Lord Privy Seal

For other uses, see Lord Privy Seal (disambiguation).

Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal
Arms of Her Majesty's Government
Incumbent Tina Stowell, Baroness Stowell of Beeston since 15 July 2014
Style	The Right Honourable
Appointer	The monarch on advice of the Prime Minister
Inaugural holder	William Melton
Formation	1307

The Lord Privy Seal (or, more formally, the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal) is the fifth of the Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord President of the Council and above the Lord Great Chamberlain. The office is one of the traditional sinecure offices of state. Originally, its holder was responsible for the monarch's personal (privy) seal (as opposed to the Great Seal of the Realm, which is in the care of the Lord Chancellor). Today, the holder of the office is invariably given a seat in the Cabinet of the United Kingdom.

Though one of the oldest offices in government anywhere, it has no particular function today because the use of a privy seal has been obsolete for centuries; thus the office has generally been used as a kind of Minister without Portfolio. Since the premiership of Clement Attlee, the position of Lord Privy Seal has frequently been combined with that of Leader of the House of Lords or Leader of the House of Commons. The office of Lord Privy Seal, unlike those of Leader of the Lords or Commons, is eligible for a ministerial salary under the Ministerial and other Salaries Act 1975. The office does not confer membership of the House of Lords, leading to Ernest Bevin's remark on holding this office that he was "neither a Lord, nor a Privy, nor a Seal".

During the reign of Edward I, prior to 1307, the Privy Seal was kept by the Keeper of the Wardrobe. The Lord Privy Seal was the president of the Court of Requests during its existence.

English Lords Privy Seal, 1307–1707

14th century

• William Melton (1307–1312)
• Roger Northburgh (1312–1316)
• Thomas Charlton (1316–1320)
• Robert Baldock (1320–1323)
• Robert Wodehouse (1323)
• Robert Ayleston (1323–1324)
• William Ayermin (1324–1325)
• Henry Cliff (1325)
• William Herlaston (1325–1326)
• Robert Wyvil (1326–1327)
• Richard Airmyn (1327–1328)
• Adam Lymbergh (1328–1329)
• Richard Bury, Bishop of Durham (1329–1334, bishop since 1333)
• Robert Ayleston (1334)
• Robert Tawton (1334–1335)
• William de la Zouch (1335–1337)
• Richard Bintworth, Bishop of London (1337–1338)
• William Kilsby (1338–1342)
• John de Ufford, Archbishop of Canterbury (1342–1344)
• Thomas Hatfield, Bishop of Durham (1344–1345)
• John Thoresby, Archbishop of York (1345–1347)
• Simon Islip, Archbishop of Canterbury (1347–1350)
• Michael Northburgh (1350–1354)
• Thomas Bramber (1354–1355)
• John Winwick (1355–1360)
• John Buckingham, Bishop of Lincoln (1360–1363)
• William of Wykeham (1363–1367)
• Peter Lacy (1367–1371)
• Nicholas Carew (1371–1377)
• John Fordham (1377–1381)
• William Dighton (1381–1382)
• Walter Skirclaw, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield (1382–1386)
• John Waltham, Bishop of Salisbury (1386–1389)
• Edmund Stafford, Bishop of Exeter (1389–1396)
• Guy Mone (1396–1397)
• Richard Clifford (1397–1401)

