The Royal Almonry is a small office within the Royal Households of the United Kingdom, headed by the Lord High Almoner, an office dating from 1103. The almoner is responsible for distributing alms to the poor.

The Lord High Almoner is usually a diocesan bishop or high cleric of the Church of England. There is also an hereditary Grand Almoner, an office dating from 1685 and vested in the person of the Marquess of Exeter, but this is not an office of the Royal Almonry and he has no role to play. The actual work of the office is undertaken by the Sub-Almoner (currently Paul Wright), who is also the Deputy Clerk of the Closet of the Ecclesiastical Household, Sub-Dean of the Chapel Royal, and Domestic Chaplain at Buckingham Palace.

There are in addition a Secretary, and Assistant Secretary, both offices of which are shared with other Royal Household appointments. There are also half a dozen wandsmen.

Duties In the 13th century, the Lord High Almoner was responsible for giving alms from the royal household to the poor.Bishop of Norwich given new role by King Charles III, Eastern Daily Press (November 14, 2024). Today, the Almonry is responsible for the arrangements for the Royal Maundy service, which is held annually every Maundy Thursday.Bishop remembers unexpected marmalade gift for Queen, BBC News (11 September 2022). The royal service was traditionally given at Westminster Abbey until the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, when the service rotated among various British cathedrals. The service includes various elements, including the Yeomen of the Guard and six wandsmen who act as ushers. At the service, the sovereign traditionally gives purses of coins ("Maundy Money") to a man and a woman for every year of the sovereign's age. If the sovereign is infirm, then he or she may be represented by a different member of the royal family; for example, in 2022, Charles, Prince of Wales represented the 95-year-old Elizabeth at the service.Charley Adams, Prince Charles stands in for Queen at Maundy Service, BBC News (14 April 2022).

Until 1737, the Lord High Almoner personally washed the feet of Maundy recipients.

Lord High Almoners

Henry III (1216) John Leukenor, Knight Templar 1233: Brother John and Brother Geoffrey (to 1239) 1255–unknown: Simon of Offam 1256–unknown: John of Colchester 1257: John the Chaplain Edward I (1272) Friar Ralph c.1280–1307: Master Henry of Blunsdon Edward II (1307) c.1323: Adam de Brome Edward III (1327) c.1340: Philip Weston Thomas Hatfield (Bishop of Durham, 1345) Richard II (1377) 1383: William Walsham Henry IV (1399) 1399: Robert Eslakby ? –1413 Earl of Cambridge Henry V (1413) 1413–unknown: James Tuchet, 5th Baron Audley Henry VI (1422) 142n–unknown: John Snell ?–1432: John De la Bere (later Bishop of St David's, 1447) 1432–1438: Robert Felton 1438–unknown: Henry Sever, Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral Edward IV (1461) 1461–?1466: Thomas Wilford ?1466–1468: Thomas Bonyfaunt 1468–1476: John Gunthorpe, Dean of Wells and, until 1478, Archdeacon of Essex 1471: Alexander Legh 1476–1483: Thomas Danet 1483: Walter Felde Richard III (1483) 1483-1485 John Taillour Henry VII (1485) 1485–1495: Christopher Urswick 1495-1497: Richard FitzJames 1497–unknown: Richard Mayew, Bishop of Hereford (died 1516) unknown: Christopher Bainbridge 28 January 1507 - 1509: John Ednam (Edenham)Calendar of Patent Rolls Henry VII unknown–1509: Thomas Hobbes, Dean of Exeter.Starkey, D (2008) Henry: Virtuous Prince, page 365 Henry VIII (1509); Edward VI (1547); Mary I (1553) 1509–1514: Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, Archbishop of York (etc.) 1514–unknown: Richard Rawlins, Archdeacon of Huntingdon (later Bishop of St David's), 1523) (died 1528) 1521–unknown: John Longland, Bishop of Lincoln (died 1547) 1523–unknown: Edward Lee (later Archbishop of York, 1531) 1530–unknown: John Stokesley, Bishop of London (died 1539) c.1532–1537: Edward Foxe, Bishop of Hereford, 1535 1537–>1555: Nicholas Heath, Bishop of RochesterChronica juridicialia (died 1578) Elizabeth I (1558) 1559–1561: William Bill, Master of Trinity 1561–1572: Edmund Guest, Bishop of Rochester. 1576–unknown: John Piers, Bishop of Salisbury, later Archbishop of York. {died 1594) 29 March 1572 – 1591: Edmund Freke, Bishop of Worcester 1591–1594: Richard Fletcher, Bishop of Bristol 1595–unknown: Anthony Watson, Bishop of Chichester (died 1605) James I (1603) 1605–1626: Lancelot Andrewes, Bishop of Chichester, then of Ely 1619–unknown: George Montaigne (or Mountain), Bishop of London (etc.) (died 1628) Charles I (1625) 1626: Francis White, Bishop of Carlisle, then Bishop of Norwich and Bishop of Ely (died 1638) 1632–unknown: Walter Curle, Prelate of the Garter and Bishop of Winchester (died 1647) Commonwealth (1649-1660) Charles II (1660) 1660–1662: Brian Duppa, Bishop of Winchester 1662–1675: Humphrey Henchman, Bishop of Salisbury, then Bishop of London 1675–1684: John Dolben, Bishop of Rochester James II (1685) 1684–1687: Francis Turner, Bishop of Ely 1687: John Leyburn, Vicar Apostolic of England 1687–1689: Cardinal Philip Howard William III (1689); Anne (1702) 1689–1703: William Lloyd, Bishop of St Asaph, then of Lichfield and Coventry, then of Worcester 1703–1714: John Sharp, Archbishop of York George I (1714); George II (1727) 1714–1715: George Smalridge, Bishop of Bristol 1715–1716: William Wake, Bishop of Lincoln 1716–1718: William Nicolson, Bishop of Carlisle 1718–1723: Richard Willis, Bishop of Gloucester 1723–1743: Lancelot Blackburne, Archbishop of York 1743–1748: Thomas Sherlock, Bishop of Salisbury 1748–1757: Matthew Hutton, Archbishop of York 1757–1761: John Gilbert, Archbishop of York George III (1760); George IV (1820); William IV (1830); Victoria (1837) 1761–1777: Robert Hay Drummond, Archbishop of York 1777–1808: William Markham, Archbishop of York 1808–1847: Edward Venables-Vernon-Harcourt, Archbishop of York 1847–1870: Samuel Wilberforce, Bishop of Oxford, then of Winchester 1870–1882: Gerald Wellesley, Dean of Windsor 1882–1906: Lord Alwyne Compton, Bishop of Ely Edward VII (1901); George V (1910) 1906–1933: Joseph Armitage Robinson, Dean of Westminster, then of Wells Edward VIII (1936); George VI (1936); Elizabeth II (1952); Charles III (2022) 1933–1945: Cosmo Gordon Lang, Archbishop of Canterbury 1946–1953: Edward Woods, Bishop of Lichfield 1953–1970: Michael Gresford Jones, Bishop of St Albans 1970–1988: David Say, Bishop of Rochester 1988–1997: John Taylor, Bishop of St Albans 1997–2013: Nigel McCulloch, Bishop of Manchester 2013–2024: John Inge, Bishop of Worcester 2024–present: Graham Usher, Bishop of NorwichBishop of Norwich given new role by King Charles III, Eastern Daily Press (November 14, 2024).

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