Groom of the Stole
Encyclopedia
Groom of the Stole in the British Royal Household
is a position dating from the Stuart era (1603 onwards) but which evolved from the earlier Groom of the Stool
, an office in existence until the accession of Elizabeth I. The original nomenclature derived from the chair used in the performance of the function (Stul being Norse and Early English for Chair). In the Victorian era the office was re-examined and re-named, retrospectively apparently to the start of the Stuart era, Groom of the Stole, from the Latin stola, a robe.
It is hardly surprising that there is no known contemporary historical source that reveals the exact nature of the duties involved in the role, so of necessity reasoned speculation must be employed if the subject is to be considered seriously. When the King was travelling the importance of the post would become more apparent. Monarchs do not ask the question "Excuse me, can you tell me where the lavatory is?", a question which, however it is phrased, is infra dignitate certainly to a King. Americans came close to finding a solution to this generally perceived problem with "Where can I powder my nose?", but the euphemism soon lost its power.
The maintenance of the Royal Aura was an important part of the politics of royalty, therefore not without importance to the running of a kingdom. It was surely the Groom of the Stool's job to plan everything in advance, perhaps to monitor the King's diet and expected mealtimes, to assist during the process as needed, and to dispose of the waste created, storing the equipment away for next use. A cursory glance at a full-length portrait of a Tudor monarch will reveal the thick and heavy clothes worn, especially in the winter before the central-heating era, no doubt incorporating dozens of buttons and fastenings. Someone was needed to assist in removing these, and re-dressing the King. The clothes were very valuable, frequently incorporating gold embroidery, and had to be suitably arranged after having been removed.
The question must be faced in a serious examination of the Office of Groom of the Stool, as to whether the Groom actually cleansed the royal posterior himself. The answer is probably affirmative, but only when necessary, for example if the King was wearing an awkward garment. Yet in the days before the disposable paper tissue, cleansing of the body was a complicated matter. The King had to endure every day with decorum the difficulties only experienced by the modern person on the odd camping holiday.
In the popular imagination, the role is seen as one of subservience, designed to boost the royal ego. This is unlikely to be the case if the matter is given some thought, for the relationship was one of trust and confidence. The Groom must have been selected for special personal qualities which made the king feel at ease in his company; he must have had the easy, confident and firm manner of a tailor in measuring up a client without causing awkwardness. The personal power play was surely reserved for the world of the Court beyond the Room of the Close Stool. The position soon developed into one of a trusted and tactful personal royal adviser, who had the ear of the King, and who therefore became respected, even feared, by the other courtiers, all jealous of such access to royal power.
By the Tudor age, the Groom of the Stool was a substantial figure like Hugh Denys (d.1511) who was a member of the Gloucestershire gentry, married to an aristocratic wife, and who died possessing at least four of his own manors. The function had also transformed into that of a virtual minister of the royal treasury, being then an essential figure in the King's setting of fiscal policy.
, always a great nobleman (having become the equivalent appointment in the household of the King or Prince-Consort to the Queen's Mistress of the Robes
). The position had considerable power because of its intimate access to the king. During the reign of Charles I
the term "stool" appears to have lost its original signification of chair, more particularly commode. The office fell into a final abeyance with the accession of another female monarch in the form of Queen Victoria, and made only a very brief final appearance early in the reign of her successor, with the spelling having been altered to "stole", from the Latin stola, a long outer garment or robe worn by Roman ladies, and male flute players at the festival of Minerva. The Tudor historian David Starkey classes this change as a classic Victorianism
:
The office was finally discontinued following the accession of King Edward VII
in 1901, to whom a Groom of the Stole had been appointed while he was Prince of Wales.
Grooms of the Stole to Charles I
Grooms of the Stole to Henrietta Maria of France
Grooms of the Stole to Charles II
Grooms of the Stole to James II
Grooms of the Stole to William III
Grooms of the Stole to Queen Anne
Grooms of the Stole to George I
Grooms of the Stole to George II
Grooms of the Stole to George III
Grooms of the Stole to George IV
Grooms of the Stole to William IV
Grooms of the Stole to Albert Edward, Prince of Wales
Royal Household
A Royal Household in ancient and medieval monarchies formed the basis for the general government of the country as well as providing for the needs of the sovereign and his relations....
is a position dating from the Stuart era (1603 onwards) but which evolved from the earlier Groom of the Stool
Groom of the Stool
The Groom of the Stool was the most intimate of a monarch's courtiers, whose physical intimacy naturally led to him becoming a man in whom much confidence was placed by his royal master, and with whom many royal secrets were shared as a matter of course...