15th century

• Thomas Langley (1401–1405)
• Nicholas Bubwith (1405–1406)
• John Prophet (1406–1415)
• John Wakering, Bishop of Norwich (1415–1416)
• Henry Ware (1416–1418)
• John Kemp, Bishop of Rochester (1418–1421)
• John Stafford (1421–1422)
• William Alnwick, Bishop of Norwich (1422–1432)
• William Lyndwood, Bishop of St David's (1432–1443)
• Thomas Beckington, Bishop of Bath and Wells (1443–1444)
• Adam Moleyns, Bishop of Chichester (1444–1450)
• Andrew Holes (1450–1452)
• Thomas Lisieux (1452–1456)
• Laurence Booth, Bishop of Durham (1456–1460)
• Robert Stillington, Bishop of Bath and Wells (1460–1467)
• Thomas Rotheram, Bishop of Rochester (1467–1470)
• John Hales, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield (1470–1471)
• Thomas Rotheram, Bishop of Rochester (1471–1474)
• John Russell, Bishop of Rochester, later Bishop of Lincoln (1474–1483)
• John Gunthorpe, Dean of Wells (1483–1485)
• Peter Courtenay, Bishop of Exeter (1485–1487)
• Richard Foxe, Bishop of Exeter, later Bishop of Bath and Wells, Bishop of Durham and Bishop of Winchester (1487–1516)

16th century

• Thomas Ruthall, Bishop of Durham (1516–1523)
• Henry Marney, 1st Baron Marney (1523)
• Cuthbert Tunstall, Bishop of London (1523–1530)
• Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire (1530–1536)
• Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex (1536–1540)
• William FitzWilliam, 1st Earl of Southampton (1540–1542)
• John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford (1542–1555)
• William Paget, 1st Baron Paget (1555–1558)
• Nicholas Bacon (1558–1571)
• William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley (1571–1572)
• William Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Effingham (1572–1573)
• Thomas Smith (1573–1576)
• Francis Walsingham (1576–1590)
• William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley (1590–1598)
• Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury (1598–1608)

17th century

• Henry Howard, 1st Earl of Northampton (1608–1614)
• Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset (1614–1616)
• Edward Somerset, 4th Earl of Worcester (1616–1625)
• John Coke (1625–1628)
• Robert Naunton (1628)
• Henry Montagu, 1st Earl of Manchester (1628–1642)
• Lucius Cary, 2nd Viscount Falkland (1643)
• Edward Nicholas (1643–1644)
• Henry Bourchier, 5th Earl of Bath (1644–1654)
• John Robartes, 2nd Baron Robartes (1661–1673)
• Commissioners during Robartes' absence as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, 1669
  • Edward Dering, 2nd Baronet
  • Thomas Strickland
  • Robert Milward
• Arthur Annesley, 1st Earl of Anglesey (1673–1682)
• George Savile, 1st Marquess of Halifax (1682–1685)
• Henry Hyde, 2nd Earl of Clarendon (1685–1687)
• Commissioners during Clarendon's absence in Ireland, 1685
  • Thomas Livingston, 1st Viscount Teviot
  • Robert Phillips
  • John Evelyn
• Henry Arundell, 3rd Baron Arundell of Wardour (1687–1688)
• George Savile, 1st Marquess of Halifax (1689–1690)
• Commissioners 1690–1692
  • William Cheney
  • John Knatchbull, 2nd Baronet
  • William Pulteney
• Thomas Herbert, 8th Earl of Pembroke (1692–1699)
• Commissioners during Pembroke's absence as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, 1697
  • Thomas Mompesson
  • Charles Lodowick Cotterell
  • James Tyrrell
• John Lowther, 1st Viscount Lonsdale (1699–1700)

18th century

• Ford Grey, 1st Earl of Tankerville (1700–1701)
• Commissioners 1701–1702
  • Edward Southwell
  • Christopher Musgrave
  • James Vernon
• John Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normanby (1702–1705)
• John Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle (1705–1707)

