Papers relating to the Reform of the Royal Household

Papers and correspondence relating to reform of the Royal Household and the Civil List, covering the period 1837-1864.

Early in his marriage, Prince Albert (1819-61) identified the need to reform the management and operation of the Royal Household in order to make it more efficient and effective. The earliest correspondence is sent from Sir Thomas Spring (1790-1866), Chancellor of the Exchequer, to Queen Victoria (1819-1901), regarding changes to be made to the Civil List by the Select Committee in 1837. However, from 1841 onwards Prince Albert had oversight of the Royal Household with the majority of the letters being addressed to, or written by, him.