The Royal Archives, also known as the Queen's Archives, are a division of the Royal Household

Royal Household

A Royal Household in ancient and medieval monarchies formed the basis for the general government of the country as well as providing for the needs of the sovereign and his relations....

 of the Sovereign

Monarch

A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...

 of the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. It is operationally under the control of the Keeper of the Royal Archives

Keeper of the Royal Archives

The Keeper of the Royal Archives is responsible for the papers held in the Royal Archives, and is accountable to The Queen.Since 1945, the office of Keeper of the Royal Archives in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom has been held concurrently with that of Private Secretary...

, who is customarily the Private Secretary to the Sovereign

Private Secretary to the Sovereign

The Private Secretary to the Sovereign is the senior operational member of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom, as distinct from the Great Officers of the Household. The Private Secretary is the principal channel of communication with Her Majesty's Government and the...

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Although Sovereigns have kept records for centuries, The Queen's Archives were formally established as recently as 1911. Since 1912 they have been in the Round Tower of Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...

, and now also occupy the adjacent Norman Gateway.

Recent files and those currently in use are retained at Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...

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The Queen's Archives comprise the Keeper, an Assistant Keeper of the Queen's Archives, and professional staff under a Registrar. The Registrar of the Queen's Archives, known as Recorder until the 1950s, is the archivist in charge of day-to-day work in the archives. There are several Assistant Registrars, as well as a small clerical staff. The Curator of the Photograph Collection, who looks after the 400,000 photographs in the royal collection, is now responsible to the Director of the Royal Collection

Royal Collection

The Royal Collection is the art collection of the British Royal Family. It is property of the monarch as sovereign, but is held in trust for her successors and the nation. It contains over 7,000 paintings, 40,000 watercolours and drawings, and about 150,000 old master prints, as well as historical...

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Sir John Wheeler-Bennett

John Wheeler-Bennett

Sir John Wheeler Wheeler-Bennett , GCVO, CMG, OBE, FBA, FRSL was a conservative English historian of German and diplomatic history, and the official biographer of King George VI.-Early career:...

, GCVO, MCG, OBE, FRSL, FBA, was Historical Adviser to the Queen's Archives, 1959-75.