# Owners, lessees and managers of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

The somewhat involved history of the ownership and management of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden can be split up into four main categories: the successive physical theatre buildings; the managers of the various theatrical and operatic companies which played there (historically, a mixture of actor-managers and impresarios); the leaseholders of the opera houses built on the land; and the owners of the freehold (i.e. ground landlords). From the early 20th century the theatre's management tended to be split between a general administrator and a musical/artistic director.
The horizontal alignment of dates in the table is only approximate.
| Theatre | Management | Leaseholder | Freeholder |
| First theatre December 1732 – September 1808 | 1732–1761 John Rich | 1732–1761 John Rich | 1732 3rd Duke of Bedford |
| First theatre December 1732 – September 1808 | 1732–1761 John Rich | 1732–1761 John Rich | 1732–1771 4th Duke of Bedford |
| First theatre December 1732 – September 1808 | 1761 John Beard, Rich's son-in-law | 1761 Priscilla Rich | 1732–1771 4th Duke of Bedford |
| First theatre December 1732 – September 1808 | 1767 George Colman | July 1767 George Colman, William Powell, Thomas Harris, & John Rutherford | 1732–1771 4th Duke of Bedford |
| First theatre December 1732 – September 1808 | 1774 Thomas Harris, sub-leased to Thomas Hull 1775–1782 | 1785: Thomas Harris (owned nearly 75% of the lease) | 1771–1802 5th Duke of Bedford d. aged 36 |
| First theatre December 1732 – September 1808 | 1803 Thomas Harris & John P. Kemble | 1806: Thomas Harris and others | 1802–1839 6th Duke of Bedford |
| Second theatre September 1809 – March 1856 | 1809: Henry Harris and J. P. Kemble 1822: Charles Kemble 1832: Alfred Bunn 1835: D. W. Osbaldiston 1837: W. C. Macready | 1812 Henry Harris & John Kemble; George White & Mrs. Martindale (both descendants of William Powell) | 1802–1839 6th Duke of Bedford |
| Second theatre September 1809 – March 1856 | 1839: Madam Vestris and C. J. Mathews 1842: Charles Kemble (again) 1843: William H. Wallack 1845: ? Laurent 1846: Frederick Beale 1848: Edward Delafield | 1820 Henry Harris (owned 7/12 share of the lease) | 1839–1861 7th Duke of Bedford, d. aged 73 |
| Second theatre September 1809 – March 1856 | 1849 – 1877 Frederick Gye Sub-lessees: 1856: Professor Anderson 1856-64 (part): Louisa Pyne & William Harrison Various dates: Colonel Mapleson | 1849–1878 Frederick Gye | 1839–1861 7th Duke of Bedford, d. aged 73 |
| Third theatre May 1858 – present | 1849 – 1877 Frederick Gye Sub-lessees: 1856: Professor Anderson 1856-64 (part): Louisa Pyne & William Harrison Various dates: Colonel Mapleson | 1849–1878 Frederick Gye | 1839–1861 7th Duke of Bedford, d. aged 73 |
| Third theatre May 1858 – present | 1849 – 1877 Frederick Gye Sub-lessees: 1856: Professor Anderson 1856-64 (part): Louisa Pyne & William Harrison Various dates: Colonel Mapleson | 1849–1878 Frederick Gye | 1861–1872 8th Duke of Bedford |
| Third theatre May 1858 – present | 1877–1884 Ernest Gye | 1878 - c1890 Ernest Gye and his brothers | 1872–1891 9th Duke of Bedford, shot himself while insane |
| Third theatre May 1858 – present | 1885–1887 Signor Lago | 1878 - c1890 Ernest Gye and his brothers | 1872–1891 9th Duke of Bedford, shot himself while insane |
| Third theatre May 1858 – present | 1888–1896 Augustus Harris, sub-leased from the Grand Opera Syndicate. | c1890–1895 Andrew Montagu, sub-leased to Grand Opera Syndicate. | 1891–1893 10th Duke of Bedford, died of diabetes aged 40 |
