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Lady-in-waiting

March 05, 2023

For the 1976 album, see Lady in Waiting (album). For the 1957 novel, see Lady in Waiting (novel). For British peers who hold office in the Royal Household of the United Kingdom, see Lord-in-waiting.
Look up lady-in-waiting or lady in waiting in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

A lady-in-waiting or court lady is a female personal assistant at a court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman but of lower rank than the woman to whom she attended. Although she may either have received a retainer or may not have received compensation for the service she rendered, a lady-in-waiting was considered more of a secretary, courtier, or companion to her mistress than a servant.

Princess Tatiana Alexandrovna Yusupova, a lady-in-waiting of the Imperial Court of Russia

In other parts of the world, the lady-in-waiting, often referred to as palace woman, was in practice a servant or a slave rather than a high-ranking woman, but still had about the same tasks, functioning as companion and secretary to her mistress. In courts where polygamy was practised, a court lady was formally available to the monarch for sexual services, and she could become his wife, consort, courtesan, or concubine.

Lady-in-waiting or court lady is often a generic term for women whose relative rank, title, and official functions varied, although such distinctions were also often honorary. A royal woman may or may not be free to select her ladies, and, even when she has such freedom, her choices are usually heavily influenced by the sovereign, her parents, her husband, or the sovereign's ministers (for example, in the Bedchamber crisis).

History

The development of the office of lady-in-waiting in Europe is connected to that of the development of a royal court. During the Carolingian Empire, in the 9th century, Hincmar describes the royal household of Charles the Bald in the De Ordine Palatii, from 882, in which he states that court officials took orders from the queen as well as the king. Merovingian Queens are assumed to have had their personal servants, and in the 9th century it is confirmed that Carolingian Queens had an entourage of guards from the nobility as a sign of their dignity, and some officials are stated to belong to the queen rather than the king.[1]

In the late 12th century, the Queens of France are confirmed to have had their own household, and noblewomen are mentioned as ladies-in-waiting.[1] During the Middle Ages, however, the household of a European queen consort was normally small, and the number of actually employed ladies-in-waiting, rather than wives of noblemen accompanying their husbands to court, was very small: in 1286, the Queen of France had only five ladies-in-waiting in her employment, and it was not until 1316 that her household was separated from that of the royal children.[1]

The role of ladies-in-waiting in Europe changed dramatically during the age of the Renaissance, when a new ceremonial court life, where women played a significant part, developed as representation of power in the courts of Italy, and spread to Burgundy, from Burgundy to France, and to the rest of the courts of Europe.[1] The court of the Duchy of Burgundy was the most elaborate in Europe in the 15th century and became an example for France when the French royal court expanded in the late 15th century and introduced new offices for both men and women to be able to answer to the new renaissance ideal.[1] From small circle of married Femmes and unmarried Filles, with a relatively humble place in the background during the Middle Ages, the number of French ladies-in-waiting were rapidly expanded, divided into an advanced hierarchy with several offices and given an important and public role to play in the new ceremonial court life in early 16th century France.[1] This example was followed by other courts in Europe, when Courts expanded and became more ceremonial during the 16th century, and the offices, numbers and visibility of women expanded in the early modern age.[1]

During the late 19th century and the early 20th century, however, most European courts started to reduce their court staff, often due to new economic and political circumstances which made court representation more questionable.

Duties

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, dances, horse riding, music making, and painting prevalent at court; keeping her mistress abreast of activities and personages at court; care of the rooms and wardrobe of her mistress; secretarial tasks; supervision of servants, budget and purchases; reading correspondence to her mistress and writing on her behalf; and discreetly relaying messages upon command.

By court

Austria

In the late Middle Ages, when the court of the Emperor no longer moved around constantly, the household of the Empress, as well as the equivalent household of the German princely consorts, started to develop a less fluid and more strict organisation with set court offices.

The court model of the Duchy of Burgundy, as well as the Spanish court model, came to influence the organisation of the Austrian imperial court during the 16th century, when the Burgundian Netherlands, Spain and Austria were united through the House of Habsburg.[2][page needed] In the early and mid-16th century, the female courtiers kept by female Habsburgs in the Netherlands and Austria was composed of one Hofmesterees (Court Mistress) or Dame d'honneur who served as the principal lady-in-waiting; one Hofdame or Mere de Filles, who was second in rank and deputy of the Hofmesterees, as well as being in charge of the Eredames (Maids of Honour), also known as Demoiselle d'honneur, Fille d'honneur or Junckfrauen depending on language (Dutch, French and Austrian German respectively), and finally the Kamenisters (Chamber Maids).[3][page needed] However, during the tenure of Maria of Austria, Holy Roman Empress in the mid-16th century, the court of the Empress was organised in accordance with the Spanish court model, and after she left Austria, there was no further household of an Empress until the 1610s.[4][page needed] This resulted in a mix of Burgundian and Spanish customs when the Austrian court model was created.

In 1619, a set organisation was finally established for the Austrian imperial court, which came to be the characteristic organisation of the Austrian-Habsburg court roughly kept from this point onward.[4] The first rank of the female courtiers was the Obersthofmeisterin (Mistress of the Robes), who was second in rank after the Empress herself, and responsible for all the female courtiers.[4] Second rank belonged to the Ayas, essentially governesses of the imperial children and heads of the children's court.[4] Third in rank was the Fräuleinhofmeisterin, who was the replacement of the Obersthofmeisterin when necessary, but otherwise had the responsibility of the unmarried female courtiers, their conduct and service.[4] The rest of the female noble courtiers consisted of the Hoffräulein (Maid of Honour), unmarried females from the nobility who normally served temporarily until marriage.[4] The Hoffräulein could sometimes be promoted to Kammerfräulein (Maid of Honour of the Chamber).[4] The Austrian court model was the role model for the princely courts in Germany.[4] The German court model in turn became the role model of the early modern Scandinavian Courts of Denmark and Sweden.[5][page needed]

Belgium

The Kingdom of Belgium was founded in 1830, after which a royal court was founded, and ladies-in-waiting were appointed for Louise of Orléans when she became the first queen of Belgium in 1832. The female officeholders of the Queen's household were created after the French model and composed of one Dame d'honneur, followed by several ladies-in-waiting with the title Dame du Palais, in turn ranking above the Première femme de chambre and the Femme de chambre.[6]

The ladies-in-waiting have historically been chosen by the queen herself from the noblewomen of the Catholic Noble Houses of Belgium. The chief functions at court were undertaken by members of the higher nobility, involving much contact with the royal ladies. Belgian princesses were assigned a lady upon their 18th birthdays. Princess Clementine was given a Dame by her father, a symbolic acknowledgement of adulthood. When the queen entertains, the ladies welcome guests and assist the hostess in sustaining conversation.