, an office in existence until the accession of Elizabeth I. The original nomenclature derived from the chair used in the performance of the function (Stul being Norse and Early English for Chair). In the Victorian era the office was re-examined and re-named, retrospectively apparently to the start of the Stuart era, Groom of the Stole, from the Latin stola, a robe.
Origins of the office
The Groom of the Stool, officially styled "Groom of the King's Close Stool", in the very earliest times was responsible for assisting the King in the performance of the bodily functions of excretion and ablution, whilst maintaining an aura of royal decorum over the proceedings. That is to say the necessary articles of furniture, the stool, or portable commode lavatory ("close" because it was used in a closed and private room), water, wash bowl, toweling, had to be on hand, and a suitable room reserved for the function, complete with curtains and hangings suitable to preserve the royal dignity.It is hardly surprising that there is no known contemporary historical source that reveals the exact nature of the duties involved in the role, so of necessity reasoned speculation must be employed if the subject is to be considered seriously. When the King was travelling the importance of the post would become more apparent. Monarchs do not ask the question "Excuse me, can you tell me where the lavatory is?", a question which, however it is phrased, is infra dignitate certainly to a King. Americans came close to finding a solution to this generally perceived problem with "Where can I powder my nose?", but the euphemism soon lost its power.
The maintenance of the Royal Aura was an important part of the politics of royalty, therefore not without importance to the running of a kingdom. It was surely the Groom of the Stool's job to plan everything in advance, perhaps to monitor the King's diet and expected mealtimes, to assist during the process as needed, and to dispose of the waste created, storing the equipment away for next use. A cursory glance at a full-length portrait of a Tudor monarch will reveal the thick and heavy clothes worn, especially in the winter before the central-heating era, no doubt incorporating dozens of buttons and fastenings. Someone was needed to assist in removing these, and re-dressing the King. The clothes were very valuable, frequently incorporating gold embroidery, and had to be suitably arranged after having been removed.
The question must be faced in a serious examination of the Office of Groom of the Stool, as to whether the Groom actually cleansed the royal posterior himself. The answer is probably affirmative, but only when necessary, for example if the King was wearing an awkward garment. Yet in the days before the disposable paper tissue, cleansing of the body was a complicated matter. The King had to endure every day with decorum the difficulties only experienced by the modern person on the odd camping holiday.
In the popular imagination, the role is seen as one of subservience, designed to boost the royal ego. This is unlikely to be the case if the matter is given some thought, for the relationship was one of trust and confidence. The Groom must have been selected for special personal qualities which made the king feel at ease in his company; he must have had the easy, confident and firm manner of a tailor in measuring up a client without causing awkwardness. The personal power play was surely reserved for the world of the Court beyond the Room of the Close Stool. The position soon developed into one of a trusted and tactful personal royal adviser, who had the ear of the King, and who therefore became respected, even feared, by the other courtiers, all jealous of such access to royal power.
By the Tudor age, the Groom of the Stool was a substantial figure like Hugh Denys (d.1511) who was a member of the Gloucestershire gentry, married to an aristocratic wife, and who died possessing at least four of his own manors. The function had also transformed into that of a virtual minister of the royal treasury, being then an essential figure in the King's setting of fiscal policy.
Evolution of the office in Stuart times
The office was exclusively one serving male monarchs so on the death of Elizabeth and the accession of James I the office was revived. The holder of the position became in the Stuart era (17th century) the senior Lord of the BedchamberLord of the Bedchamber
A Lord of the Bedchamber, previously known as a Gentleman of the Bedchamber was a courtier in the Royal Household of the King of the United Kingdom and the Prince of Wales. A Lord of the Bedchamber's duties consisted of assisting the King with his dressing, waiting on him when he ate in private,...
, always a great nobleman (having become the equivalent appointment in the household of the King or Prince-Consort to the Queen's Mistress of the Robes
Mistress of the Robes
The Mistress of the Robes is the senior lady of the British Royal Household. Formerly responsible for the Queen's clothes and jewellery, the post now has the responsibility for arranging the rota of attendance of the Ladies in Waiting on the Queen, along with various duties at State ceremonies...
). The position had considerable power because of its intimate access to the king. During the reign of Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
the term "stool" appears to have lost its original signification of chair, more particularly commode. The office fell into a final abeyance with the accession of another female monarch in the form of Queen Victoria, and made only a very brief final appearance early in the reign of her successor, with the spelling having been altered to "stole", from the Latin stola, a long outer garment or robe worn by Roman ladies, and male flute players at the festival of Minerva. The Tudor historian David Starkey classes this change as a classic Victorianism
Victorianism
Victorianism is the name given to the attitudes, art, and culture of the later two-thirds of the 19th century. This usage is strong within social history and the study of literature, less so in philosophy. Many disciplines do not use the term, but instead prefer Victorian Era, or simply "Late 19th...
