Sarah Clarke CVO OBE to step down from the role of Black
Rod
Sarah Clarke, the first woman to be appointed to the role of
Black Rod in its 670-year history, will leave Parliament later
this year after what will be a momentous seven-and-a-half years
in post.
Sarah, formerly Championships Director at the All England Lawn
Tennis Club, was appointed to serve as The Lady Usher of the
Black Rod in November 2017 by HM Queen Elizabeth II.
During her three terms of office, Sarah and her team have
delivered many major ceremonial events in the Palace of
Westminster.
In September 2022, she had overall responsibility for delivering
the Lying-in-State in Westminster Hall of HM Queen Elizabeth II,
and also took part in the State Funeral. The following year, she
had a role in the Coronation of HM King Charles III and HM Queen
Camilla.
Sarah has organised and taken part in a total of six State
Openings of Parliament, a number of which marked a significant
departure from the traditional ceremony. This includes the 2021
State Opening where she was responsible for the special
arrangements made due to the Covid 19 pandemic, and the 2022
event, when the then Prince of Wales, now HM King Charles III,
and the Duke of Cambridge, now HRH Prince of Wales, were
appointed to open Parliament as Counsellors of State.
As well as serving two Monarchs, working with five Prime
Ministers and being in post for two general elections, Sarah has
presided over seven prorogations of Parliament (the act used to
mark the end of a parliamentary session), four formal addresses
by visiting heads of state and the historic joint address to both
Houses by President Zelensky of Ukraine in Westminster Hall in
February 2023.
Sarah has also been responsible for maintaining order and
controlling access to the House of Lords. She has chaired the
bicameral Parliamentary Business Resilience Board since 2020 and
was part of the team that ensured Parliament did not miss a
single day's sitting during the pandemic. Sarah was appointed a
Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in the 2023 Demise
Honours.
Reflecting on her time in the role, Sarah said: “It has been the
greatest honour and privilege of my life to serve as Black Rod
during what has been a most extraordinary period. I am hugely
grateful to the many exceptional people I have worked alongside
during my term of office, whose support in enabling me to carry
out my duties has been invaluable.”
of Alcluith, the Lord Speaker,
said: “I wish to pay tribute to Sarah for her dedication and
tireless service to Parliament over the past seven years. Her
achievements have been immense and her calmness, professionalism
and meticulous attention to detail have helped overcome even the
most testing challenges. I wish her well in her future
endeavours.”
The search to find a successor to Sarah as Black Rod after she
steps down in the summer is now underway.
Notes to Editors
Black Rod is a senior officer in the House of
Lords, responsible for controlling access to and maintaining
order within the House and its precincts.
The Clerk of the Parliaments, to whom Black Rod reports, is in
overall charge of the administration of the House, which provides
all other services for Members of the Lords.
Black Rod's parliamentary duties fall into two categories:
administrative and ceremonial.
For more information about the role, please visit - https://www.parliament.uk/about/mps-and-lords/principal/black-rod/