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 maids to ladies-in-waiting, concubines, or even queen. Srey Snom (Khmer: ស្រីស្នំ) is the Cambodian term for the Khmer lady-in-waiting.

The six favorite court ladies of King Sisowath of Cambodia were probably initially drawn from the ranks of classical royal dancers of the 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.

Canada

Several Canadian ladies-in-waiting have also been appointed to the Royal Household of Canada. Canadian ladies-in-waiting are typically appointed in order to assist the Queen of Canada when carrying out official duties in Canada and royal tours in the country. Five Canadian ladies-in-waiting were made Lieutenants of the Royal Victorian Order.[7]

China

 
Tang Dynasty court ladies on A Palace Concert painting

Han

The ladies-in-waiting in China, referred to as palace women, palace ladies or court ladies, were all formally, if not always in practice, a part of the Emperor's harem, regardless of their task, and could be promoted by him to the rank of official concubine, consort, or even empress.[8][page needed]

The Emperors of the Han dynasty (202 BC–220 AD) are reported to have had a harem of thousands of 'palace women', although the actual numbers are unconfirmed.[8]

Song

At least during the Song dynasty (960–1279), palace women were divided in three groups: imperial women (consisting of concubines and consorts), imperial daughters (consisting of daughters and sisters of the Emperor), and the female officials and assistants, who performed a wide range of tasks and could potentially be promoted to the rank of concubine or consort.[9]

Women from official elite families could be chosen to become Empress, consort or concubine immediately upon their entrance in the palace, but the Emperor could also promote any female court official to that post, as they were officially all members of his harem.[9]

The female court officials and attendants were normally selected from trusted families and then educated for their task.[9]

Ming

During the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), palace women were sorted into roughly the same three categories as in the Song Dynasty.[10] However, female officials and assistants in the Ming Dynasty were organized into six established government groups, called the Six Bureaus: the Bureau of General Affairs, Bureau of Handicrafts, Bureau of Ceremonies, Bureau of Apartments, Bureau of Apparel, and Bureau of Foodstuffs.[11] These groups were all overseen by the Office of Staff Surveillance, headed by a female official.[12]

Women workers in the imperial palace were distinguished as either permanent or temporary staff.[13] Permanent palace staff included educated and literate female officials serving in the Six Bureaus, and wet nurses caring for imperial heirs or other palace children.[13] These women received great wealth and social acclaim if their jobs were performed well.[14] Seasonal or temporary palace women included midwives, female physicians, and indentured contractors (these were usually women serving as maids to consorts, entertainers, sewing tutors, or sedan-chair bearers).[15] These women were recruited into the palace when necessary and then released following the termination of their predetermined period of service.[16]

Throughout the Ming dynasty, there was frequent movement between the palace service industry and the low levels of the Imperial Harem.[17] Although Emperors frequently selected minor consorts from Imperial serving women, few selected women ever reached the higher ranks of the consort structure or gained significant prominence.[18]

As the Ming dynasty progressed, living and working conditions for palace women began to deteriorate.[19] Lower-ranked serving women working in the Imperial palace were often underpaid and unable to buy food, leaving them to support themselves by selling embroidery at the market outside the palace via eunuchs.[20] Overall, living conditions and punishments for misbehaving eventually grew so bad that there was an assassination attempt against the Jiajing Emperor by a group of serving women.[21] Led by palace maid Yang Jinying in 1542, the failed assassination attempt involved several maids sneaking into the Emperor's bedchamber as he slept, to strangle him with a curtain cord.[22] The attempt ultimately failed, and all the women involved were put to death, although this type of violent revolt by serving women had never been seen before in the Ming Dynasty.[22]

Due to slanderous literary propaganda written and spread by male officials and Confucian authors, higher-class female officials also saw their power begin to weaken throughout the Ming dynasty.[23] These prominent government men began to disparage having educated women in government and state roles in response to the influence Imperial women had held over the nation in the past.[24] This prompted a gradual overtaking of female official roles by palace eunuchs that continued throughout the remainder of the Dynasty.[25]

Qing

The system of palace women continued mostly unchanged during the Qing dynasty (1644–1912), when a class of imperial women acting as consorts or concubines, who had not previously held other roles, existed. However, female court attendants were also all available for promotion to concubinage or the position of consort by the Emperor.[26][page needed] During the Qing dynasty, imperial women were selected from among the teenage daughters of the Manchu official banner families, who were drafted to an inspection before they could marry.[26] Similarly, palace maids were drafted from lower official and banner classes before they could marry.[27][page needed] After their selection, palace maids were educated as personal attendants to consorts, female officials within court rituals or other tasks, and were also available for the Emperor to promote to consort or concubine.[27] Below the palace maids were the maidservants, who were selected the same way by a draft among the daughters of soldiers.[27]

Denmark

The early modern Danish court was organized according to the German court model, in turn inspired by the Austrian imperial court model, from the 16th century onward.[5] The highest rank female courtier to a female royal was the Hofmesterinde (Court Mistress) or, from 1694/98 onward, Overhofmesterinde (Chief Court Mistress), equivalent to the Mistress of the Robes, normally an elder widow, who supervised the rest of the ladies-in-waiting.[28][page needed] The rest of the female courtiers were mainly Kammerfrøken (Senior Maid of Honour), followed by a group of Hofdame (Court Lady) and the Hoffrøken (Maid of Honour).[28] They were followed by the non-noble female court employees not ranking as ladies-in-waiting, such as the chamber maids.

This hierarchy was roughly in place from the 16th century until the death of King Christian IX of Denmark in 1906.[28] During the 20th century, most of these titles came of use, and all ladies-in-waiting at the royal Danish court are now referred to as Hofdame (Court Lady).

France

The Queen of France is confirmed to have had a separate household in the late 12th century, and an ordinance from 1286 notes that Joan I of Navarre, Queen of France, had a group of five ladies (Dames) and maids-in-waiting (Damoiselles). In the 1480s, the French ladies-in-waiting were divided into Femmes Mariées (married ladies-in-waiting) and Filles d'honneur (Maids of Honour).[1] However, the Queen's household and the number of female courtiers during the Middle Ages was very small in France, as in most European courts.

