Board of Green Cloth
Encyclopedia
The Board of Green Cloth was a board of officials belonging to the Royal Household
of England
and Great Britain
. It took its name from the tablecloth of green baize
that covered the table at which its members sat.
It audited the accounts of the Royal Household and made arrangements for royal travel. It also sat as a court upon offences committed within the verge of the palace. While it existed until modern times, its jurisdiction was more recently limited to liquor, betting and gaming licences for premises falling within the areas attached to or governed by the Royal palaces. The Board of Green Cloth disappeared in the reform of local government licensing in 2004, brought about by the Licensing Act 2003
(section 195).
The members of the Board were:
Royal Household
A Royal Household in ancient and medieval monarchies formed the basis for the general government of the country as well as providing for the needs of the sovereign and his relations....
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. It took its name from the tablecloth of green baize
Baize
Baize is a coarse woollen cloth, sometimes called felt in American English based on a similarity in appearance.-Usage:...
that covered the table at which its members sat.
It audited the accounts of the Royal Household and made arrangements for royal travel. It also sat as a court upon offences committed within the verge of the palace. While it existed until modern times, its jurisdiction was more recently limited to liquor, betting and gaming licences for premises falling within the areas attached to or governed by the Royal palaces. The Board of Green Cloth disappeared in the reform of local government licensing in 2004, brought about by the Licensing Act 2003
Licensing Act 2003
The Licensing Act of 2003 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that applies only to England and Wales. The Act establishes a single integrated scheme for licensing premises which are used for the sale or supply of alcohol, to provide regulated entertainment, or to provide late night...
(section 195).
The members of the Board were:
- the Lord StewardLord StewardThe Lord Steward or Lord Steward of the Household, in England, is an important official of the Royal Household. He is always a peer. Until 1924, he was always a member of the Government...
, head of the board - the Treasurer of the HouseholdTreasurer of the HouseholdThe position of Treasurer of the Household is theoretically held by a household official of the British monarch, under control of the Lord Steward's Department, but is, in fact, a political office held by one of the government's Deputy Chief Whips in the House of Commons...
- the Comptroller of the HouseholdComptroller of the HouseholdThe Comptroller of the Household is an ancient position in the English royal household, currently the second-ranking member of the Lord Steward's department, and often a cabinet member. He was an ex officio member of the Board of Green Cloth, until that body was abolished in the reform of the local...
- the Cofferer of the HouseholdCofferer of the HouseholdThe Cofferer of the Household was formerly an office in the English and British Royal Household.The holder had special charge over other officers of the household and was an officer of state and a member of the Privy Council and the Board of Green Cloth....
(abolished 1782) - Masters of the HouseholdMaster of the HouseholdThe Master of the Household is the operational head of the "below stairs" elements of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom...
- Clerks of the Green ClothClerk of the Green ClothThe Clerk of the Green Cloth was a position in the British Royal Household. The clerk acted as secretary of the Board of Green Cloth, and was therefore responsible for organising royal journeys and assisting in the administration of the Royal Household. From the Restoration, there were four clerks...
(abolished 1782 in favour of Clerks of the Household; restored 1815) - the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate.