List of Keepers of the King's and Queen's Swans
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The Keeper of the King's/Queen's Swans was a late medieval-founded office in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of England, later Great Britain and ultimately the United Kingdom. He was earlier called the King's/Queen's Swanmaster. The office existed to perform Swan-Upping marking and health-checking carried out using Thames skiffs on many of the non-tidal reaches of the River Thames in latter years from Sunbury-on-Thames passing Windsor, Berkshire to Henley on Thames. In 1993 it was replaced by two separate offices: Warden of the Swans and Marker of the Swans.
The keeper's office dates from the 13th century. [1] He was supported by three swanherdsmen. The principal duties of this official team of four people were to conduct the annual Swan-Upping on much of non-tidal reaches of the River Thames including Windsor. [2]
It was abolished in 1993, when it was replaced by two new offices, the Warden of the Swans and the Marker of the Swans.
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The River Thames, known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At 215 miles (346 km), it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the River Severn.
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The present Keeper of the Queen's Swans holds one of the most venerable offices in the kingdom; how venerable is not precisely known, but the office probably existed as early as the thirteenth century. Its full style was Master of the King's Game of Swans.