It was not until the end of the 15th century and early 16th century that emulation of the new courts of the Italian Renaissance made ladies-in-waiting fashionable in official court ceremonies and representation, and female court offices became more developed and numerous in the French court as well as in other European courts.[1] The introduction of ladies-in-waiting increased in great numbers at the French court at this time: from a mere five in 1286 and still only 23 in 1490, to 39 in 1498 and roughly 54 during the 16th century.[1] This expansion of female presence at court has been attributed to both Anne of Brittany, who encouraged all male courtiers to send their daughters to her, and to Francis I of France, who was criticized for bringing to court "the constant presence" of large crowds of women, who gossiped and interfered in state affairs. Francis I once said: "a court without ladies is a court without a court".[1]

  • The first ranked female courtier in the French royal court was the Surintendante de la Maison de la Reine (Mistress of the Robes) to the queen. The Surintendante and the Governess of the Children of France were the only female office holders in France to give an oath of loyalty to the King himself.[2] This office was created in 1619,[29][page needed] and was vacant from the death of Marie Anne de Bourbon, in 1741, until the appointment of Marie Louise of Savoy-Carignan, Princesse de Lamballe, in 1775.
  • The second highest rank was that of the Première dame d'honneur, who could act as the stand-in of the Surintendante[2] and had roughly the same tasks, hiring and supervising the female courtiers and the Queen's daily routine and expenditure.[29] This post was created in 1523 and had originally been the highest female court office.[1]
  • The third rank belonged to the Dame d'atour, who formally supervised the Queen's wardrobe and jewelry and the dressing of the queen.[29] This post was created in 1534.[1]
  • The fourth rank was that of the dames, from 1523 named Dame d'honneur,[1] composed of ladies-in-waiting whose task was simply to serve as companions and attending and assisting with court functions.[29] The position was abolished in 1674, and replaced by the Dame du palais, 12 married noblewomen with the same tasks.[2]
  • The fifth rank was the Filles d'honneur or Demoiselles d'honneur (Maids of Honour), unmarried daughters of the nobility, who had the same tasks as the dames, but were mainly placed at court to learn etiquette and look for a spouse.[29] They were supervised by the Gouvernante and the Sous-gouvernante.[29] The Filles were from 1531 supervised by the Gouvernante de Filles, a lady-in-waiting who had the task to chaperone them: this post was divided in to several from 1547 onward.[1] The position of Filles d'honneur was abolished in 1674.[2]
  • The sixth rank was the Première femme de chambre, who in turn outranked the remaining Femme de Chambres and Lavandières.[2] The Premiere femme de chambre had the keys to the Queen's rooms and could recommend and deny audiences to her, which in practice made her position very powerful at court.[29]

During the First Empire, the principal lady-in-waiting of the Empress was the Dame d'honneur, followed by between 20 and 36 Dames du Palais.[30][page needed] During the Bourbon Restoration, Marie Thérèse of France restored the pre-revolutionary court hierarchy.[31][page needed] During the Second Empire, the female courtiers of the Empress were composed of the first rank, Grand Maitresse, and the second rank, Dame d'honneur, followed by six (later twelve) Dames du Palais.[32][page needed]

Germany

The early modern princely courts in Germany were modeled after the Austrian imperial court model.[4] This court model divided the ladies-in-waiting in a chief lady-in-waiting named Oberhofmeisterin (a widowed or married elder woman) who supervised the Hoffräulein (Maids of Honour), of which one or two could be promoted to the middle rank of Kammerfräulein (Maid of Honour of the Chamber).[4] The German princely courts in turn became the role model of the Scandinavian courts of Denmark and Sweden in the 16th century.[5]

After the end of the German Holy Roman Empire in 1806, and the establishment of several minor Kingdoms in Germany, the post of Staatsdame (married ladies-in-waiting) were introduced in many German princely and royal courts. At the imperial German court, the ladies-in-waiting were composed of one Oberhofmeisterin in charge of several Hofstaatsdamen or Palastdamen.[33][page needed]

Greece

During the Byzantine Empire, the Byzantine Empress was attended by a female court (the Sekreton Tōn Gynaikōn), which consisted mostly of the wives of high-ranking male court officials, who simply used the feminine versions of their husbands' titles. The only specifically female dignity was that of the Zoste patrikia, the chief lady-in-waiting and female attendant of the Empress, who was the head of the women's court and often a relative of the Empress; this title existed at least since the 9th century.

The Kingdom of Greece was established in 1832 and its first queen, Amalia of Oldenburg, organized the ladies-in-waiting of its first royal court with one 'Grande Maitresse', followed by the second rank 'Dame d'honneur', and the third rank 'Dame de Palais'.[34][page needed]

Italy

Naples and the Two Sicilies

Prior to the unification, the greatest of the Italian states was the Kingdom of Naples, later called Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. In 1842, the ladies-in-waiting of the Queen of the Two Sicilies were composed of one Dama di Onore (Lady of Honor, ranked just below the Cavaliere di Onore), three Dama di Compagnia (Lady Companions, ranked below the Cavalerizzo), and a large number of Dame di Corte (Court Ladies).[35]

Kingdom of Italy

In 1861, the Italian Peninsula was united in to the Kingdom of Italy. The ladies-in-waiting of the Queen of Italy were headed by the Dama d'Onore, followed by the Dame di Corte, and finally the Dame di Palazzo.[36] The Dama d'Onore was nominally the chief lady-in-waiting, but in practice often limited her service to state occasions; the Dame di Corte was the regular lady-in-waiting who personally attended to the queen, while the Dame di Palazzo were honorary courtiers attached to the royal palaces in particular cities, such as Florence, Turin, and so forth, and only served temporary when the queen visited the city in question: among these, only the Dame di Palazzo attached to the royal palace of the capital of Rome served more than temporary.[37]

Japan

In Japan, the imperial court offices was normally reserved for members of the court aristocracy and the ladies-in-waiting or 'palace attendants' were commonly educated members of the nobility.[38][page needed]

During the Heian period (794–1185) women could hold court offices of substantial responsibility, managing the affairs of the Emperor.[38] Female palace attendants were employed by the Imperial Bureau of Palace Attendants from among the court aristocracy, but were required to have sufficient education in Chinese classics to be accepted.[39][page needed]

During the Sengoku period (1467–1603), the highest rank of a lady-in-waiting was the 'Female Assistant to the Major Counselor', who ran the affairs of the daily life of the Imperial Household.[38] The second rank was Koto No Naishi (Female Palace Attendant), who acted as intermediary between the Emperor and those seeking an audience and issued his wishes in writing.[38] Ladies-in-waiting acted as imperial secretaries and noted the events at court, visitors and gifts in the official court journals.[38]

In contrast to China, female palace attendants managed the palace of the imperial harem rather than eunuchs, and could hold high court offices in the Emperor's personal household.[39]

Female palace attendants were divided in two classes, which in turn had several ranks, signifying their task.[40][page needed] The first class consisted of the nyokan, or ladies-in-waiting who held court offices: naishi-kami (shoji) naishi-suke (tenji) and naishi-no-jo (shoji). The second class were the female palace attendants: myobu, osashi, osue and nyoju.[40] The ladies-in-waiting worked as personal assistants, tending to the Emperor's wardrobe, assisting the emperor's baths, serving meals, performing and attending court rituals.[39] Ladies-in-waiting could be appointed as concubines, consorts or even Empresses by the Emperor or the heir to the throne.[39] The function of a lady-in-waiting as potential concubine was abolished in 1924.[39]

Korea

Gungnyeo (literally 'palace women') is a term that refers to women who worked in the palace and waited upon the king and other members of the royal family. It is short for Gungjung Yeogwan, which translates to 'woman officer of the royal court'.

