Lady-in-waiting
Encyclopedia
A lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at a royal court
, attending on a queen
, a princess
, or a high-ranking noblewoman
. Historically, in Europe a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman from a family highly thought of in good society, but was of lower rank than the woman on whom she attended. Although she may or may not have received compensation for the service she rendered, she was considered more of a companion
than a servant to her mistress
. Lady-in-waiting is often a generic term for women whose relative rank, title and official functions varied, although such distinctions were also often honourary. A royal woman may or may not be free to select her ladies, and even when she has such freedom her choices have historically been constrained by the sovereign, her parents, her husband or the sovereign's ministers as, for example, in the so-called Bedchamber crisis
.
The duties of ladies-in-waiting varied from court to court, but functions historically discharged by ladies-in-waiting included: proficiency in the etiquette
, languages, and dances prevalent at court; secretarial
tasks; reading to and writing correspondence on behalf of her mistress; embroidery
, painting, horseback riding, music making (vocal and/or instrumental) and participation in other queenly pastimes; wardrobe
care; supervision of servants; keeping her mistress abreast of activities and personages at court, and discreetly relaying messages upon command.
es to the queen; Lady Margaret Lee was a Lady of the Privy Chamber to Anne Boleyn
, just as Lady Elizabeth Seymour-Cromwell was to Queen Jane Seymour
. The duties of ladies-in-waiting at the Tudor court were to act as royal companions, and to accompany the Queen wherever she went. Tudor queens often had a large degree of say in who became their ladies-in-waiting. Usually ladies-in-waiting came from families that were highly thought of in good society, noble families, or trustworthy friends of the dynasty. Ladies in waiting were usually referred to as low royalty.
In the current Royal Household
of the United Kingdom
the term Lady-in-Waiting is used to describe a woman attending a female member of the Royal Family
other than the Queen Regnant
or Queen Consort
. An attendant upon one of the latter is styled Lady of the Bedchamber
or Woman of the Bedchamber
, and the senior lady-in-waiting is the Mistress of the Robes
. The Women are in regular attendance, but the Mistress of the Robes and the Ladies of the Bedchamber are normally required only for ceremonial occasions. There were formerly three offices, including Maids of Honour
whose service entitled them to the style
of The Honourable for life.
, the kings' maîtresses-en-titre
also had official ladies-in-waiting. Several of Marie-Antoinette's
favorite ladies—notably Yolande, Duchesse de Polignac—acquired political influence and wealth.
each have one.
has a total of seven Hofdames. They accompany the Queen and the other female members of the Royal House during visits and receptions at the Royal Court. The monarch pays for their expenses, but they do not receive any salary. Not all of these ladies are members of the Dutch aristocracy, but they all have a notable husband. Excellent social behavior and discretion is the most important recommendation for becoming a "Hofdame". The current "Hofdames" are Ietje van Karnebeek - van Lede, Lieke Gaarlandt - van Voorst van Beest, Julie Jeekel - Thate, Miente Boellaard - Stheeman, lady Reina de Blocq van Scheltinga, Elizabeth baroness van Wassenaer - Mersmans and Bibi baroness van Zuylen van Nijevelt - lady den Beer Poortugael.
The Grootmeesteres (Grandmastress) is the highest-ranking lady at the Royal Court. Since 1984 the position has been held by Martine van Loon - Labouchere, descendant of the famous bankers family, a former diplomat and dowager of lord Maurits van Loon of the famous Amsterdam canal estate.
After their voluntary retirement, "Hofdames" are appointed to the honorary Royal Household. The honorary Royal Household still distinghuishes between "Dames du Palais" and "Hofdames", but the category "Dames du Palais" will become extinct.
. However, the six favorite court ladies of King Sisowath of Cambodia were probably initially drawn from the ranks of classical royal dancers of lower class. He was noted for having the most classical dancers as concubines. The imperial celestial dancer, Apsara
, was one of these. This practice of drawing from the ranks of royal dancers began in the Golden Age of the Khmer Kingdom. Srey Snom is the Cambodian term used to describe the Khmer 'lady-in-waiting'.
