Apothecary to the Household


The Apothecary to the Household is an officer of the Medical Household of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. He has a salaried daily surgery.
The Apothecary to the Household was originally responsible for providing medicine to members of the Royal Household; a separate officer, the Apothecary to the Person, ministered to the Sovereign. Both were appointed by warrant from the Lord Chamberlain, although the appointment was frequently published, in the form of letters patent under the Great Seal.
From the Restoration until 1727, a single Apothecary to the Household was appointed. For the next century, two or occasionally three individuals jointly held the office. The joint appointments came to an end on the resignation of Claudius du Pasquier in 1879. The original salary consisted of wages of £40 and board wages of £60, which had risen to a total of £160 and was fixed at £106 13s 4d during the reign of Queen Anne. During the earlier Stuart era, the Apothecary to the Household was also entitled to riding wages and sometimes lodging.

List of Apothecaries to the Household