Gungnyeo consisted of the ladies-in-waiting—both high-ranking court ladies and the ordinary maids (known as nain) responsible for most of the labour work—who were divided into ranks from 9 to 5 (the ranks from 4 to 1 were the official concubines of the king), with two levels each (senior and junior), the highest attainable rank being sanggung (senior 5th),[41] as well as other types of working women who were not included in the classification, such as musuri (women from the lowest class who did odd jobs, such as drawing water and distributing firewood), gaksimi (also known as bija and bangja, who were personal servants of a sanggung), sonnim (literally translated to 'guest', were maids brought in the palace to work for the royal concubines, most of the time connected to the families of the concubines) and uinyeo (selected from public female slaves, they worked at the royal infirmary or public clinics, and practiced simple medicine skills).

Generally, the ladies-in-waiting were chosen from among the young girls of the sangmin (commoners) and the private female slaves of the sadaebu (governing class). Later, the candidates were also picked from among the government slaves, together with the daughters of noblemen's concubines (who were former courtesans or slaves). The appointment process was different for nain associated with the inner quarters for the king and queen, who were recruited by the high ranked court ladies themselves, through recommendations and connections. The nain for the departments with specific skills such as sewing and embroidery were from the jungin (middle class), with the lowest class of gungnyeo coming from the cheonmin (vulgar commoners).

They could be as young as 4 when entering the palace, and after learning court language and etiquette, they could be elevated to a nain. When they had served the court for more than 15 years, they would eventually be promoted to higher ranks, however they were eligible for the rank of sanggung only after a minimum of 35 years of work.

Ladies-in-waiting could become concubines if the king favored them. They would be elevated to the highest rank (senior 5th) and would be known as seungeun sanggung (or 'favored/special court lady'). If they gave birth to a son, they would become members of the royal family, after being promoted to sug-won (junior 4th) and until the 18th century, they could advance as high as becoming queen (the most notable example being Jang Ok-jeong, a concubine of Sukjong of Joseon and mother of Gyeongjong of Joseon).

The Netherlands

The court of the Duchy of Burgundy, which was situated in the Netherlands in the 15th century, was famous for its elaborate ceremonial court life and became a role model for several other courts of Europe.[1] The Burgundian court model came to be the role model for the Austrian imperial court during the 16th century, when the Burgundian Netherlands and Austria were united through the Habsburg dynasty.[2]

In the 16th century, the ladies-in-waiting in the courts of the Habsburg governors of the Netherlands, Margaret of Austria and Mary of Hungary, were composed of one Hofmeesteres (Court Mistress) or Dame d'honneur who served as the principal lady-in-waiting; one Hofdame or Mere de Filles, who was second in rank and deputy of the Hofmeesteres as well as being in charge of the Eredames (Maids of Honour), also known as Demoiselle d'honneur, Fille d'honneur or Junckfrauen, and finally the Kameniersters (Chamber Maids), all with different titles depending on language in the multilingual area of the Netherlands.[3]

The Kingdom of the Netherlands was founded in 1815, signifying the organisation of a royal court. In the 19th century, the ladies-in-waiting of the Dutch court were headed by the Grootmeesteres (Grand Mistress, equivalent to Mistress of the Robes), of second rank were the Dames du Palais (married ladies-in-waiting), followed by the third rank Hofdames (Court Ladies, equivalent to Maids of Honour).[42][page needed][43][full citation needed]

Beatrix of the Netherlands had a total of seven Hofdames. They accompanied the queen and the other female members of the Royal House during visits and receptions at the royal court. The monarch paid for their expenses, but they did not receive any salary. Not all of these ladies were members of the Dutch aristocracy, but each had a "notable" husband. Excellent social behavior and discretion were the most important recommendations for becoming a Hofdame. In 2012, the Hofdames were Letje van Karnebeek-van Lede, Lieke Gaarlandt-van Voorst van Beest, Julie Jeekel-Thate, Miente Boellaard-Stheeman, Jonkvrouwe Reina de Blocq van Scheltinga, Elizabeth Baroness van Wassenaer-Mersmans and Bibi Baroness van Zuylen van Nijevelt, Jonkvrouwe den Beer Poortugael. Queen Maxima reduced the number of Hofdames to three, hers being: Lieke Gaarlandt-van Voorst van Beest, Pien van Karnebeek-Thijssen and Annemijn Crince le Roy-van Munster van Heuven. After their voluntary retirement, Hofdames were appointed to the honorary royal household. The honorary royal household still distinguishes between Dames du Palais and Hofdames, but the category Dames du Palais is slated for discontinuation.

The Grootmeesteres (Grandmistress) is the highest-ranking lady at the royal court. From 1984 until 2014, the position was held by Martine van Loon-Labouchere, descendant of the famous banker family, a former diplomat and the widow of Jonkheer Maurits van Loon of the famous Amsterdam canal estate. The current Grootmeesteres is Bibi Countess van Zuylen van Nijevelt-den Beer Poortugael (lady-in-waiting between 2011 and 2014).

Nigeria

A number of tribes and cultural areas in the African continent, such as the Lobedu people of Southern Africa, had a similar custom on ladies-in-waiting in historic times.

As a further example, within certain pre-colonial states of the Bini and Yoruba peoples in Nigeria, the queen mothers and high priestesses were considered "ritually male" due to their social eminence. As a result of this fact, they were often attended on by women who belonged to their harems in much the same way as their actually male counterparts were served by women who belonged to theirs. Although these women effectively functioned as ladies-in-waiting, were often members of powerful families of the local nobility in their own right, and were not usually used for sexual purposes, they were none-the-less referred to as their principals' "wives".

Norway

During the Denmark–Norway Union, from 1380 until 1814, the Danish royal court in Copenhagen was counted as the Norwegian royal court, and thus there was no royal court present in Norway during this period. During the union between Norway and Sweden from 1814 to 1905, there were Norwegian courtiers who served during the Swedish royal family's visits to Norway. The female courtiers were appointed according to the Swedish court model, that is to say the class of Hovfröken (Maid of Honour), Kammarfröken (Chief Maid of Honour) and Statsfru (Lady of the Bedchamber), all supervised by the Overhoffmesterinne (Mistress of the Robes): these posts were first appointed in 1817.[44][page needed] When the union between Sweden and Norway was dissolved in 1905, a permanent Norwegian royal court was established.

