The Keeper of the King's/Queen's Swans was a late medieval-founded office in 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 England, later Great Britain and ultimately 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 North ...

. He was earlier called the King's/Queen's Swanmaster. The office existed to perform Swan-Upping marking and health-checking carried out using

Thames skiff A Thames skiff is a traditional River Thames wooden rowing boat used for the activity of skiffing. These boats evolved from Thames wherries in the Victorian era to meet a passion for river exploration and leisure outings on the water. Construct ...

s on many of the non-tidal reaches of the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...

in latter years from

Sunbury-on-Thames Sunbury-on-Thames (or commonly Sunbury) is a suburban town on the north bank of the River Thames in the Borough of Spelthorne, Surrey, centred southwest of central London. Historically part of the county of Middlesex, in 1965 Sunbury and other ...

passing

Windsor, Berkshire Windsor is a historic market town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British monarch. The town is situated west of ...

to Henley on Thames. In 1993 it was replaced by two separate offices:

Warden of the Swans The Warden of the Swans is an office in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom, created in 1993 when the ancient post of Keeper of the Kings Swans (which dated from the 13th century) was divided into two new posts. The seco ...

and

Marker of the Swans Marker of the Swans, or ''Swan Marker'', is an office in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. History The role dates back to the twelfth century and through the years its title has changed from Master, Keeper, and in ...

History

The keeper's office dates from the 13th century. He was supported by three swanherdsmen. The principal duties of this official team of four people were to conduct the annual Swan-Upping on much of non-tidal reaches of the

including Windsor. It was abolished in 1993, when it was replaced by two new offices, the

and the

List of Keepers of the King's and Queen's Swans

* Sir William ANDREWS of Lathbury, Bucks, 1620s (d.1625) * Thomas Alexander Roberts, 1807–after 1825 * J. K. Abnett * Thomas R. Abnett, 1893– (''in office 1900''Whitaker's Almanack 1900, page 87.) * Frederick Thomas Turk, MVO, 1923–1963 * Frederick John ('John') Turk, MVO, 1963–1993

References

{{British Monarchy Household Positions within the British Royal Household Culture associated with the River Thames Swans