Royal Household

The Royal Household (more professionally known as the Royal Household of the United Kingdom) is the residence and administrative headquarters of the monarchy, and formed the basis of the general government of the United Kingdom (and previously Great Britain, and before then, England, Scotland, Ireland, etc) as well as providing the needs of the sovereign and their relations. It further formed the core of the royal court, though the latter included many nobles who were not directly under the employ of the monarch as part of their household.

Usually, the Royal Household includes a large number of employees that range from nobles with highly sought-after positions that gave close access to the monarch, to all the usual of servants such as cooks, footmen, and maids. The household typically included military forces that provided security. Specialists such as artists, clock-makers and poets might have been given a place in the household, often by appointing them as a valet du chambre or an equivalent.

Among the household there are certain great offices which have become, over the course of time, hereditary, an example being the Office of the Earl-Marshal. In many cases, as the name of the office would suggest, they were held by those who discharged personal functions about the sovereign.

Lord Steward of the Household
The Lord Steward of the Household is an important official of the Royal Household. Typically, they are always a peer, and therefore hold a seat within the House of Lords.

High Almoner of the Household
Pages of Honour