THE ROYAL COLLECTION DEPARTMENT

Public access to the Royal residences, together with the paintings, sculpture, china and other works of art which form the impressive Royal Collection, are the responsibility of the Royal Collection Department.
 
The department's duties are the cataloguing, conservation, cleaning, restoration and display of the pictures, sculptures and other works of art collected by British monarchs over the centuries. These are held by The Queen in trust for her successors and for the nation.

The Director of the Royal Collection co-ordinates the work of three expert art advisers: the Surveyor of The Queen's Pictures, the Surveyor of The Queen's Works of Art and the Royal Librarian.

The Director is also responsible for making the Collection accessible to the public either by display in the State Apartments of Palaces open to the public, and in The Queen's Gallery, or by loans to exhibitions.

The activities of the Royal Collection Department are funded by The Royal Collection Trust.

The Trust's income is generated by its trading subsidiary, Royal Collection Enterprises Limited, which is responsible for managing access by the public to Windsor Castle (including Frogmore House), Buckingham Palace (including the Royal Mews and The Queen's Gallery) and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, and for running shops at each location.

The company is also responsible for the management of the images and intellectual property rights to the Royal Collection.

Although the Keeper of the Privy Purse is Chairman of the Royal Collection Enterprises, the Director of the Royal Collection has day-to-day responsibility for the company, which is run by the Managing Director of Royal Collection Enterprises Limited.