Ottoman Empire

In the Ottoman Empire, the word lady-in-waiting or court lady has often been used to described those women of the Imperial Harem who functioned as servants, secretaries, and companions of the consorts (concubines), daughters, sisters and mothers of the Ottoman Sultan. These women originally came to the Harem as slaves, captured through the Crimean slave trade, the Barbary slave trade and the White slave trade.[45] When they entered the Harem, they were given the position of Cariye and were all formally available as concubines to the Sultan, but if they were not chosen to share his bed, they served in a position similar to lady-in-waiting, serving the mother, concubines, sisters, and daughters of the Sultan.[45]

The (enslaved) ladies-in-waiting of the Ottoman Imperial harem were collectively known as kalfa, of different ranks. Each royal and royal concubine had their own houshold staff of kalfa; a kalfa serving as the servant of the sultan himself was titled Hünkar Kalfalari.[46] A Hazinedar or Hazinedar Usta was a kalfa with special assignments rather than just an ordinary attendant, and were ranked under the Hazinedar Usta.[47] All kalfa belonging to the same household within the court were ranked under their Daire Kalfasi, who was the supervisor of the kalfa's belonging to a specific royal person.[48] All Daire Kalfasi of the harem were rankend under the Büyük Kalfa, who in turn was the supervisor of all the Daire Kalfasi of the court.[49] The highest ranked kalfa was the Saray Ustas, who supervised all the kalfa of the entire court (harem).[50]

Poland

In early modern Poland, the queen's ladies-in-waitings were collectively referred to as the fraucimer. The queen's household mirrored that of the king, but was smaller. The queen's male courtiers were supervised by the Ochmistrz, a nobleman, and the women of her court were supervised by the chief lady-in-waiting, the Ochmistrzyni (magister curiae). The Ochmistrzyni was defined as a state office and it was the only state office in Poland prior to the partition of Poland which was held by a woman. She was always to be a noblewoman married to a nobleman of senatorial rank. The Ochmistrzyni supervised a large number of unmarried ladies-in-waiting, maids of honour. The queen's court was a larger version of the courts of the Polish magnate noblewomen, and it was the custom in the Polish nobility to send their teenage daughters to be educated as ladies-in-waitings in the household of another noblewoman or preferably the queen herself in order to receive an education and find someone to marry. [51]

Russia

In the Court of Muscovite Russia, the offices of ladies-in-waiting to the Tsarina were normally divided among the Boyarinas (widows or wives of Boyars), often from the family and relatives of the Tsarina.[52] The first rank among the offices of the ladies-in-waiting was the Tsarina's treasurer. The second was the group of companions. The third were the royal nurses to the princes and princesses (where the nurses of the male children outranked); among the nurses, the most significant post was that of the Mamok, the head royal governess, who was normally selected from elder widows, often relatives to the Tsar or Tsarina.[53] All offices were appointed by royal decree. The group of ladies-in-waiting were collectively above the rank of the Svetlichnaya (the Tsarina's sewing women), the Postelnitsy (the Tsarina's Chamber Women and Washing Women) and the officials who handled the affairs of the staff.[53]

In 1722, this system was abolished and the Russian imperial court was reorganized in accordance with the reforms of Peter the Great to westernize Russia, and the old court offices of the Tsarina were replaced with court offices inspired by the German model (see lady-in-waiting of the Imperial Court of Russia).[citation needed]

Spain

The royal court of Castile included a group of ladies-in-waiting for the queen named Camarera in the late 13th century and early 14th century, but it was not until the 15th century that a set organisation of the ladies-in-waiting is confirmed.[54][page needed] This characteristic organisation of the Spanish ladies-in-waiting, roughly established during the reign of Isabella I of Castile (r. 1474–1504), was kept by Isabella of Portugal, Holy Roman Empress and Queen of Spain, during the 16th century, and became the standard Spanish court model for ladies-in-waiting.[54]

  • The highest rank female courtier was the Camarera Mayor de Palacio (Mistress of the Robes).[4] This office is confirmed from the 1410s.[54]
  • The second rank was shared by the Ayas (royal governess), and the Guardas (chaperones).[4]
  • The third rank was the Dueñas de Honor, the married ladies-in-waiting, who were responsible for not only the unmarried Damas or Meninas (Maids of honour), but also of the female slaves and dwarfs, who were classified as courtiers and ranked before the Mozas (maids) and Lavanderas (washer women).[4]

Sweden

The early modern Swedish court, as well as the Danish equivalent, were re-organized in the early 16th century according to the German court model, in turn inspired by the Austrian imperial court model.[5] This model roughly organized the female noble courtiers in the class of the unmarried Hovfröken (Maid of Honour, until 1719 Hovjungfru) which could be promoted to Kammarfröken (Chief Maid of Honour, until 1719 Kammarjungfru).[5] They were supervised by the Hovmästarinna (Court Mistress, equivalent to Mistress of the Robes), normally a married or widowed elder noblewoman.[5] Under this class of female noble courtiers, were the non-noble female servants. They were headed by the normally married Kammarfru (Mistress of the Chamber, roughly equivalent to a Lady's Maid), often of burgher background, who supervised the group of Kammarpiga (Chamber Maids).[5]

From the reign of Queen Christina, the Hovmästarinna was supervised by the Överhovmästarinna (Chief Court Mistress).[5] In 1774, the post of Statsfru (Mistress of the State) was introduced, which was the title for the group of married ladies-in-waiting with a rank between the Hovmästarinna and the Kammarfröken.[55][page needed] The Swedish court staff was reduced in size in 1873.[55] The new court protocols of 1911 and 1954 continued this reduction, and many court posts were abolished or no longer filled.

With the exception of the Statsfru and the Överhovmästarinna, none of the titles above are in use today. At the death of Queen Louise in 1965, her Överhovmästarinna was employed by the King. From 1994, the Överhovmästarinna is the head of the court of the King rather than the Queen, while the court of the Queen is headed by the Statsfru. There is now only one Statsfru, and the other ladies-in-waiting are simply referred to as Hovdam (Court Lady). Queen Silvia of Sweden has only three Hovdamer (Court Ladies). Her chief lady-in-waiting is the Statsfru.

United Kingdom

In the Royal Households of the United Kingdom, a lady-in-waiting is a woman attending a female member of the Royal Family. Ladies-in-waiting are routinely appointed by junior female members of the Royal Family, to accompany them on public engagements and provide other support and assistance.[56] A woman attending on a queen regnant or queen consort is also often referred to by this title (including in official notices), but is more formally styled as either Woman of the Bedchamber or Lady of the Bedchamber (depending on which of these offices she holds).

