The Medical Household is the medical part of the Royal Household of the

Sovereign ''Sovereign'' is a title which can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word is borrowed from Old French , which is ultimately derived from the Latin , meaning 'above'. The roles of a sovereign vary from monarch, ruler or ...

of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

. It mainly comprises a range of Physicians and Surgeons to the Sovereign and to the Royal Household. None have more than a nominal or occasional role, although the

Apothecaries ''Apothecary'' () is a mostly archaic term for a medical professional who formulates and dispenses '' materia medica'' (medicine) to physicians, surgeons, and patients. The modern chemist (British English) or pharmacist (British and North Ameri ...

to the Household at Windsor and London hold daily surgeries, and other apothecaries receive smaller salaries and all others receive only an honorarium. The

Coroner A coroner is a government or judicial official who is empowered to conduct or order an inquest into the manner or cause of death, and to investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within the coroner's jur ...

to the King/Queen's household investigates deaths within royal residences, but also conducted the inquiry into the

death of Diana, Princess of Wales In the early hours of 31 August 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales died from injuries sustained earlier that day in a car crash in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris, France. Dodi Fayed, Diana's partner, and Henri Paul, their chauffeur, were found d ...

. There are currently two Physicians to the King, a Serjeant Surgeon, a Surgeon to the King, Surgeon Oculist to the King, Surgeon Gynaecologist to the King, Surgeon Dentist to the King, Orthopaedic Surgeon to the King, Physician to the Household, Surgeon to the Household, Surgeon Oculist to the Household, Apothecary to the King, Apothecary to the Household at Windsor, Apothecary to the Household, and an Apothecary to the Household at Sandringham. A Medical Officer to the King accompanies His Majesty on overseas tours. They are normally a senior

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...

surgeon.

Honorary positions

Additionally, honorary

physicians A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

and surgeons are appointed from the

British Armed Forces The British Armed Forces, also known as His Majesty's Armed Forces, are the military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests, s ...

and in the

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

. These titles are shared with those held by functioning

Physician to the Queen Physician to the King (or Queen, as appropriate) is a title held by physicians of the Medical Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. Part of the Royal Household, the Medical Household includes physicians, who treat general condition ...

: * King's Honorary Surgeon (QHS) * King's Honorary Dental Surgeon (KHDS) * King's Honorary Physician (QHP) * King’s Honorary Nursing Sister (QHNS) * King’s Honorary Physicians (Civil) (KHPC)

List of Heads of the Medical Household

The Head of the Medical Household was first appointed in 1973. * 1973–1981: Sir Richard Bayliss, KCVO MD FRCP MRCS * 1981–1989: Sir John Batten, KCVO MD FRCP * 1989–1993: Sir Anthony Dawson, KCVO MD FRCP * 1993–2005: Sir Richard Thompson, KCVO DM PRCP * 2005–2014: Professor Sir John Cunningham, KCVO BM BCh MA DM FRCP * 2014–present: Professor Sir Huw Thomas, KCVO MBBS MA PhD

References

External links

1982 History of Queen Victoria's Medical Household
{{British Monarchy Household Positions within the British Royal Household Court physicians