(literally "palace women") is a Korean term referring to women waiting on the king and other royalty in traditional Korean society. It is short for "gungjung yeogwan", which translates as "a lady officer of the royal court". Gungnyeo includes sanggung
(palace matron) and nain
(assistant court ladies), both of which hold rank as officers. The term is also used more broadly to encompass women in a lower class without a rank such as musuri
(lowest maids in charge of odd chores), gaksimi, sonnim, uinyeo
(female physicians) as well as nain and sanggung.
Royal court
Royal court, as distinguished from a court of law, may refer to:* The Royal Court , Timbaland's production company*Court , the household and entourage of a monarch or other ruler, the princely court...
, attending on a queen
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
, a princess
Princess
Princess is the feminine form of prince . Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or his daughters....
, or a high-ranking noblewoman
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
. Historically, in Europe a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman from a family highly thought of in good society, but was of lower rank than the woman on whom she attended. Although she may or may not have received compensation for the service she rendered, she was considered more of a companion
Lady's companion
A lady's companion was a woman of genteel birth who acted as a paid companion for women of rank or wealth. The term was in use in the United Kingdom from at least the 18th century to the mid 20th century. It was related to the position of lady-in-waiting, which by the 19th century was only applied...
than a servant to her mistress
Mistress (form of address)
Mistress is an old form of address for a woman. It implies "lady of the house", especially a woman who is head of a household.An example is Mistress Quickly in Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor. The title did not necessarily distinguish between married and unmarried women.The title Mrs. is...
. Lady-in-waiting is often a generic term for women whose relative rank, title and official functions varied, although such distinctions were also often honourary. A royal woman may or may not be free to select her ladies, and even when she has such freedom her choices have historically been constrained by the sovereign, her parents, her husband or the sovereign's ministers as, for example, in the so-called Bedchamber crisis
Bedchamber Crisis
The Bedchamber crisis occurred in May 1839 after Whig politician Lord Melbourne had resigned as Prime Minister. Queen Victoria invited Tory politician Robert Peel to form a new government...
.
The duties of ladies-in-waiting varied from court to court, but functions historically discharged by ladies-in-waiting included: proficiency in the etiquette
Etiquette
Etiquette is a code of behavior that delineates expectations for social behavior according to contemporary conventional norms within a society, social class, or group...
, languages, and dances prevalent at court; secretarial
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
tasks; reading to and writing correspondence on behalf of her mistress; embroidery
Embroidery
Embroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins....
, painting, horseback riding, music making (vocal and/or instrumental) and participation in other queenly pastimes; wardrobe
Wardrobe
A Wardrobe is a cabinet used for storing clothes.Wardrobe may also refer to:* Wardrobe , a full set of multiple clothing items* Wardrobe , part of royal administration in medieval England...
care; supervision of servants; keeping her mistress abreast of activities and personages at court, and discreetly relaying messages upon command.
Britain
Female relatives were often appointed on the presumption that they could be trusted as confidantConfidant
The confidant is a character in a story that the lead character confides in and trusts. Typically, these consist of the best friend, relative, doctor or boss.- Role :...
es to the queen; Lady Margaret Lee was a Lady of the Privy Chamber to Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
, just as Lady Elizabeth Seymour-Cromwell was to Queen Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII. She succeeded Anne Boleyn as queen consort following the latter's execution for trumped up charges of high treason, incest and adultery in May 1536. She died of postnatal complications less than two weeks after the birth of...
. The duties of ladies-in-waiting at the Tudor court were to act as royal companions, and to accompany the Queen wherever she went. Tudor queens often had a large degree of say in who became their ladies-in-waiting. Usually ladies-in-waiting came from families that were highly thought of in good society, noble families, or trustworthy friends of the dynasty. Ladies in waiting were usually referred to as low royalty.