| Third theatre May 1858 – present | 1897–1900 Maurice Grau as a director of Grand Opera Syndicate Ltd., previously backers of Augustus Harris, with Neil Forsyth as General Manager | 1896–1899 Denison Faber, 1st Baron Wittenham, sub-leased to Grand Opera Syndicate Ltd. | 1893–1918 11th Duke of Bedford, d. 1940 aged 64 |
| Third theatre May 1858 – present | 1901–1906 André Messager as musical director of GOS Ltd., Neil Forsyth as General Manager | 1899–1929 Grand Opera Syndicate Ltd. 1925–1927 Sub-leased by London Opera Syndicate | 1893–1918 11th Duke of Bedford, d. 1940 aged 64 |
| Third theatre May 1858 – present | 1907–1915 Percy Pitt as musical director of the Syndicate, Neil Forsyth as MD. Sub-leased to others, eg Raymond Roze for a winter season of opera in English 1913. | 1899–1929 Grand Opera Syndicate Ltd. 1925–1927 Sub-leased by London Opera Syndicate | 1893–1918 11th Duke of Bedford, d. 1940 aged 64 |
| Third theatre May 1858 – present | 1914: Used as station for swearing-in of police Special Constables. 1915–1918: Used to store furniture from the hotels which had been taken over as offices by the Government | 1899–1929 Grand Opera Syndicate Ltd. 1925–1927 Sub-leased by London Opera Syndicate | 1893–1918 11th Duke of Bedford, d. 1940 aged 64 |
| Third theatre May 1858 – present | 1918: Thomas Beecham 1925–1927: Summer seasons were given by London Opera Syndicate | 1899–1929 Grand Opera Syndicate Ltd. 1925–1927 Sub-leased by London Opera Syndicate | 1918–1924: Thomas Beecham & his younger brother Harry, a long and involved story. 1924–1928: Beecham Estates and Pills Ltd., a privately owned company with Beecham family interests |
| Third theatre May 1858 – present | 1928–1933 Summer seasons were given by the Covent Garden Opera Syndicate. Beecham gave a brief season of grand opera in 1932. | 1929–1932 The Syndicate's 30-year sub-lease was due to expire soon, and the building was under threat of demolition 1929–1933: Sub-leased to Covent Garden Opera Syndicate until February 1933 | 1928–1961 Covent Garden Properties Company Ltd., a public real estate company |
| Third theatre May 1858 – present | 1934–1936 Geoffrey Toye as managing director of the ROH Company, with Beecham as principal conductor and artistic director | 1932–1939 The Royal Opera House Company took a 5-year lease | 1928–1961 Covent Garden Properties Company Ltd., a public real estate company |
| Third theatre May 1858 – present | 1936–1939 Managed by Beecham from 1936 after Toye was forced out | 1932–1939 The Royal Opera House Company took a 5-year lease | 1928–1961 Covent Garden Properties Company Ltd., a public real estate company |
| 1928–1961 Covent Garden Properties Company Ltd., a public real estate company ||
| Third theatre May 1858 – present | 1944–1949 Covent Garden Opera Trust Gen. Admin David Webster Mus. Dir. Karl Rankl | 1944–1949 Boosey & Hawkes | 1928–1961 Covent Garden Properties Company Ltd., a public real estate company |
| Third theatre May 1858 – present | 1949–present Covent Garden Trust (now Royal Opera House Covent Garden Ltd., Registered Charity Number: 211775) | 1949–1961 Ministry of Works, with a forty-two-year lease, sublet to Covent Garden Trust | 1928–1961 Covent Garden Properties Company Ltd., a public real estate company |
| Third theatre May 1858 – present | 1949–present Covent Garden Trust (now Royal Opera House Covent Garden Ltd., Registered Charity Number: 211775) | 1961–present Covent Garden Trust (main lessee) | 1961–1980 Covent Garden Market Authority, a Statutory Corporation established in 1961 by Act of Parliament |
| Third theatre May 1858 – present | 1949–present Covent Garden Trust (now Royal Opera House Covent Garden Ltd., Registered Charity Number: 211775) | 1961–present Covent Garden Trust (main lessee) | 1980–present Government for the Royal Opera House Covent Garden Ltd, parent company of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orchestra of the ROH |