On more formal occasions ladies in waiting wear a badge of office, which usually takes the form of a jewelled or enamelled monogram of the relevant member of the Royal Family beneath the appropriate crown or coronet, suspended from a coloured ribbon.[57]

The senior lady of a queen's household (whether queen regnant or queen consort) is the Mistress of the Robes, who (as well as being in attendance herself on occasion) has traditionally been responsible for arranging all the duties of the queen's ladies in waiting.[56]

Queen Elizabeth II

 
Walking behind Queen Elizabeth II on a visit to Toronto in 2010 are two of her ladies-in-waiting: Lady Hussey (left) and Lady Farnham (right)

During the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, one of the Women of the Bedchamber was always in daily attendance; each served for a fortnight at a time, in rotation. In the Court Circular the phrase 'Lady in Waiting to the Queen' referred to the women on duty at a given time.[58]

The Ladies of the Bedchamber were not in daily attendance, but were called upon for more formal or important public occasions and events.[56]

Towards the end of her reign, the ladies-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth II were:[59]

Mistress of the Robes

Ladies of the Bedchamber

Women of the Bedchamber

Extra ladies-in-waiting[65]

After the death of Elizabeth II and the accession of Charles III, it was announced that the King would be retaining the late Queen's ladies-in-waiting, with their titles changing to "Ladies of the Household".[66] They will help with hosting events at Buckingham Palace.[66]

Camilla, Queen Consort

In November 2022, it was announced that Camilla, the Queen Consort, would end the tradition of having ladies-in-waiting. Instead, she will be helped by "Queen's companions".[66] Their role will be informal and they will not be involved in tasks such as replying to letters or developing schedules.[66]

As of 30 November 2022 her companions were:[66]

Historic

In the Middle Ages, Margaret of France, Queen of England is noted to have had seven ladies-in-waiting: three married ones, who were called Domina, and four unmarried maids of honour, but no principal lady-in-waiting is mentioned,[67] and until the 15th century, the majority of the office holders of the Queen's household were still male.[68]

As late as in the mid-15th century, Queen Elizabeth Woodville had only five ladies-in-waiting,[68] but in the late 15th century and early 16th century, ladies-in-waiting were given a more dominant place at the English court, in parallel with developments in France and the continental courts. The court life of the Duchy of Burgundy served as an example when Edward IV created the Black Book of the Household in 1478,[2] and the organisation of the English royal household was essentially set from that point onward.[69][page needed]

Elizabeth of York, Queen of England had numerous ladies-in-waiting, which was reported by the Spanish ambassador, Rodrigo de Puebla, as something unusual and astonishing: "the Queen has thirty-two ladies, very magnificent and in splendid style".[68] She reportedly had 36 ladies-in-waiting, 18 of them noblewomen; in 1502, a more complete account summarised them as 16 'gentlewomen', seven maids of honour and three 'chamberers-women', who attended to her in the bedchamber.[68] Aside from the women formally employed as ladies-in-waiting, the Queen's female retinue in reality also consisted of the daughters and the ladies-in-waiting of her ladies-in-waiting, who also resided in the Queen's household.[68]

The duties of ladies-in-waiting at the Tudor court were to act as companions for the queen, both in public and in private. They had to accompany her wherever she went, to entertain her with music, dance or singing and to dress, bathe and help her use the toilet, since a royal person, by the standards of the day, was not supposed to do anything for herself, but was always to be waited upon in all daily tasks as a sign of their status.[68]

Ladies-in-waiting were appointed because of their social status as members of the nobility, on the recommendation of court officials, or other prominent citizens, and because they were expected to be supporters of the royal family due to their own family relationships. When the queen was not a foreigner, her own relations were often appointed as they were presumed to be trustworthy and loyal. Lady Margaret Lee was a Lady of the Privy Chamber to Queen Anne Boleyn, just as Lady Elizabeth Seymour-Cromwell was to Queen Jane Seymour.

The organisation of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting was set in the period of the Tudor court. The ladies-in-waiting were headed by the Mistress of the Robes, followed in rank by the First Lady of the Bedchamber, who supervised the group of Ladies of the Bedchamber (typically wives or widows of peers above the rank of Earl), in turn followed by the group of Women of the Bedchamber (usually the daughters of peers) and finally the group of maids of honour, whose service entitled them to the style of The Honourable for life.[70]

The system had formally remained roughly the same since the Tudor period. However, in practice, many offices have since then been left vacant. For example, in recent times, maids of honour have only been appointed for coronations.

Notable examples

This is a list of particularly well known and famous ladies-in-waiting of each nation listed. More can be found in their respective category.

Austria

Canada

Denmark

England, Scotland, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom

France

Germany

Hungary

Japan

Korea

China

Ottoman

Poland

Russia

Sweden

Thailand

In fiction

Extended uses

The term "lady-in-waiting" is sometimes used as slang for "pregnant woman".