In the current Royal Household
Royal Households of the United Kingdom
The Royal Households of the United Kingdom are the organised offices and support systems for the British Royal Family, along with their immediate families...
of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
the term Lady-in-Waiting is used to describe a woman attending a female member of the Royal Family
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
other than the Queen Regnant
Queen regnant
A queen regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right, in contrast to a queen consort, who is the wife of a reigning king. An empress regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right over an empire....
or Queen Consort
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
. An attendant upon one of the latter is styled Lady of the Bedchamber
Lady of the Bedchamber
This is an incomplete list of those who have served as Lady of the Bedchamber in the British Royal Household...
or Woman of the Bedchamber
Woman of the Bedchamber
In the Royal Household of the United Kingdom the term Woman of the Bedchamber is used to describe a woman attending either a queen regnant or queen consort, in the role of Lady-in-Waiting...
, and the senior lady-in-waiting is the 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 Women are in regular attendance, but the Mistress of the Robes and the Ladies of the Bedchamber are normally required only for ceremonial occasions. There were formerly three offices, including Maids of Honour
Maids of Honour
Maids of honour were the junior attendants of a queen in the royal households of England and later of the United Kingdom. Anne of Brittany is said to have instituted the queen's maids of honour at the court.-Role:...
whose service entitled them to the style
Style (manner of address)
A style of office, or honorific, is a legal, official, or recognized title. A style, by tradition or law, precedes a reference to a person who holds a post or political office, and is sometimes used to refer to the office itself. An honorific can also be awarded to an individual in a personal...
of The Honourable for life.
France
Aside from the queen and princesses du sangPrince du Sang
A prince of the blood was a person who was legitimately descended in the male line from the monarch of a country. In France, the rank of prince du sang was the highest held at court after the immediate family of the king during the ancien régime and the Bourbon Restoration...
, the kings' maîtresses-en-titre
Maîtresse-en-titre
The maîtresse-en-titre was the chief mistress of the king of France. It was a semi-official position which came with its own apartments. The title really came into use during the reign of Henry IV and continued until the reign of Louis XV....
also had official ladies-in-waiting. Several of Marie-Antoinette's
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette ; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and of Navarre. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I....
favorite ladies—notably Yolande, Duchesse de Polignac—acquired political influence and wealth.
Denmark
The Danish Queen employs four Hofdamer or "Court Ladies". The Crown Princess of Denmark has two hofdamer, while other princesses of the Danish Royal FamilyDanish Royal Family
The Danish Royal Family includes the Queen of Denmark and her family. All members except the Queen hold the title of Prince/Princess of Denmark with the style of His/Her Royal Highness or His/Her Highness. The Queen is styled Her Majesty. The Queen and her siblings belong to the House of...
each have one.
The Netherlands
Queen Beatrix of the NetherlandsBeatrix of the Netherlands
Beatrix is the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands comprising the Netherlands, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and Aruba. She is the first daughter of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld. She studied law at Leiden University...
has a total of seven Hofdames. They accompany the Queen and the other female members of the Royal House during visits and receptions at the Royal Court. The monarch pays for their expenses, but they do not receive any salary. Not all of these ladies are members of the Dutch aristocracy, but they all have a notable husband. Excellent social behavior and discretion is the most important recommendation for becoming a "Hofdame". The current "Hofdames" are Ietje van Karnebeek - van Lede, Lieke Gaarlandt - van Voorst van Beest, Julie Jeekel - Thate, Miente Boellaard - Stheeman, lady Reina de Blocq van Scheltinga, Elizabeth baroness van Wassenaer - Mersmans and Bibi baroness van Zuylen van Nijevelt - lady den Beer Poortugael.
The Grootmeesteres (Grandmastress) is the highest-ranking lady at the Royal Court. Since 1984 the position has been held by Martine van Loon - Labouchere, descendant of the famous bankers family, a former diplomat and dowager of lord Maurits van Loon of the famous Amsterdam canal estate.
After their voluntary retirement, "Hofdames" are appointed to the honorary Royal Household. The honorary Royal Household still distinghuishes between "Dames du Palais" and "Hofdames", but the category "Dames du Palais" will become extinct.
