officers of the Household, who oversees the Royal Household, and is based at Buckingham Palace.
(a) The Private Secretary's Office, which includes the Press Secretary's Office and the Royal Archives (held at Windsor Castle). The Private Secretary's Office liaises between The Queen and the Government and the Commonwealth, as well as liaising with the Armed Forces, the Church and the many organisations of which The Queen is patron.
(b) The Privy Purse and Treasurer's Office, which includes the Royal Almonry. This department is responsible for the financial management of the Royal Household, as well as maintaining The Queen's royal residences and Royal Estates.
(c) The Lord Chamberlain's Office (at St James's Palace) responsible for ceremonial arrangements, such as the State Opening of Parliament, Royal Warrants and Ceremonial Body Guards. This department also includes The Royal Mews (which organises, horses, coaches, carriages and cars for State occasions) and the Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps.
(d) The Master of the Household's Department. This department, the largest in the Royal Household, is responsible for catering and entertaining arrangements. It is this Department that organises all Royal functions, ceremonial events and Royal travel arrangements.
e) The Royal Collection Department. This department is responsible for managing the public opening of the official Royal residences. It is also responsible for the care and conservation of the Royal Collection, which is one of the world's greatest art collections.
