The King's Bargemaster is a subordinate officer of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. Until the mid-19th century, the

Royal Family A royal family is the immediate family of kings/queens, emirs/emiras, sultans/ sultanas, or raja/ rani and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term pa ...

frequently used a

Royal barge A royal barge is a ceremonial barge that is used by a monarch for processions and transport on a body of water. Royal barges are currently used in monarchies such as the United Kingdom, Sweden and Thailand. Traditionally the use of royal barg ...

for transport along 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 ...

. The role of the King's Bargemaster was to oversee this. The tradition of the Bargemaster dates back to 1215, with the signing of

Magna Carta (Medieval Latin for "Great Charter of Freedoms"), commonly called (also ''Magna Charta''; "Great Charter"), is a royal charter of rights agreed to by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215. First drafted by t ...

Runnymede Runnymede is a water-meadow alongside the River Thames in the English county of Surrey, and just over west of central London. It is notable for its association with the sealing of Magna Carta, and as a consequence is, with its adjoining ...

. The role is now largely ceremonial. The Bargemaster is responsible for the Royal Watermen, chosen from the ranks of the Thames Watermen who operate tugs and launches on the river. There are 24 Royal Watermen, each of whom receives an annual salary of £3.50.

Duties

Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant - Royal Barge Gloriana

The ceremonial duties include

state occasion A state occasion or act of state is an official state ceremony usually marking an important event or honouring a person. Characteristics of a state occasion are a grand ceremony, a representative framework and the presence of high state officials, ...

s involving the Thames. In recent years for example, they have helped organise and facilitate river Pageants for the

Golden Jubilee A golden jubilee marks a 50th anniversary. It variously is applied to people, events, and nations. Bangladesh In Bangladesh, golden jubilee refers the 50th anniversary year of the separation from Pakistan and is called in Bengali ''"সু� ...

and

Diamond Jubilee A diamond jubilee celebrates the 60th anniversary of a significant event related to a person (e.g. accession to the throne or wedding, among others) or the 60th anniversary of an institution's founding. The term is also used for 75th anniver ...

State Opening of Parliament 2015 (18142192736)

Onshore duties include acting as footmen on royal carriages during

State visit A state visit is a formal visit by a head of state to a foreign country, at the invitation of the head of state of that foreign country, with the latter also acting as the official host for the duration of the state visit. Speaking for the host ...

royal wedding ''Royal Wedding'' is a 1951 American musical comedy film directed by Stanley Donen, and starring Fred Astaire and Jane Powell, with music by Burton Lane and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. Set in 1947 London at the time of the wedding of Princess Eli ...

s and jubilees. At the coronation, the Royal Watermen walk in the procession behind The King’s Bargemaster. At the

State Opening of Parliament The State Opening of Parliament is a ceremonial event which formally marks the beginning of a session of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It includes a speech from the throne known as the King's (or Queen's) Speech. The event takes plac ...

, the King’s Bargemaster and four Royal Watermen travel as boxmen on coaches, guarding the

regalia Regalia is a Latin plurale tantum word that has different definitions. In one rare definition, it refers to the exclusive privileges of a sovereign. The word originally referred to the elaborate formal dress and dress accessories of a sovereig ...

when it is conveyed from

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...

Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, B ...

and back. The privately owned charter vessel was transformed into a

royal barge A royal barge is a ceremonial barge that is used by a monarch for processions and transport on a body of water. Royal barges are currently used in monarchies such as the United Kingdom, Sweden and Thailand. Traditionally the use of royal barg ...

for the Queen's use during her

. On 3 June 2012, the barge carried the Queen, the

Duke of Edinburgh Duke of Edinburgh, named after the city of Edinburgh in Scotland, was a substantive title that has been created three times since 1726 for members of the British royal family. It does not include any territorial landholdings and does not prod ...

and other members of the Royal Family, in the

Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant was a parade on 3 June 2012 of 670 boats on the Tideway of the River Thames in London as part of the celebrations of the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II. The Queen, Prince Philip and other members of th ...

List of Bargemasters

*Chris Livett (2018–present) *Paul Ludwig (2004–c. 2018) *

Kenny Dwan Kenneth Victor Dwan (born 6 July 1948) is a British former rower who competed in the Olympic Games in 1968 and 1972 and won the Wingfield Sculls six times. Rowing career Dwan was born in Rotherhithe, London to a family of lightermen in the P ...

(2003–2004) *Robert Crouch, MVO (c. 1991–2003) * Edwin Hunt, MVO (1978–1990) *

Albert Barry Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia * Albert Productions, a record label * Albert C ...

, MVO (1951–1977) * Ernest Barry (1950–1951) * J. T. Phelps (c. 1938) *

James Messenger James Arthur Messenger (26 February 1826 in Twickenham – 21 June 1901 in Teddington) was the professional single sculls world champion from 1854 to 1857. He served as the Queen's Bargemaster from 1862 to 1901. He resided in Teddington. In 185 ...

(1862–1901)

References

{{British Monarchy Household Positions within the British Royal Household Ceremonial officers in the United Kingdom

Duties

List of Bargemasters

See also

References