:
- When the Victorians came to look at this office, they spelt it s-t-o-l-e, and imagined all kinds of fictions about elaborate robes draped around the neck of the monarch at the coronation.
The office was finally discontinued following the accession of King Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
in 1901, to whom a Groom of the Stole had been appointed while he was Prince of Wales.
Grooms of the Stole to Charles ICharles I of EnglandCharles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
- –1643: Henry Rich, 1st Earl of HollandHenry Rich, 1st Earl of HollandHenry Rich, 1st Earl of Holland was an English aristocrat, courtier and soldier.-Life:He was the son of Robert Rich, 1st Earl of Warwick and of Penelope Devereux, Lady Rich, and the younger brother of Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick...
- 1643–1649 (?): William Seymour, 1st Marquess of HertfordWilliam Seymour, 2nd Duke of SomersetSir William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset, KG was an English nobleman and Royalist commander in the English Civil War....
- 1649 (?): Thomas BlaggeThomas BlaggeColonel Thomas Blagge was an English soldier, a supporter of Charles I in the English Civil War.-Life:He came from Horningsheath, Suffolk, and was Groom of the Chamber to Charles I. From 1642 he was Governor of Wallingford Castle, and commanded a foot regiment of 1000 men...
Grooms of the Stole to Henrietta Maria of FranceHenrietta Maria of FranceHenrietta Maria of France ; was the Queen consort of England, Scotland and Ireland as the wife of King Charles I...
- 1660–1667/1673 (?): Elizabeth Boyle, Countess of GuilfordElizabeth Boyle, Countess of GuilfordElizabeth Boyle, Countess of Guilford was an English peeress. She was created 1st Countess of Guildford for life at the Restoration on 14 July 1660, which became extinct upon her death c. 3 September 1667...
Grooms of the Stole to Charles IICharles II of EnglandCharles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
- 1660: William Seymour, 1st Marquess of HertfordWilliam Seymour, 2nd Duke of SomersetSir William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset, KG was an English nobleman and Royalist commander in the English Civil War....
- 1660–1685: Sir John GranvilleJohn Granville, 1st Earl of BathJohn Granville, 1st Earl of Bath PC was an English royalist statesman, whose highest position was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland....
(later Earl of Bath)
Grooms of the Stole to James IIJames II of EnglandJames II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
- 1685–1688: Henry Mordaunt, 2nd Earl of PeterboroughHenry Mordaunt, 2nd Earl of PeterboroughHenry Mordaunt, 2nd Earl of Peterborough, KG, PC, FRS was an English soldier, peer and courtier.-Early life:Styled Lord Mordaunt from 1628, he was the eldest son of John Mordaunt, 1st Earl of Peterborough...
Grooms of the Stole to William IIIWilliam III of EnglandWilliam III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
- 1689–1700: William Bentinck, 1st Earl of PortlandWilliam Bentinck, 1st Earl of PortlandHans William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland, Baron Bentinck of Diepenheim and Schoonheten, KG, PC was a Dutch and English nobleman who became in an early stage the favourite of William, Prince of Orange, Stadtholder in the Netherlands, and future King of England. He was steady, sensible, modest...
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Grooms of the Stole to Queen AnneAnne of Great BritainAnne ascended the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Act of Union, two of her realms, England and Scotland, were united as a single sovereign state, the Kingdom of Great Britain.Anne's Catholic father, James II and VII, was deposed during the...
- 1702–1711: Sarah Churchill, Countess of MarlboroughSarah Churchill, Duchess of MarlboroughSarah Churchill , Duchess of Marlborough rose to be one of the most influential women in British history as a result of her close friendship with Queen Anne of Great Britain.Sarah's friendship and influence with Princess Anne was widely known, and leading public figures...
(later Duchess of Marlborough) - 1711–1714: Elizabeth Seymour, Duchess of SomersetElizabeth Seymour, Duchess of SomersetElizabeth Percy, Duchess of Somerset , major heiress, was born Lady Elizabeth Percy, the only surviving child of the 11th Earl of Northumberland and deemed Baroness Percy in her own right. She carried the earldom of Northumberland to her son Algernon...
Grooms of the Stole to Prince George
- 1683–1685: John Berkeley, 3rd Baron Berkeley of StrattonJohn Berkeley, 3rd Baron Berkeley of StrattonJohn Berkeley, 3rd Baron Berkeley of Stratton was an English admiral.- Biography :He was the second son of John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton, and succeeded to the title on March 6, 1681, by the death of his elder brother Charles, a captain in the navy.On December 14, 1688 he was...
