The Royal Archives, also known as the King's Archives, is a division of The Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. It is operationally under the control of the Keeper of the Royal Archives, who is customarily the Private Secretary to the Sovereign. Although sovereigns have kept records for centuries, the Royal Archives was formally established as recently as 1912 and occupies part of the Round Tower of Windsor Castle. Since the Royal Archives are privately owned, requests for public access must be approved based on the needs and qualifications of the researcher. History Following Queen Victoria’s death in 1901, an appointment for Keeper of the Royal Archives was made by Edward VII to safeguard the queen’s “collection of official and private correspondence.” At the behest of George V, this archive along with other royal collections were relocated for storage and display within the Round Tower of Windsor Castle in 1914. Through the attainment of additional records and collections through various means of acquisition, the Royal Archives gradually increased in scale. The tower’s renovation and subsequent expansion decades later successfully addressed spatial constraints and provided more effective methods of archival preservation. Stewardship The King's Archives is the responsibility of the Assistant Keeper of the King's Archives (also The Librarian, Royal Library), and professional staff under the Archives Services Manager who is in charge of the day-to-day work in the archives. There are several qualified Archivists, as well as a small clerical staff. In addition to paid staff, volunteers are crucial in maintaining collections, developing exhibitions, and facilitating research. Benefiting from the use of the Collections Management System, CALM, Royal Archives staff ensure that collections in the royal archives are efficiently catalogued and made accessible digitally. Sir John Wheeler-Bennett, GCVO, MCG, OBE, FRSL, FBA, was Historical Adviser to the Queen's Archives from 1959 to 1975. Appointed Keepers Reginald Brett, 2nd Viscount Esher was the first appointment as Keeper of the Royal Archives. Clive Wigram (1931 to 1945) Sir Alan Frederick Lascelles (1945 to 1953) Sir Michael Edward Adeane (1953 to 1972) Sir Martin Michael Charles Charteris (1972 to 1977) Sir Phillip Brian Cecil Moore (1977 to 1986) Sir William Frederick Payne Heseltine (1986 to 1990) Sir Robert Fellowes (1990 to 1999) Sir Robin Janvrin (1999 to 2007) Sir Christopher Geidt (2007-2017) Sir Edward Young is the current Keeper of the Royal Archives since 2017. Collections Comprising collections including diaries,