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Kolk 2009.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Duindam
  3. ^ a b Kerkhoff
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Akkerman & Houben 2013
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Persson 1999
  6. ^ Almanach royal officiel de Belgique, pour l'an 1841[full citation needed]
  7. ^ a b McCreery, Christopher (2008). On Her Majesty's Service: Royal Honours and Recognition in Canada. Dundurn. p. 133. ISBN 978-1-5500-2742-6.
  8. ^ a b Ebrey
  9. ^ a b c Chung, pp. 960–1126
  10. ^ Hsieh, Bao Hua (1999). "From Charwoman to Empress Dowager: Serving-Women in the Ming Palace". Ming Studies. 42 (42): 26–80. doi:10.1179/014703799788763371. PMID 22026040.
  11. ^ Hsieh, Bao Hua (2014). "Ming Palace Serving-Women". Concubinage and Servitude in Late Imperial China. London: Lexington Books. pp. 179–208.
  12. ^ Hsieh. Concubinage and Servitude. p. 184.
  13. ^ a b Hsieh. Concubinage and Servitude. p. 180.
  14. ^ Hsieh. Concubinage and Servitude. p. 181.
  15. ^ Cass, Victoria B (1986). "Female Healers in the Ming and the Lodge of Ritual and Ceremony". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 106 (1): 233–245. doi:10.2307/602374. JSTOR 602374.
  16. ^ Cass. Female Healers. p. 236.
  17. ^ Hsieh. "From Charwoman to Empress Dowager". Ming Studies: 45.
  18. ^ Hsieh. "From Charwoman to Empress Dowager". Ming Studies: 46.
  19. ^ Hsieh. Concubinage and Servitude. p. 187.
  20. ^ Hsieh. "From Charwoman to Empress Dowager". Ming Studies: 127.
  21. ^ Lee, Lily Xiao Hong (2016). Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women, Volume II: Tang Through Ming 618–1644. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis. p. 543.
  22. ^ a b Lee. Biographical Dictionary. p. 543.
  23. ^ Hinsch, Bret (2016). Women in Imperial China. London: Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 147–174.
  24. ^ Hinsch. Women in Imperial China. p. 148.
  25. ^ Hsieh. "From Charwoman to Empress Dowager". Ming Studies: 125.
  26. ^ a b Walthall
  27. ^ a b c Hsieh Bao Hua
  28. ^ a b c Kjølsen 2010
  29. ^ a b c d e f g Akkerman & Houben 2013
  30. ^ Mansel.
  31. ^ Nagel 2008.
  32. ^ Seward 2004.
  33. ^ Zedlitz-Trützschler 1924.
  34. ^ Almanach de Gotha 1859.
  35. ^ Almanacco reale del regno delle Due Sicilie
  36. ^ Calendario reale per l'anno 1879[full citation needed]
  37. ^ la Repubblica.it, 2007, 11, 25, La dama di compagnia dell' ultima Regina[full citation needed]
  38. ^ a b c d e Lillehoj
  39. ^ a b c d e Rowley
  40. ^ a b Lebra
  41. ^ (in Korean and English). The Academy of Korean Studies. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
  42. ^ Hamer 2011.
  43. ^ S Gravenhaagsche Stads-Almanak: voor 1857
  44. ^ Hauge & Egeberg 1960.
  45. ^ a b Madeline Zilfi: Women and Slavery in the Late Ottoman Empire: The Design of Difference
  46. ^ Brookes, Douglas Scott (2010). The Concubine, the Princess, and the Teacher: Voices from the Ottoman Harem. University of Texas Press. ISBN 978-0-292-78335-5. s. 293-301
  47. ^ Brookes, Douglas Scott (2010). The Concubine, the Princess, and the Teacher: Voices from the Ottoman Harem. University of Texas Press. ISBN 978-0-292-78335-5. s. 293-301
  48. ^ Brookes, Douglas Scott (2010). The Concubine, the Princess, and the Teacher: Voices from the Ottoman Harem. University of Texas Press. ISBN 978-0-292-78335-5. s. 293-301
  49. ^ Brookes, Douglas Scott (2010). The Concubine, the Princess, and the Teacher: Voices from the Ottoman Harem. University of Texas Press. ISBN 978-0-292-78335-5. s. 293-301
  50. ^ Brookes, Douglas Scott (2010). The Concubine, the Princess, and the Teacher: Voices from the Ottoman Harem. University of Texas Press. ISBN 978-0-292-78335-5. s. 293-301
  51. ^ Bożena Popiołek, Rola dworów magnackich w edukacji dziewcząt na przełomie XVII i XVIII wieku, www.wilanow-palac.pl [dostęp 2020-02-25].
  52. ^ И. Е. Забелин. Глава VI. Царицын дворовый чин // Домашний быт русских цариц в XVI и XVII столетиях. — М.: Типография Грачева и Комп., 1869.[need quotation to verify]
  53. ^ a b Верховая боярыня // Энциклопедический словарь Брокгауза и Ефрона : в 86 т. (82 т. и 4 доп.). — СПб., 1890–1907.[need quotation to verify]
  54. ^ a b c Cruz & Stampino
  55. ^ a b Rundquist 1989
  56. ^ a b c Allison, Ronald; Riddell, Sarah, eds. (1991). The Royal Encyclopedia. London: Macmillan. p. 307.
  57. ^ Risk, James; Pownall, Henry; Stanley, David; Tamplin, John (2001). Royal Service (Volume II). Lingfield, Surrey: Third Millennium. pp. 65–70.
  58. ^ e.g. "Mrs. Fiona Henderson has succeeded Mrs. Robert de Pass as Lady in Waiting to The Queen" (Court Circular, 29 October 2002).
  59. ^ British Monarchy 2016.
  60. ^ London Gazette, Issue 45868, Page 105, 2 January 1973
  61. ^ a b c London Gazette, Issue 51019, Page 9885, 4 August 1987
  62. ^ London Gazette, Issue 41917, Page 79, 1 January 1960
  63. ^ London Gazette, Issue 42185, Page 7459, 4 November 1960
  64. ^ a b "Court Circular, 11 August 2002". The Royal Family. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  65. ^ "Court Circular, 13 July 2017". The Royal Family. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  66. ^ a b c d e Coughlan, Sean (27 November 2022). "Camilla scraps ladies-in-waiting in modernising move". BBC News. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  67. ^ William J. Thoms: The Book of the Court: Exhibiting the History, Duties, and Privileges of the English Nobility and Gentry. Particularly of the Great Officers of State and Members of the Royal Household, 1844
  68. ^ a b c d e f Alison Weir: Elizabeth of York: A Tudor Queen and Her World
  69. ^ Gosman, Macdonald & Vanderjagt.
  70. ^ Chisholm 1911, p. 663.

References

  • Akkerman, Nadine; Houben, Birgit, eds. (2013), The Politics of Female Households: Ladies-In-Waiting Across Early Modern Europe, Leiden: Brill[full citation needed]
  • Almanach de Gotha: annuaire généalogique, diplomatique et statistique, 1859[full citation needed]
  • "Ladies-in-Waiting and Equerries", The Official website of the British Monarchy, archived from the original on 3 February 2016
  • Chung, Priscilla Ching, Palace Women in the Northern Sung, pp. 960–1126[full citation needed]
  • Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911), "Honourable" , Encyclopædia Britannica, vol. 13 (11th ed.), Cambridge University Press, pp. 662–663
  • Cruz, Anne J.; Stampino, Maria Galli, Early Modern Habsburg Women: Transnational Contexts, Cultural Conflicts, dynastic continuities[full citation needed]
  • Ebrey, Patricia Buckley, Women and the Family in Chinese History[full citation needed]
  • Duindam, Jeroen Frans Jozef, Vienna and Versailles: The Courts of Europe's Dynastic Rivals, 1550–1780[full citation needed]
  • Kolk, Caroline zum (June 2009), "The Household of the Queen of France in the Sixteenth Century", The Court Historian, 14 (1)[full citation needed]
  • Hsieh Bao Hua, Concubinage and Servitude in Late Imperial China[full citation needed]
  • Gosman, Martin; Macdonald, Alasdair James; Vanderjagt, Arie Johan, Princes and Princely Culture: 1450–1650[full citation needed]
  • Hamer, Dianne (2011), Sophie: biografie van Sophie van Würtemberg (1818–1877) — op basis van brieven en dagboken[full citation needed]
  • Kägler, Britta, Frauen am Münchener Hof (1651–1756)[full citation needed]
  • Kerkhoff, Jacqueline, Maria van Hongarije en haar hof 1505–1558: tot plichtsbetrachting uitverkoren[full citation needed]
  • Lebra, Takie Sugiyama, Above the Clouds: Status Culture of the Modern Japanese Nobility[full citation needed]
  • Lillehoj, Elizabeth, Art and Palace Politics in Early Modern Japan, 1580s–1680s[full citation needed]
  • Mansel, Philip, The Eagle in Splendour: Inside the Court of Napoleon[full citation needed]
  • Nagel, Susan (2008), Marie-Therese, Child of Terror: The Fate of Marie Antoinette's Daughter, NY: Bloomsbury: Macmillan, ISBN 978-1-59691-057-7
  • Persson, Fabian (1999), Servants of Fortune. The Swedish Court between 1598 and 1721, Lund: Wallin & Dalholm, ISBN 91-628-3340-5
  • Hauge, Yngvar; Egeberg, Nini (1960), Bogstad, 1773–1995, H. Aschehoug
  • Walthall, Anne, Servants of the Dynasty: Palace Women in World History[full citation needed]
  • Kjølsen, Klaus (2010), Det Kongelige Danske Hof 1660–2000[full citation needed]
  • Rowley, G. G., An Imperial Concubine's Tale: Scandal, Shipwreck, and Salvation in Seventeenth-Century Japan[full citation needed]
  • Rundquist, Angela (1989), Blått blod och liljevita händer: en etnologisk studie av aristokratiska kvinnor 1850–1900, Carlsson, Diss. Stockholm: Univ., Stockholm[full citation needed]
  • Seward, Desmond (2004), Eugénie. An empress and her empire, Stroud: Sutton, cop., ISBN 0-7509-2979-0
  • Zedlitz-Trützschler, Robert (1924), Twelve Years at the Imperial German Court[full citation needed]

