Paul Wright (Sub-Dean of the Chapel Royal)

Last updated

The Reverend Canon

Paul Wright
Sub-Dean of the Chapel Royal and Deputy Clerk of the Closet
Church Church of England
In office2015–present
Predecessor Bill Scott
Orders
Ordination1993 (deacon)
1994 (priest)
Personal details
Born
Paul Stephen Wright

(1966-12-26) 26 December 1966 (age 57)
Winstanley, Wigan, Lancashire, England
NationalityBritish
Denomination Anglicanism
Alma mater
Military career
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service / branch British Army
Royal Auxiliary Air Force
Years of service1994–2015
2015–present
RankChaplain to the Forces 2nd Class (Lt Col)
Reverend (wing commander)
Unit Royal Army Chaplains' Department
Royal Air Force Chaplains Branch

Paul Stephen Wright LVO (born 26 December 1966) is a British Anglican priest and chaplain. Since 2015, he has served as Sub-Dean of the Chapel Royal and Deputy Clerk of the Closet: as such, he is the only full-time clerical member of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom. Prior to his royal service, he was ordained in the Church of England and served in the Royal Army Chaplains' Department. His last post before leaving the military was as Chaplain of the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst.

Contents

Early life and education

Wright was born on 26 December 1966 in Winstanley, Wigan, Lancashire, England. [1] He studied at Lancashire Polytechnic, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1988. [1] From 1990 to 1993, he trained for Holy Orders at Westcott House, Cambridge, a Liberal Anglican theological college. [2] He undertook further studies at the University of Liverpool, completing a Master of Arts (MA) degree in 1996, and at Cardiff University, completing a Master of Theology (MTh) degree in 2011. [1] [2]

Career

Early ministry

Wright was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 1993 and as a priest in 1994. [2] From 1993 to 1996, he served his curacy at Church of St Thomas the Martyr, Upholland in the Diocese of Liverpool. [1] [2]

Military service

He was commissioned into the Royal Army Chaplains Department in 1994. [3] He has served with the Royal Artillery, the Army Foundation College, the Queen's Lancashire Regiment, the Queen's Dragoon Guards, the 2nd Infantry Brigade. In 2003 he served in Iraq and at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers in Europe in Belgium, while in 2005 he served in Bosnia and Kosovo as Senior Chaplain of the European Union Force. [3]

In 2010, Wright was posted as Senior Chaplain of the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps in Gloucester and the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command in Kabul. He was appointed as the Chaplain of the Royal Military Academy in 2012. [3] He retired from the army on 1 January 2015. [4]

On 19 January 2015, he was commissioned in the Royal Auxiliary Air Force as a chaplain with the rank of reverend (wing commander). [5] In 2018, he was awarded the Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct (Military), awarded for 15 years service in the British Army. [6]

Royal service

In January 2015, Wright was installed as Sub-Dean of the Chapel Royal during a service at the Chapel Royal of St James's Palace, in succession to Bill Scott. [7] As Sub-Dean, he is also Deputy Clerk of the Closet, Sub-Almoner, and Domestic Chaplain to the late Queen, Elizabeth II and now her son, Charles III. [1] The Deputy Clerk is the only full-time clerical member of the Ecclesiastical Household.

Wright was appointed Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO) in the 2023 New Year Honours. [8] He took part in the Royal procession at the 2023 Coronation. [9]

Writings

In 2009, Wright wrote Funny Little Wars: Games of War in the Garden With Classic Toy Soldiers In The Spirit of Mr. H G Wells. In 2022 a revised edition was published, which added new content to complement the existing rules.

Personal life

In 2006, Wright married his second wife, Georgina Elisabeth Peek. [1] She is a trained singer. [3] Wright has four children: two sons and two daughters. [1]

Related Research Articles

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. It is normally held by a diocesan bishop, who may, however, remain in office after leaving his see. The current Clerk is Richard Jackson, Bishop of Hereford.

The Deputy Clerk of the Closet is the Domestic Chaplain to the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. The office was created in 1677. Since 1931, the Deputy Clerk is also the sub-dean of the Chapel Royal. The Deputy Clerk is the only full-time clerical member of the Ecclesiastical Household of the Monarch of the United Kingdom.

William James Booth, was an Anglican priest and prebendary of St Paul's Cathedral, London, who served as royal domestic chaplain to Elizabeth II.

In his early years, Scott had been an organist in the Dundee area, before training for the priesthood under the guidance of Reverend Clifford Jones.

Revd. Canon James Seymour Denis Mansel, formerly Deputy Clerk of the Closet, Sub-dean of the Chapel Royal, Sub-Almoner, and Domestic Chaplain to Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom 1965–79.