British Lords Privy Seal, 1707–present

18th century

• John Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle (1707–1711)
• John Robinson, Bishop of Bristol (1711–1713)
• Commissioners during Robinson's absence at the Treaty of Utrecht, 1711
  • George Beaumont, 4th Baronet
  • Robert Byerley
  • Edward Nicholas
• William Legge, 1st Earl of Dartmouth (1713–1714)
• Thomas Wharton, 1st Marquess of Wharton (1714–1715)
• Commissioners 1715
  • Edward Southwell
  • Christopher Musgrave, 5th Baronet
  • Andrew Charleton
• Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland (1715–1716)
• Commissioners during Sunderland's absence at Aix-la-Chapelle, 1716
  • Edward Southwell
  • James Vernon or James Vernon
  • Andrew Charleton
• Evelyn Pierrepont, 1st Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull (1716–1718)
• Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Kent (1718–1719)
• Evelyn Pierrepont, 1st Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull (1720–1726)
• Thomas Trevor, 1st Baron Trevor (1726–1730)
• Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington (1730–1731)
• In Commission 1731
• William Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire (1731–1733)
• Henry Lowther, 3rd Viscount Lonsdale (1733–1735)
• Francis Godolphin, 2nd Earl of Godolphin (1735–1740)
• John Hervey, 2nd Baron Hervey (1740–1742)
• John Leveson-Gower, 2nd Baron Gower (1742–1743)
• George Cholmondeley, 3rd Earl of Cholmondeley (1743–1744)
• John Leveson-Gower, 1st Earl Gower, 2nd Baron Gower (1744–1755)
• Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough (1755)
• Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Gower (1755–1757)
• Richard Grenville-Temple, 2nd Earl Temple (1757–1761)
• In Commission 1761
• John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford (1761–1763)
• George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough (1763–1765)
• Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle (1765–1766)
• William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham (1766–1768)
• Commissioners 1768
  • Richard Sutton
  • William Blair
  • William Fraser
• William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham (1768)
• George Hervey, 2nd Earl of Bristol (1768–1770)
• George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax (1770–1771)
• Henry Howard, 12th Earl of Suffolk (1771)
• Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton (1771–1775)
• William Legge, 2nd Earl of Dartmouth (1775–1782)
• Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton (1782–1783)
• Frederick Howard, 5th Earl of Carlisle (1783)
• Charles Manners, 4th Duke of Rutland (1783–1784)
• Commissioners 1784
  • William Fraser
  • Stephen Cotterell
  • Evan Nepean
• Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Marquess of Stafford (1784–1794)
• George Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer (1794)
• John Pitt, 2nd Earl of Chatham (1794–1798)
• John Fane, 10th Earl of Westmorland (1798–1806)

19th century

• Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth (1806)
• Henry Vassall-Fox, 3rd Baron Holland (1806–1807)
• John Fane, 10th Earl of Westmorland (1807–1827)
• William Bentinck, 4th Duke of Portland (1827)
• George Howard, 6th Earl of Carlisle (1827–1828)
• Edward Law, 2nd Baron Ellenborough (1828–1829)
• James St Clair-Erskine, 2nd Earl of Rosslyn (1829–1830)
• John Lambton, 1st Baron Durham (1830–1833)
• F. J. Robinson, 1st Earl of Ripon (1833–1834)
• George Howard, 6th Earl of Carlisle (1834)
• Constantine Phipps, 2nd Earl of Mulgrave (1834)
• James Stuart-Wortley, 1st Baron Wharncliffe (1834–1835)
• John Ponsonby, Viscount Duncannon (1835–1840)
• George Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon (1840–1841)
• Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos (1841–1842)
• Walter Montagu Douglas Scott, 5th Duke of Buccleuch (1842–1846)
• Thomas Hamilton, 9th Earl of Haddington (1846)
• Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 2nd Earl of Minto (1846–1852)
• James Gascoyne-Cecil, 2nd Marquess of Salisbury (1852)
• George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll (1853–1855)
• Dudley Ryder, 2nd Earl of Harrowby (1855–1858)
• Ulick de Burgh, 1st Marquess of Clanricarde (1858)
• Charles Yorke, 4th Earl of Hardwicke (1858–1859)
• George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll (1859–1866)
• James Harris, 3rd Earl of Malmesbury (1866–1868)
• John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley (1868–1870)
• Charles Wood, 1st Viscount Halifax (1870–1874)
• James Harris, 3rd Earl of Malmesbury (1874–1876)
• Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield (1876–1878)
• Algernon Percy, 6th Duke of Northumberland (1878–1880)
• George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll (1880–1881)
• Chichester Parkinson-Fortescue, 1st Baron Carlingford (1881–1885)
• Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery (1885)
• Dudley Ryder, 3rd Earl of Harrowby (1885–1886)
• William Ewart Gladstone (1886)
• George Cadogan, 5th Earl Cadogan (1886–1892)
• William Ewart Gladstone (1892–1894)
• Edward Marjoribanks, 2nd Baron Tweedmouth (1894–1895)
• R. A. Cross, 1st Viscount Cross (1895–1900)

