Surveyor of the King's Pictures should not be confused with Surveyor of the Queen's Works of Art.
The office of the Surveyor of the King's/Queen's Pictures, in the Royal Collection Department of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom, is responsible for the care and maintenance of the royal collection of pictures owned by the Sovereign in an official capacity – as distinct from those owned privately and displayed at Sandringham House and Balmoral Castle and elsewhere. The office has only been full-time since 1972. It now operates in a professional capacity with a staff of a dozen people.
Although the office dates from 1625, there has always been someone responsible for pictures in the Royal Household. Notable recent office-holders have included Sir Lionel Cust (1901–1927), Sir Kenneth Clark (1934–1944), Professor Anthony Blunt (1945–1972), one of the infamous Cambridge Five Soviet spies, and Sir Oliver Millar (1972–1988). The current surveyor is Anna Reynolds, MVO, who was appointed in December 2023. She is the first woman to hold the position.
The previous surveyor was Desmond Shawe-Taylor, who held the post from 2005 to 2020.[1] The post of Surveyor of the King's Pictures was in abeyance until 3 December 2023.[2]