Clerk of the Closet

A Clerk of the Closet is a member of the clergy within the United Kingdom who is appointed to minister to the monarch of the United Kingdom. ^[1]

The ‘closet’ comes from the original name of the Royal Chapel. ^[2]

The College of Chaplains of the Ecclesiastical Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom is under the Clerk of the Closet, an office dating from 1437. ^[3] It is normally held by a diocesan bishop of the Church of England, who may, however, remain in office after leaving his see. In 2025 the current Clerk is Richard Jackson, Bishop of Hereford. ^[4]

Other members of the royal family may also have their own Clerk of the Closet.

Duties

The Clerk of the Closet is responsible for advising the Private Secretary to the Sovereign on the names for candidates to fill vacancies in the Roll of Chaplains to the Sovereign. The Clerk manages 36 royal chaplains and preaches annually in the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace. ^[5] He also presents bishops for homage to the Sovereign and examines any theological books to be presented to the Sovereign. He receives a salary of £7 a year. ^[3]

Deputy

The Deputy Clerk of the Closet, an office dating from 1677, is the Domestic Chaplain to the Sovereign, and Sub-Dean of the Chapel Royal, and is the sole full-time clerical member of the Household.

List of Clerks of the Closet of the Sovereign's Household

• Richard Jackson, Bishop of Hereford, 2023– ^[4]
• James Newcome, ^[4] Bishop of Carlisle 2014–2023
• Christopher Hill, Bishop of Guildford 2005–2014
• Jonathan Bailey, Bishop of Derby 1997–2005
• John Waine, Bishop of Chelmsford 1989–1997
• John Bickersteth, Bishop of Bath and Wells 1979–1989
• Gordon Fallows, Bishop of Sheffield 1975–1979
• Roger Wilson, Bishop of Chichester 1963–1975
• Percy Herbert, Bishop of Norwich 1942–1963
• Cyril Garbett, GCVO Bishop of Winchester 1937–1942
• Thomas Banks Strong, Bishop of Oxford 1925–1937
• Hubert Murray Burge, Bishop of Oxford 1918–1925
• William Boyd-Carpenter, Bishop of Ripon 1903–1918
• Randall Davidson, Bishop of Rochester 1891–1903
• Henry Philpott, Bishop of Worcester 1865–1891
• John Graham, Bishop of Chester 1849–1865
• Edward Stanley, Bishop of Norwich 1837–1849
• Robert James Carr, Bishop of Chichester 1827–1837 ^[6]
• George Pelham, Bishop of Exeter 1815–1827 ^[6]
• William Jackson, Bishop of Oxford by 1813–1815 ^[6]
• Richard Hurd, Bishop of Worcester 1781–1808 ^[6]
• William Buller 1763–1773 (later Bishop of Exeter)
• John Thomas, Bishop of Salisbury, Bishop of Winchester 1757–1763 ^[6]
• John Gilbert, Bishop of Salisbury 1752–1757 ^[6]
• Joseph Butler, Bishop of Bristol 1746–1752 ^[6]
• Henry Egerton, Bishop of Hereford 1735–1746 ^[6]
• Richard Willis, Bishop of Winchester 1723–1734 ^[6]
• Charles Trimnell, Bishop of Norwich 1714–1723 ^[6]
• William Graham, Dean of Carlisle 1702–1714 (jointly) ^[6]
• John Younger, Dean of Salisbury 1702–1714 (jointly) ^[6]
• Samuel Pratt, Dean of Rochester 1702–1714 (jointly) ^[6]
• John Montagu, Dean of Durham 1695–1702 ^[6]
• Thomas Burnet 1691–1695 ^[6]
• James Canaries 1691–1692 (representing Scottish Episcopalian Church)
• John Tillotson, Dean of St Paul's 1689–1691 ^[6]
• Sir Edward Petre S.J. 1687–1693 (after 1689 in exile with James II) ^[6]
• Thomas Sprat, Bishop of Rochester 1685–1687 ^[6]
• Nathaniel Crew, Dean of Chichester, Bishop of Oxford, Bishop of Durham 1669–1685 ^[6]
• Walter Blandford, Bishop of Worcester 1668–1669 ^[6]
• John Dolben, Dean of Westminster 1664–1668 ^[6]
• John Earle, Bishop of Salisbury 1651–1664 ^[6] (1651–1660 in exile with Charles II)
• Gilbert Sheldon 1646–1651 later Archbishop of Canterbury
• Richard Steward 1636–1646 designated Dean of St Paul's
• Matthew Wren, Bishop of Hereford 1633–1636
• William Juxon, Dean of Worcester 1632–1633
• Walter Balcanquhall 1617–1621 (represented the Church of Scotland at the Synod of Dort)
• Richard Neile, Archbishop of York 1603–1632
• John Thornborough, Bishop of Limerick 1588–1603 ^[7]
• John Rycarde c.1556
• John Rudd 1540s
• Edward Layton, Archdeacon of Sarum by 1538–after 1544 ^[8]
• Edward Higgins c.1520
• Geoffrey Wren 1510- >1515
• Edward Atherton

Clerks of the Closet in other Royal Households

• Henry Burton, Clerk of the Closet to Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales
• William Stanley, Clerk of the Closet to Mary II 1689–1694
• Lancelot Blackburne, Clerk of the Closet to Caroline of Ansbach
• Isaac Maddox, Clerk of the Closet to Caroline of Ansbach 1729–1736
• Joseph Butler, Clerk of the Closet to Caroline of Ansbach 1736–37
• Francis Ayscough, Clerk of the Closet to Frederick, Prince of Wales 1736–51 ^[9]
• Samuel Squire, Clerk of the Closet to George, Prince of Wales 1756-
• Rev Dr Lockman, Clerk of the Closet to George, Prince of Wales 1787–1808 ^[10]
• Frederick William Blomberg, Clerk of the Closet to George, Prince of Wales 1808- ^[10]
• Edward Young, Clerk of the Closet to Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha 1761–1765

References

1. "Clerk of the Closet". Oxford English Dictionary. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
2. "Bishop Appointed to Head Royal Ecclesiastical Household". Diocese of Hereford. 20 November 2023. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
3. "Behind the Monarch: The Queen Revealed by the Clerk of the Closet". Cumberland News and Star. 22 April 2015. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
4. "The Telegraph".
5. "Bishop of Carlisle appointed to royal role". Cumberland News and Star. 15 November 2014. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
6. "Clerk of the Closet 1660–1808; c. 1813–1837". British History Online. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
7. McCullough, Peter. Sermons at Court. p. 10.
8. Kisby, Fiona (1997). "The Participants, clerical and lay, in Candlemas 1541". The Court Historian. 2 (sup1): 2–4. doi:10.1179/cou.Supplement.1997.2.1.002.
9. "Leicester Square, North Side", and "Lisle Street Area: Leicester Estate: Lisle Street", Survey of London: volumes 33 and 34: St Anne Soho (1966), pp. 472–476. Date accessed: 10 June 2009.
10. The Literary Panorama, and National Register, Volume 4

• Bickersteth, John; Dunning, Robert W. (1991). Clerks of the Closet in the Royal Household: Five Hundred Years of Service to the Crown. Stroud, Gloucestershire Wolfeboro Falls, NH: Alan Sutton Publishing. ISBN   978-0-86299-873-8. OCLC   28115550 . Retrieved 30 April 2019.