Charles John Klyberg was a British Roman Catholic priest and former Anglican bishop. From 1985 to 1996, he was the Bishop of Fulham in the Church of England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Air Force Chaplains Branch</span> Military unit

The Royal Air Force Chaplains Branch provides military chaplains for the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Woodhouse (minister)</span> British minister (born 1955)

Jonathan Woodhouse, is a British Baptist minister and retired senior British Army officer. He was Chaplain General and head of the Royal Army Chaplains' Department from 2011 to 2014. He is the first Baptist and the second member of the Free Churches to become Chaplain General.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edgar Sheppard</span> English Anglican priest (1845-1921)

Rev. Canon. James Edgar Sheppard was a Canon of Windsor from 1907 to 1921.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Chaffey</span> British Church of England priest

Jonathan Paul Michael Chaffey is a British Church of England priest and former military chaplain, who served with the Royal Air Force. He serves as Archdeacon of Oxford in the same diocese; from 2014 to 2018 he served as the Chaplain-in-Chief and head of the Royal Air Force Chaplains Branch. He previously served as Deputy Chaplain-in-Chief.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Coulter (minister)</span>

David George Coulter, is a Church of Scotland minister and former military chaplain. From 2014 to 2018, he served as Chaplain General and head of the Royal Army Chaplains' Department, British Army. He was previously Principal of the Armed Forces Chaplaincy Centre and Deputy Chaplain General.

Anthony Robert Wright, is a retired Church of England priest. He served as Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons from 1998 to 2010. From 2005 to 2010, he was also Sub-Dean and a canon of Westminster Abbey, and Archdeacon of Westminster. In 2010, he retired and was appointed canon emeritus.

John Ross Youens, was a Church of England priest and senior British Army officer. He served as Chaplain-General to the Forces from 1966 to 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ian Wheatley</span> British Anglican priest and former Royal Navy officer

Ian James Wheatley, is a British Anglican priest and former Royal Navy officer. From 2014 to 2018, he has served as Chaplain of the Fleet, the senior military chaplain of the Royal Navy: he had also served as Deputy Chaplain of the Fleet and Principal Anglican Chaplain from 2012 to 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Nanson</span> British Army general (born 1965)

Major General Paul Anthony Edward Nanson, is a retired British Army officer who served as Commander 7th Armoured Brigade, Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and General Officer Commanding Recruiting and Initial Training Command.

Martin George Poll, is a British Church of England priest and former Royal Navy chaplain. Since 2012, he has been the Canon Chaplain of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, and Domestic Chaplain to the Queen. From 2010 to 2012, he was Archdeacon for the Royal Navy and Principal Anglican Chaplain of the Royal Navy Chaplaincy Services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Eagles</span> British Anglican bishop

Peter Andrew Eagles, is a British retired Anglican bishop. From 2017 to 2023, he was the Bishop of Sodor and Man; he was consecrated a bishop in the Church of England in June 2017, and he was installed in September 2017. He is a former chaplain of the British Army, serving as Archdeacon for the Army (2011–2017) and the Deputy Chaplain-General of the Royal Army Chaplains' Department (2014–2017).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Johnston (priest)</span> Anglican priest and military chaplain born 1930

William Francis 'Frank' Johnston,, was an Anglican priest and military chaplain. Between 1980 and 1986, he served as Chaplain-General to the Forces and head of the Royal Army Chaplains' Department, British Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clinton Langston</span> British Anglican priest and military chaplain

Clinton Matthew Langston, is a British Anglican priest and military chaplain. He served as Chaplain General of the Royal Army Chaplains' Department, British Army between 2018 and 2022, and as Archdeacon for the Army in the Church of England between 2017 and 2022. He was previously Deputy Chaplain General from 2017 to 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Gough</span> British Anglican priest (born 1962)

Jonathan Robin Blanning Gough is a British Anglican priest and former military chaplain. Since March 2019, he has served as the Archdeacon of Richmond and Craven in the Diocese of Leeds. He had previously served in the Royal Army Chaplains' Department of the British Army.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 'Wright, Rev. Canon Paul Stephen', Who's Who 2018 , Oxford University Press, accessed 3 December 2017
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Paul Stephen Wright" . Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing . Retrieved 3 December 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Padre Paul Stephen Wright MA CF". The Royal Memorial Chapel, Sandhurst . Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  4. ↑ "No. 61307". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 July 2015. p. 13878.
  5. ↑ "No. 61225". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 May 2015. p. 8750.
  6. ↑ "No. 62445". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 October 2018. pp. 19067–19099.
  7. ↑ "Bishop of London installs new Sub-Dean to Her Majesty's Chapels Royal". Diocese of London. 16 January 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  8. ↑ "No. 63918". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2022. p. N5.
  9. ↑ "Coronation order of service in full". BBC News. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
Court offices
Preceded by Deputy Clerk of the Closet
2015 to present		Incumbent
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.