Royal Communications
Royal Communications is a branch of the Private Secretary's Office of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom responsible for media relations and communicating with various organisations and authorities on matters to do with The Queen and the Royal Family. Until early 2014, Royal Communications was known as the Royal Household Press Office.
The head of the Royal Communications is the Director of Royal Communications, currently Sally Osman, who oversees all the press teams for members of the Royal Family since changes to the royal press offices were made in 2014.[1] Based at Buckingham Palace, the Press Offices for the Royal Family now operate together under the command of the Director of Royal Communications.
Director of Royal Communications
Since 2014, the press offices of members of the Royal Family have been merged into one office based at Buckingham Palace under the command of the Director of Royal Communications.
- Ms Sally Osman, 2014–present
Communications Secretaries
Since 2014, the press offices of members of the Royal Family have merged to Buckingham Palace, though individual Communications Secretaries for members of the Royal Family have been retained. Those members of the Royal Family who do not have their own Communications Secretaries are represented by that of The Queen or by the Director of Royal Communications.
The current Communications Secretaries within the Royal Household are:
- Mr Steve Kingstone – Communications Secretary to The Queen
- Mr Julian Payne – Communications Secretary to The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall
- Mr Jason Knauf – Communications Secretary to The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and The Duke and Duchess of Sussex
Former Press Office Positions
List of Communications & Press Secretary to The Queen
List of Deputy Press Secretary to The Queen
Since 1988, the role of Deputy Press Secretary has existed. It has been occupied by 7 people to date:
List of Communications Secretaries (1998–2002)
- Simon Walker 2000–2002
- Simon Lewis 1998–2000
List of Press Secretaries to the Sovereign (1918–2002)
- Miss Penelope Russell-Smith, LVO 2000–2002
- Geoffrey Crawford, CVO 1997–2000
- Charles Anson, LVO 1990–1997
- Robin Janvrin, LVO 1987–1990
- Michael Shea, CVO 1978–1987
- Ronald Allison, CVO 1973–1978
- Robin Ludlow, 1972–1973
- William Heseltine, CVO 1968–1972
- Commander Sir Richard Colville, KCVO CB DSC 1947–1968
- Captain Sir Lewis Ritchie, KCVO CBE Royal Navy 1944–1947
vacant 1931–1944
- Sir Frank Mitchell, CBE MVO 1920–1931
- Samuel Pryor 1918–1920
List of Assistant Press Secretaries to the Sovereign
- 1947–1957: Hon. Mrs Alexander Hood
- 1958–1981: Anne Hawkins (Wall from 1975)
- 1965–1967: William Heseltine
- 1970–1974: Lawrence Bryant