The Lord Great Chamberlain is entrusted by the Sovereign with custody of the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the British Parliament, and serves as his or her representative therein.

Likewise, the Lord Great Chamberlain is responsible for attending upon the Sovereign and other members of the British royal family whenever present at the parliamentary estate.

In the latter case, the Lord Great Chamberlain is authorised to make any administrative arrangements necessary for delivery of services required by the Sovereign.

[5][6] However, the Lord Great Chamberlain’s most publicly visible parliamentary role is participating in state openings of Parliament.

[9][10] On state occasions like coronations, the Lord Great Chamberlain wears a distinctive scarlet court uniform and bears a gold key and a white staff as the insignia of his office.

This office arose in the 14th century as a deputy of the Lord Great Chamberlain to fulfil the latter's duties in the Royal Household, but now they are quite distinct.

In 1133, however, Henry I declared Malet's estates and titles forfeit, and awarded the office of Lord Great Chamberlain to Aubrey de Vere, whose son was created Earl of Oxford.

The family's association with the office was interrupted in 1540, when the 15th Earl died and Thomas Cromwell, the King's chief adviser, was appointed Lord Great Chamberlain.

[15] Later, Mary I ruled that the Earls of Oxford were indeed entitled to the office of Lord Great Chamberlain on an hereditary basis.

The House of Lords eventually ruled that the office belonged to the heir general, Robert Bertie, 14th Baron Willoughby de Eresby, who later became Earl of Lindsey.

In 1902 it was ruled by the House of Lords that the then joint office holders (Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 1st Earl of Ancaster, George Cholmondeley, 4th Marquess of Cholmondeley, and Charles Wynn-Carrinton, 1st Earl Carrington, later Marquess of Lincolnshire) had to agree on a deputy to exercise the office, subject to the approval of the Sovereign.