Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, mistress of the robes to Queen Anne

The mistress of the robes was the senior lady in the Royal Household of the United Kingdom,[1] who would, by appointment, attend on the Queen (whether queen regnant or a queen consort). Queens dowager retained their own mistresses of the robes. (In the 18th century Princesses of Wales had one too).

Initially responsible for the queen's clothes and jewellery (as the name implies), the post-holder latterly had the responsibility for arranging the rota of attendance of the ladies-in-waiting on the queen, being in attendance herself on more formal occasions, and undertaking duties at state ceremonies. During the 17th and 18th centuries, this role often overlapped with or was replaced as first lady of the bedchamber. In modern times, the mistress of the robes was almost always a duchess.

In the past, whenever the Queen was a queen regnant, the mistress of the robes was a political appointment, changing with the government; however, this has not been the case since the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, and Queen Elizabeth II had only had two mistresses of the robes in more than seventy years' reign.

Since the accession of King Charles III no appointment of a Mistress of the Robes has been announced. In November 2022, it was announced that Queen Camilla would end the tradition of having ladies-in-waiting. Instead, she will be helped by "Queen's companions"; their role will be informal and they will not be involved in tasks such as replying to letters or developing schedules.[2]

List of mistresses of the robes by queen

Mary I, 1553–1558

Elizabeth I, 1558–1603

Anne of Denmark, 1603–1619

Henrietta Maria of France, 1625–1669

Catherine of Braganza, 1662–1692

  • 1660–1692: Position vacant, replaced by a First Lady of the Bedchamber

Mary of Modena, 1673–1688

  • 1673–1688: Position vacant, replaced by a First Lady of the Bedchamber

Mary II, 1688–1694

Anne, 1704–1714

Caroline of Ansbach, 1714–1737

Augusta of Saxe-Gotha 1736–1763

Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, 1761–1818

Caroline of Brunswick 1795–1821

Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, 1830–1837

Victoria, 1837–1901

Alexandra of Denmark, 1901–1925

Mary of Teck, 1910–1953

Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, 1937–2002

Elizabeth II, 1953–2022

See also

References

  1. ↑ Allison, Ronald; Riddell, Sarah, eds. (1991). The Royal Encyclopedia. London: Macmillan.
  2. ↑ Coughlan, Sean (27 November 2022). "Camilla scraps ladies-in-waiting in modernising move". BBC News. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  3. 1 2 G. A. Bergenroth, P. De Gayangos, and others, Calendar of letters, despatches, and state papers, relating to the negotiations between England and Spain, 13 vols., (1862–1954); M. A. S. Hume, Calendar of letters and state papers, relating to English affairs, preserved in the archives of Simancas, 4 vols., (1892–9)
  4. 1 2 3 Carole Levin, Anna Riehl Bertolet: [A Biographical Encyclopedia of Early Modern Englishwomen: Exemplary Lives and Memorable Acts, 1500-1650], New York, 2017
  5. ↑ Sandy Riley, Charlotte de La Trémoïlle, the Notorious Countess of Derby
  6. ↑ Cokayne et al., The Complete Peerage, volume VIII, p.496
  7. ↑ Cokayne et al., The Complete Peerage, volume I, p.212
  8. ↑ Weir, Alison, Britain's Royal Family: A Complete Genealogy, The Bodley Head, 1999, p.265
  9. ↑ Cokayne et al., The Complete Peerage, volume XII/2, p.589
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Institute of Historical Research
  11. ↑ The London Gazette, 29 August 1837, p.15 Archived 15 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ↑ The London Gazette, 10 September 1841, p.1 Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ↑ The London Gazette, 10 July 1846 Archived 24 February 2016 at the Wayback Machine, p.5
  14. ↑ The London Gazette, 16 March 1852, p.2 Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ↑ The London Gazette, 18 January 1853, p.5 Archived 12 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ↑ The London Gazette, 5 March 1858, p.2 Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  17. ↑ The London Gazette, 24 June 1859, p.3 Archived 3 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  18. ↑ The London Gazette, 26 April 1861, p.2 Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  19. ↑ The London Gazette, 22 December 1868, p.1 Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  20. ↑ The London Gazette, 25 January 1870, p.1 Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  21. ↑ The London Gazette, 3 March 1874, p.6 Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  22. ↑ The London Gazette, 7 May 1880, p.5 Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  23. ↑ The London Gazette, 12 January 1883, p.6 Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  24. ↑ The London Gazette, 27 June 1885, p.6 Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  25. ↑ The London Gazette, 3 September 1886, p.4 Archived 7 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  26. ↑ The London Gazette, 16 July 1895, p.24 Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  27. ↑ "No. 27292". The London Gazette. 8 March 1901. p. 1648.
  28. ↑ "Issue 28768". The London Gazette. 28 October 1913. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  29. ↑ The London Gazette, 21 June 1910, p.1 Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  30. ↑ The London Gazette, 14 November 1916, p.1 Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  31. ↑ The London Gazette, 5 March 1937, p.2 Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  32. ↑ The London Gazette, 17 April 1964, p.1 Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  33. ↑ The London Gazette, 20 January 1953, p.1 Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  34. ↑ "No. 44219". The London Gazette. 3 January 1967. p. 87.
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