Cambodia
In Cambodia, the term 'ladies-in-waiting' refers to high ranking female servants who served food and drink, fanned and massaged, and sometimes provided sexual services to the King. Conventionally, these women could work their way up from being maids to become ladies-in-waiting, concubines, or even to become queen consortQueen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
. However, the six favorite court ladies of King Sisowath of Cambodia were probably initially drawn from the ranks of classical royal dancers of lower class. He was noted for having the most classical dancers as concubines. The imperial celestial dancer, Apsara
Apsara
An Apsara , also known as Vidhya Dhari or Tep Apsar in Khmer, Accharā or A Bố Sa La Tư , Bidadari , Biradali , Widodari and Apson , is a female spirit of the clouds and waters in...
, was one of these. This practice of drawing from the ranks of royal dancers began in the Golden Age of the Khmer Kingdom. Srey Snom is the Cambodian term used to describe the Khmer 'lady-in-waiting'.
Korea (Joseon)
GungnyeoGungnyeo
Gungnyeo is a Korean term referring to women waiting on the king and other royalty in traditional Korean society. It is short for "gungjung yeogwan", which translates as "a lady officer of the royal court". Gungnyeo includes sanggung and nain , both of which hold rank as officers...
(literally "palace women") is a Korean term referring to women waiting on the king and other royalty in traditional Korean society. It is short for "gungjung yeogwan", which translates as "a lady officer of the royal court". Gungnyeo includes sanggung
Sanggung
Sanggung was an official title of the senior 5th rank , the highest attainable for gungnyeo, a lady-in-waiting during the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. Female officers with the title were assigned to govern the inner affairs of the palace. When a regular nain served for more than 15 years, she would be...
(palace matron) and nain
Nain
Nain may refer to:* Nain rug, name of a traditional pattern and design of Persian carpet* North American Interfaith Network* Nain, assistant court ladies of KoreaPlaces* Nain, Iran, a city in Iran* Nain County, an administrative subdivision of Iran...
(assistant court ladies), both of which hold rank as officers. The term is also used more broadly to encompass women in a lower class without a rank such as musuri
Musuri
Musuri is a Korean term referring to female slaves in charge of odd chores in the court during the Goryeo and Joseon Dynasty of Korea. Their main tasks were miscellaneous works such as drawing water from a well, making a fire in the fireplace or cleaning....
(lowest maids in charge of odd chores), gaksimi, sonnim, uinyeo
Uinyeo
Uinyeo were female physicians who specialized in the treatment of women during the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. The uinyeo were established as a solution to social taboos against women receiving treatment from male physicians...
(female physicians) as well as nain and sanggung.
Notable ladies-in-waiting
- Louise Marie of Savoy, princesse de LamballePrincess Marie Louise of SavoyMaria Luisa of Savoy was a member of the House of Savoy. She was married at the age of 16 to Louis Alexandre de Bourbon, Prince de Lamballe, the heir to the greatest fortune in France. After her marriage, which lasted a year, she went to court and became the confidante of Queen Marie Antoinette...
- Gabrielle de Polastron, comtesse de Polignac
- Lady Mary BoleynMary BoleynMary Boleyn , was the sister of English queen consort Anne Boleyn and a member of the Boleyn family, which enjoyed considerable influence during the reign of King Henry VIII of England...
- Four of Henry VIII'sHenry VIII of EnglandHenry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
later wives:- Anne BoleynAnne BoleynAnne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
- Jane SeymourJane SeymourJane Seymour was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII. She succeeded Anne Boleyn as queen consort following the latter's execution for trumped up charges of high treason, incest and adultery in May 1536. She died of postnatal complications less than two weeks after the birth of...
- Catherine HowardCatherine HowardCatherine Howard , also spelled Katherine, Katheryn or Kathryn, was the fifth wife of Henry VIII of England, and sometimes known by his reference to her as his "rose without a thorn"....
- Catherine ParrCatherine ParrCatherine Parr ; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen consort of England and Ireland and the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII of England. She married Henry VIII on 12 July 1543. She was the fourth commoner Henry had taken as his consort, and outlived him...
Lady-in-waiting to Henry's daughter, Mary TudorMary I of EnglandMary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
.