Edwardian and war-time

Name		Portrait	Concurrent title(s)		Tenure	Political party	Prime Minister
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury		style="background-color: Template:House of Lords/meta/color;" |	Prime Minister Leader of the House of Lords	12 November 1900 – July 1902	Conservative	style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Himself (Coalition)
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Arthur Balfour		style="background-color: Template:House of Commons/meta/color;" |	Prime Minister Leader of the House of Commons	14 July 1902 – October 1903		rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Arthur Balfour (Coalition)
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	James Gascoyne-Cecil, 4th Marquess of Salisbury		President of the Board of Trade (from 14 March 1905)		17 October 1903 – December 1905
rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" |	George Robinson, 1st Marquess of Ripon		style="background-color: Template:House of Lords/meta/color;" |	Leader of the House of Lords (until April 1908)	10 December 1905 – October 1908	Liberal	style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Henry Campbell-Bannerman
			rowspan="4" style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" |	H. H. Asquith
style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Robert Crewe-Milnes, 1st Earl of Crewe (created 1st Marquess of Crewe, 3 July 1911)		style="background-color: Template:House of Lords/meta/color;" |		Leader of the House of Lords Colonial Secretary (until November 1910) India Secretary (3 November 1910 – 7 March 1911; from 25 May 1911)		9 October 1908 – October 1911
style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Robert Wynn-Carington, 1st Earl Carrington				23 October 1911 – February 1912
style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Robert Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of Crewe		style="background-color: Template:House of Lords/meta/color;" |	Leader of the House of Lords India Secretary	13 February 1912 – May 1915
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	George Curzon, 1st Earl Curzon of Kedleston		President of the Air Board (from May 1916)		25 May 1915 – December 1916	Conservative	style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" |	H. H. Asquith (War coalition)
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	David Lindsay, 27th Earl of Crawford				15 December 1916 – January 1919		rowspan="3" style="background-color: Template:Liberal Party (UK)/meta/color" |	David Lloyd George (Coalition)
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Bonar Law		rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:House of Commons/meta/color;" |	Leader of the House of Commons	10 January 1919 – March 1921
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Austen Chamberlain		23 March 1921 – October 1922
vacant					October 1922 – May 1923		style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Bonar Law
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Robert Cecil (created 1st Viscount Cecil of Chelwood, 28 December 1923)				28 May 1923 – January 1924		style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Stanley Baldwin
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	J. R. Clynes	File:Jrclynes.jpg	style="background-color: Template:House of Commons/meta/color;" |	Deputy Leader of the House of Commons	22 January – November 1924	Labour	style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Ramsay MacDonald
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	James Gascoyne-Cecil, 4th Marquess of Salisbury		style="background-color: Template:House of Lords/meta/color;" |	Leader of the House of Lords (from 27 April 1925)	6 November 1924 – June 1929	Conservative	style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Stanley Baldwin
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Jimmy Thomas		responsibility for employment		7 June 1929 – June 1930	Labour	rowspan="3" style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Ramsay MacDonald
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Vernon Hartshorn				5 June 1930 – March 1931
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Tom Johnston				24 March – August 1931
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	William Peel, 1st Earl Peel				August – November 1931	Conservative	style="background-color: Template:National Labour Organisation/meta/color" |	Ramsay MacDonald (1st Nat. coalition)
style="background-color: Template:National Labour Organisation/meta/color" |	Philip Snowden (created 1st Viscount Snowden, 26 November 1931)				5 November 1931 – September 1932	National Labour	rowspan="3" style="background-color: Template:National Labour Organisation/meta/color" |	Ramsay MacDonald (2nd Nat. coalition)
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Stanley Baldwin				29 September 1932 – December 1933	Conservative
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Anthony Eden	File:Sir Anthony-Eden number 10 Official.jpg			31 December 1933 – June 1935
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 7th Marquess of Londonderry		style="background-color: Template:House of Lords/meta/color;" |	Leader of the House of Lords	7 June – November 1935		rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Stanley Baldwin (3rd Nat. coalition)
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Edward Wood, 3rd Viscount Halifax		style="background-color: Template:House of Lords/meta/color;" |		22 November 1935 – May 1937
style="background-color: Template:National Labour Organisation/meta/color" |	Herbrand Sackville, 9th Earl De La Warr				28 May 1937 – October 1938	National Labour	rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Neville Chamberlain (4th Nat. coalition)
John Anderson					31 October 1938 – September 1939	National
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Samuel Hoare				3 September 1939 – April 1940	Conservative	rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Neville Chamberlain (War coalition)
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Kingsley Wood				3 April – May 1940
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Clement Attlee		style="background-color: Template:House of Commons/meta/color;" |	Deputy Leader of the House of Commons	11 May 1940 – February 1942	Labour	rowspan="4" style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Winston Churchill (War coalition)
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Stafford Cripps		style="background-color: Template:House of Commons/meta/color;" |	Leader of the House of Commons	19 February – November 1942
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, Viscount Cranborne		style="background-color: Template:House of Lords/meta/color;" |	Leader of the House of Lords	22 November 1942 – September 1943	Conservative
rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Max Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook				24 September 1943 – July 1945
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |							Winston Churchill (Caretaker coalition)

