Royal Holloway College , Principal's Office

The Foundation Deed of Royal Holloway College laid down that the Principal should be an unmarried woman or childless widow, a stipulation which was adhered to until the Royal Holloway College Act of 1962. The Principal had responsibility for the entire internal management and discipline of the College (subject to the approval of the Council). Her department's administrative responsibilities therefore included student welfare and discipline, examinations, Chapel services and general administration of the Household staff. Miss E M Guinness acted as Vice-Principal from 1899-1908, entailing the transfer of her Library duties to the Principal's Department, though she was eventually replaced by an administrative assistant. The assistant's duties, already reduced by the appointment of a full-time librarian in 1935, were divided after 1937 between the Principal's Secretary and a Tutor. The latter became responsible for discipline and student welfare, while the Principal's Secretary, who was also given the title of Registrar, became responsible for student records and examinations. In 1944, with the creation of a separate Registry, the post became known as the Principal's Private Secretary. The post of Tutor, initially an experimental one, proved a success and by 1946 there were two Tutors and a Dean. The post of Vice-Principal was reinstituted in 1946, to be filled by a member of academic staff.

The Principal maintained close contact with the administrative staff, seeing the College Secretary, the Housekeeper, the Nurse and the Caretaker every morning, the Butler and the Gardener twice a week, and the Cook, Engineer and Nightwatchman when necessary. This system remained in place until the growth of the College in the 1960s.