- Anne Boleyn
- Jane Parker, Lady Rochford
- Jane DormerJane DormerJane Dormer, Duchess of Feria was an English lady-in-waiting to Mary I who went on to serve as the Duchess of Feria.-Biography:...
, later Duchess of Feria - Lady Katherine Ashley
- Lettice KnollysLettice KnollysLettice Knollys , Countess of Essex and Countess of Leicester , was an English noblewoman and mother to the courtiers Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex and Lady Penelope Rich; through her marriage to Elizabeth I's favourite, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, she incurred the Queen's undying...
, Countess of Essex and Leicester - Elisabet RibbingElisabet RibbingElisabet Ribbing , was a Swedish noble and lady-in-waiting. She was the secret morganatic spouse of Prince Charles Philip, Duke of Södermanland.- Biography :...
, and later her daughter Elisabet Carlsdotter Gyllenhielm (1622–1682) - Sarah Churchill, Duchess 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...
- Ulrika StrömfeltUlrika StrömfeltUlrika Eleonora Strömfelt was a politically active Swedish noble and lady-in-waiting who played an important part in the attempted Coup d'état of queen Louisa Ulrika....
- Louise-Elisabeth, Marquise de TourzelLouise-Elisabeth, Marquise de TourzelLouise Élisabeth de Croÿ, Marquise of Tourzel was a French memoir-writer, noble and courtier...
- Countess Julie Hauke
- Magdalena RudenschöldMagdalena RudenschöldMagdalena Charlotta Rudenschöld, commonly known as Malla Rudenschöld and privately as Malin Rudenschöld , was a member of the Swedish nobility and a lady-in-waiting. She was one of the main participants in the so-called Armfelt conspiracy against the guardian government of 1792...
- Countess Sophie ChotekSophie, Duchess of HohenbergSophie, Duchess of Hohenberg ; 1 March 1868 – 28 June 1914) was a Czech aristocrat, the morganatic wife of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. Their assassination sparked World War I.- Early life :...
- Anna VyrubovaAnna VyrubovaAnna Alexandrovna Vyrubova, née Taneyeva , was a lady-in-waiting, best friend and confidante to Tsaritsa Alexandra Fyodorovna.-Early life:...
- Ivy Gordon-LennoxIvy Cavendish-Bentinck, Duchess of PortlandIvy Cavendish-Bentinck, Duchess of Portland DBE , born Ivy Gordon-Lennox, was Duchess of Portland from 1943 to 1977 and afterwards Dowager Duchess. She founded the Harley Foundation, "to encourage creativity"....
- Jang Ok-JeongJang Hui-binLady Jang Hui-bin is one of the best known royal concubines of the Joseon Dynasty.-Biography:She was the daughter of Jang Hyeong and Lady Yun of the Papyeong Yun clan, her personal name was Jang Ok-jeong .Ok-jeong became a lady-in-waiting to Queen Dowager Jangnyeol at the recommendation of...
- Murasaki ShikibuMurasaki ShikibuMurasaki Shikibu was a Japanese novelist, poet and lady-in-waiting at the Imperial court during the Heian period. She is best known as the author of The Tale of Genji, written in Japanese between about 1000 and 1012...
- Sei ShōnagonSei ShonagonSei Shōnagon , was a Japanese author and a court lady who served the Empress Teishi around the year 1000 during the middle Heian period. She is best known as the author of The Pillow Book .-Name:...
- Ruth, Lady Fermoy
- Lady Pamela MountbattenLady Pamela HicksLady Pamela Carmen Louise Hicks, née Mountbatten is a British aristocrat. She is the younger daughter of the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma by his wife, the former Edwina Ashley. Through her father, Lady Hicks is a first cousin of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.- Family background :Hicks was...
- Jane Loftus, Marchioness of ElyJane Loftus, Marchioness of ElyJane Loftus , Marchioness of Ely was an English lady of the bedchamber and a close friend of Queen Victoria. Her parents were James Hope-Vere and Lady Elizabeth Hay, and through her mother she was a cousin of Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington...
- Vibhavadi Rangsit