Lord chamberlain is the most important officer in the British royal household. The lord chamberlain is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. Duties of the lord chamberlain include appointing physicians, surgeons, and senior servants to the royal household. The lord chamberlain also helps to organize coronations and the christenings, marriages, and funerals of members of the royal family. For many years, the lord chamberlain issued licenses for all new plays to be shown to the British public. The lord chamberlain could also censor any passages he found objectionable, and could even ban plays. These licensing and censorship powers were abolished in 1968.
