Sarah Clarke CVO OBE to step down from the role of Black Rod

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.'

Lord McFall 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.