- 1685–1687: Robert Leke, 3rd Earl of ScarsdaleRobert Leke, 3rd Earl of ScarsdaleRobert Leke, 3rd Earl of Scarsdale was an English politician and courtier, styled Lord Deincourt from 1655 to 1681....
- 1697–1708: John West, 6th Baron De La Warr
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- 1714–1719: Lionel Sackville, 1st Duke of DorsetLionel Sackville, 1st Duke of DorsetLionel Cranfield Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset, PC was an English political leader and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. He was the son of the 6th Earl of Dorset and 1st Earl of Middlesex and the former Lady Mary Compton, younger daughter of the 3rd Earl of Northampton...
- 1719–1722: Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of SunderlandCharles Spencer, 3rd Earl of SunderlandSir Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland KG PC , known as Lord Spencer from 1688 to 1702, was an English statesman...
- 1722–1723: Vacant
- 1723–1727: Francis Godolphin, 2nd Earl of GodolphinFrancis Godolphin, 2nd Earl of GodolphinFrancis Godolphin, 2nd Earl of Godolphin, PC was a British politician, styled Viscount Rialton between 1706 and 1712.-Biography:...
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- 1727–1735: Francis Godolphin, 2nd Earl of GodolphinFrancis Godolphin, 2nd Earl of GodolphinFrancis Godolphin, 2nd Earl of Godolphin, PC was a British politician, styled Viscount Rialton between 1706 and 1712.-Biography:...
- 1735–1750: Henry Herbert, 9th Earl of PembrokeHenry Herbert, 9th Earl of PembrokeLt.-Gen. Henry Herbert, 9th Earl of Pembroke, 6th Earl of Montgomery PC FRS was the heir and eldest son of Thomas Herbert and his first wife Margaret...
- 1751–1755: Willem Anne van Keppel, 2nd Earl of Albemarle
- 1755–1760: William Nassau de Zuylestein, 4th Earl of RochfordWilliam Nassau de Zuylestein, 4th Earl of RochfordWilliam Henry Nassau, 4th Earl of Rochford, PC, KG was a British courtier, diplomat and statesman of Anglo-Dutch descent. He occupied senior ambassadorial posts at Madrid and Paris, and served as Secretary of State in both the Northern and Southern Departments...
Grooms of the Stole to George IIIGeorge III of the United KingdomGeorge III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
- 1760–1761: John Stuart, 3rd Earl of ButeJohn Stuart, 3rd Earl of ButeJohn Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute KG, PC , styled Lord Mount Stuart before 1723, was a Scottish nobleman who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain under George III, and was arguably the last important favourite in British politics...
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- 1770–1775: George Hervey, 2nd Earl of BristolGeorge Hervey, 2nd Earl of BristolGeorge William Hervey, 2nd Earl of Bristol , the eldest son of John Hervey, 2nd Baron Hervey, by his marriage with Mary , daughter of Nicholas Lepell....
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- 1782–1796: Thomas Thynne, 3rd Viscount WeymouthThomas Thynne, 1st Marquess of BathThomas Thynne, 1st Marquess of Bath KG was a British politician who held office under George III serving as Southern Secretary, Northern Secretary and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Between 1751 and 1780 he was known as Lord Weymouth...
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Grooms of the Stole to George IVGeorge IV of the United KingdomGeorge IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
- 1820–1830: Charles Paulet, 13th Marquess of WinchesterCharles Paulet, 13th Marquess of WinchesterCharles Ingoldsby Paulet, 13th Marquess of Winchester PC was a British peer and courtier, styled Earl of Wiltshire from 1794 until 1800....
Grooms of the Stole to William IVWilliam IV of the United KingdomWilliam IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...
- 1830–1837: Charles Paulet, 13th Marquess of WinchesterCharles Paulet, 13th Marquess of WinchesterCharles Ingoldsby Paulet, 13th Marquess of Winchester PC was a British peer and courtier, styled Earl of Wiltshire from 1794 until 1800....
Grooms of the Stole to Prince Albert
- 1840–1841: Lord Robert GrosvenorRobert Grosvenor, 1st Baron EburyRobert Grosvenor, 1st Baron Ebury PC , styled Lord Robert Grosvenor from 1831 to 1857, was a British courtier and Whig politician. He served as Comptroller of the Household between 1830 and 1834 and as Treasurer of the Household between 1846 and 1847...
(later Lord Ebury) - 1841–1846: Brownlow Cecil, 2nd Marquess of ExeterBrownlow Cecil, 2nd Marquess of ExeterBrownlow Cecil, 2nd Marquess of Exeter KG, PC , styled Lord Burghley until 1804, was a British peer, courtier and Tory politician...
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- 1866–1877: ?
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