Post-War

Name		Portrait	Concurrent title(s)		Tenure	Political party	Prime Minister
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Arthur Greenwood	File:ArthurGreenwood2.jpg	Paymaster General (9 July 1946 – 5 March 1947)		27 July 1945 – 17 April 1947	Labour	rowspan="5" style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Clement Attlee
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Philip Inman, 1st Baron Inman				17 April – 7 October 1947
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Christopher Addison, 1st Viscount Addison		style="background-color: Template:House of Lords/meta/color;" |	Leader of the House of Lords Paymaster General (2 July 1948 – 1 April 1949)	7 October 1947 – 9 March 1951
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Ernest Bevin				9 March – 14 April 1951
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Richard Stokes		Minister of Materials (from 6 July)		26 April – October 1951
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 5th Marquess of Salisbury		style="background-color: Template:House of Lords/meta/color;" |	Leader of the House of Lords Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations (from 12 March 1952)	28 October 1951 – 7 May 1952	Conservative	rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Winston Churchill
rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Harry Crookshank		rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:House of Commons/meta/color;" |	Leader of the House of Commons	7 May 1952 – 20 December 1955
rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |			Anthony Eden
rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Rab Butler	File:RA Butler 1937.jpg		rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:House of Commons/meta/color;" |	Leader of the House of Commons Home Secretary (from 13 January 1957)		20 December 1955 – October 1959
rowspan="3" style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |			Harold Macmillan
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Quintin Hogg, 2nd Viscount Hailsham			Minister of Science			14 October 1959 – July 1960
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Edward Heath						27 July 1960 – October 1963
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Selwyn Lloyd		style="background-color: Template:House of Commons/meta/color;" |	Leader of the House of Commons	20 October 1963 – October 1964		style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Alec Douglas-Home
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Frank Pakenham, 7th Earl of Longford		style="background-color: Template:House of Lords/meta/color;" |	Leader of the House of Lords	18 October 1964 – December 1965	Labour	rowspan="6" style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Harold Wilson
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Frank Soskice				23 December 1965 – April 1966
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Frank Pakenham, 7th Earl of Longford		rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:House of Lords/meta/color;" |	Leader of the House of Lords	6 April 1966 – January 1968
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Edward Shackleton, Baron Shackleton		16 January – April 1968
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Fred Peart				6 April – October 1968
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Edward Shackleton, Baron Shackleton		rowspan="6" style="background-color: Template:House of Lords/meta/color;" |	Leader of the House of Lords	18 October 1968 – June 1970
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	George Jellicoe, 2nd Earl Jellicoe		20 June 1970 – May/June 1973		Conservative	rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Edward Heath
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	David Hennessy, 3rd Baron Windlesham		5 June 1973 – March 1974
rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Malcolm Shepherd, 2nd Baron Shepherd		7 March 1974 – September 1976		Labour	style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Harold Wilson
rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |						James Callaghan
