The state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II was held at Westminster Abbey on September 19, know who is Lord Chamberlain Andrew Parker, his role meaning and office duties
After the service, the coffin was taken to Windsor for the committal, which will happen before the Queen is buried. On the day of the Queen’s funeral, the lord chamberlain broke the wand of office as one of the last formal acts. This will happen just before Her Majesty is put into the royal vault.
Know Who Is Lord Chamberlain Andrew Parker, Age, Biography, Family, Office Duties, Role Meaning, MI5 Career
But what is the wand of office? Who is the Lord Chamberlain? Let’s look back at the history of this ritual…
What Is The Office Of Lord Chamberlain Mean?
The most important person in the royal household is the Lord Chamberlain. Andrew Parker, Baron Parker of Minsmere, is the lord chamberlain at the moment. He started on April 1, 2021, taking over for Earl Peel, who had been in the job since June 2006.
The role of Lord Chamberlain is non-executive and part-time. He or she is in charge of the royal household and how it runs.
The Lord Chamberlain is also the way for the sovereign and the House of Lords to talk to each other.
The Lord Chamberlain symbolically breaks his Wand of Office and places it on the Queen Elizabethโs coffin.
The wand will be buried with Her Majesty. pic.twitter.com/MDl2BcDoN9
— Royal Central (@RoyalCentral) September 19, 2022
What Is The Wand Of Office?
The lord chamberlain takes care of the wand of office, which is a thin white staff. The Independent says that in the past, it was used to punish rowdy courtiers.
Every time a monarch dies, the lord breaks the wand and puts it on the coffin. Since King George VI’s funeral in 1952, this will be the first time the public has seen the ceremony.
As the last hymn is sung at the Queen’s burial at Windsor, the lord chamberlain will break the wand of office. The coffin will then be lowered into the royal vault.
At the end of the Committal Service, The King placed The Queen's Company Colour of the Grenadier Guards on the Coffin.
At the same time, The Lord Chamberlain "broke" his Wand of Office and placed it on the Coffin to signify the end of Service. pic.twitter.com/GyX7Wsa7Ee
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 19, 2022
About Andrew Parker, What Do We Know?
Lord Andrew Parker has worked for the security service (MI5) for 37 years. From 2013 to 2020, he was in charge of MI5 as its director general.
He has an MA in natural sciences from Churchill College in Cambridge. He is also a distinguished fellow of the Royal United Services Institute and teaches law at Northumbria University as a visiting professor.
Lord Parker was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 2019 and a cross-bench life peer in December 2020. Parker, 60, is relatively young for the post and joined the Security Service (MI5) in 1983, and in 1999 was posted to HM Customs and Excise.
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