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Fred Peart (created Baron Peart, 23 September 1976)		10 September 1976 – May 1979
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Ian Gilmour				5 May 1979 – September 1981	Conservative	rowspan="7" style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Margaret Thatcher
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Humphrey Atkins				14 September 1981 – April 1982
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Janet Young, Baroness Young		style="background-color: Template:House of Lords/meta/color;" |	Leader of the House of Lords	6 April 1982 – June 1983
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	John Biffen		rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:House of Commons/meta/color;" |	Leader of the House of Commons	11 June 1983 – June 1987
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	John Wakeham		13 June 1987 – 10 January 1988
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	John Ganzoni, 2nd Baron Belstead		rowspan="6" style="background-color: Template:House of Lords/meta/color;" |	Leader of the House of Lords	10 January 1988 – 28 November 1990
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	David Waddington (created Baron Waddington, 4 December 1990)		28 November 1990 – 11 April 1992
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	John Wakeham (created Baron Wakeham, 24 April 1992)		11 April 1992 – 20 July 1994		Conservative	rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	John Major
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, Viscount Cranborne		20 July 1994 – 2 May 1997
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Ivor Richard, Baron Richard		2 May 1997 – 27 July 1998		Labour	rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Tony Blair
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Margaret Jay, Baroness Jay of Paddington		27 July 1998 – 8 June 2001

21st century

Name		Portrait	Concurrent title(s)		Tenure	Political party	Prime Minister
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Gareth Williams, Baron Williams of Mostyn		style="background-color: Template:House of Lords/meta/color;" |	Leader of the House of Lords	8 June 2001 – 13 June 2003	Labour	rowspan="4" style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Tony Blair
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Peter Hain		rowspan="3" style="background-color: Template:House of Commons/meta/color;" |	Leader of the House of Commons	13 June 2003 – 6 May 2005
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Geoff Hoon		6 May 2005 – 5 May 2006
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Jack Straw		5 May 2006 – 27 June 2007
style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Harriet Harman		style="background-color: Template:House of Commons/meta/color;" |	Leader of the House of Commons & Minister for Women and Equality	28 June 2007 – 11 May 2010		style="background-color: Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Gordon Brown
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Sir George Young, 6th Baronet		rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:House of Commons/meta/color;" |	Leader of the House of Commons	12 May 2010 – 4 September 2012	Conservative	rowspan="4" style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	David Cameron (Coalition)
style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Andrew Lansley		4 September 2012 – 14 July 2014
rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color" |	Tina Stowell, Baroness Stowell of Beeston		rowspan="2" style="background-color: Template:House of Lords/meta/color;" |	Leader of the House of Lords	15 July 2014 – present
David Cameron

Other countries

• Keeper of the seals of France
• Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal of Japan
• Keeper of the Rulers' Seal of Malaysia

See also

• Keeper of the seals
• Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland
• Lord Keeper of the Great Seal
• Lord Privy Seal (term)

References

• Sergeant, John (2002). Give me ten seconds. Pan Books. ISBN 0-330-48490-7.