External links

 
Look up lady-in-waiting in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
  • Alchin, Linda. "Lady in Waiting". Elizabethan Era. Retrieved 18 April 2017.

March 05, 2023
lady, waiting, 1976, album, lady, waiting, album, 1957, novel, lady, waiting, novel, british, peers, hold, office, royal, household, united, kingdom, lord, waiting, look, lady, waiting, lady, waiting, wiktionary, free, dictionary, lady, waiting, court, lady, f. For the 1976 album see Lady in Waiting album For the 1957 novel see Lady in Waiting novel For British peers who hold office in the Royal Household of the United Kingdom see Lord in waiting Look up lady in waiting or lady in waiting in Wiktionary the free dictionary A lady in waiting or court lady is a female personal assistant at a court attending on a royal woman or a high ranking noblewoman Historically in Europe a lady in waiting was often a noblewoman but of lower rank than the woman to whom she attended Although she may either have received a retainer or may not have received compensation for the service she rendered a lady in waiting was considered more of a secretary courtier or companion to her mistress than a servant Princess Tatiana Alexandrovna Yusupova a lady in waiting of the Imperial Court of Russia In other parts of the world the lady in waiting often referred to as palace woman was in practice a servant or a slave rather than a high ranking woman but still had about the same tasks functioning as companion and secretary to her mistress In courts where polygamy was practised a court lady was formally available to the monarch for sexual services and she could become his wife consort courtesan or concubine Lady in waiting or court lady is often a generic term for women whose relative rank title and official functions varied although such distinctions were also often honorary A royal woman may or may not be free to select her ladies and even when she has such freedom her choices are usually heavily influenced by the sovereign her parents her husband or the sovereign s ministers for example in the Bedchamber crisis Contents 1 History 2 Duties 3 By court 3 1 Austria 3 2 Belgium 3 3 Cambodia 3 4 Canada 3 5 China 3 5 1 Han 3 5 2 Song 3 5 3 Ming 3 5 4 Qing 3 6 Denmark 3 7 France 3 8 Germany 3 9 Greece 3 10 Italy 3 10 1 Naples and the Two Sicilies 3 10 2 Kingdom of Italy 3 11 Japan 3 12 Korea 3 13 The Netherlands 3 14 Nigeria 3 15 Norway 3 16 Ottoman Empire 3 17 Poland 3 18 Russia 3 19 Spain 3 20 Sweden 3 21 United Kingdom 3 21 1 Queen Elizabeth II 3 21 2 Camilla Queen Consort 3 21 3 Historic 4 Notable examples 4 1 Austria 4 2 Canada 4 3 Denmark 4 4 England Scotland Great Britain and the United Kingdom 4 5 France 4 6 Germany 4 7 Hungary 4 8 Japan 4 9 Korea 4 10 China 4 11 Ottoman 4 12 Poland 4 13 Russia 4 14 Sweden 4 15 Thailand 5 In fiction 6 Extended uses 7 See also 8 Notes 9 References 10 External linksHistory EditThe development of the office of lady in waiting in Europe is connected to that of the development of a royal court During the Carolingian Empire in the 9th century Hincmar describes the royal household of Charles the Bald in the De Ordine Palatii from 882 in which he states that court officials took orders from the queen as well as the king Merovingian Queens are assumed to have had their personal servants and in the 9th century it is confirmed that Carolingian Queens had an entourage of guards from the nobility as a sign of their dignity and some officials are stated to belong to the queen rather than the king 1 In the late 12th century the Queens of France are confirmed to have had their own household and noblewomen are mentioned as ladies in waiting 1 During the Middle Ages however the household of a European queen consort was normally small and the number of actually employed ladies in waiting rather than wives of noblemen accompanying their husbands to court was very small in 1286 the Queen of France had only five ladies in waiting in her employment and it was not until 1316 that her household was separated from that of the royal children 1 The role of ladies in waiting in Europe changed dramatically during the age of the Renaissance when a new ceremonial court life where women played a significant part developed as representation of power in the courts of Italy and spread to Burgundy from Burgundy to France and to the rest of the courts of Europe 1 The court of the Duchy of Burgundy was the most elaborate in Europe in the 15th century and became an example for France when the French royal court expanded in the late 15th century and introduced new offices for both men and women to be able to answer to the new renaissance ideal 1 From small circle of married Femmes and unmarried Filles with a relatively humble place in the background during the Middle Ages the number of French ladies in waiting were rapidly expanded divided into an advanced hierarchy with several offices and given an important and public role to play in the new ceremonial court life in early 16th century France 1 This example was followed by other courts in Europe when Courts expanded and became more ceremonial during the 16th century and the offices numbers and visibility of women expanded in the early modern age 1 During the late 19th century and the early 20th century however most European courts started to reduce their court staff often due to new economic and political circumstances which made court representation more questionable Duties EditThe duties of ladies in waiting varied from court to court but functions historically discharged by ladies in waiting included proficiency in the etiquette languages dances horse riding music making and painting prevalent at court keeping her mistress abreast of activities and personages at court care of the rooms and wardrobe of her mistress secretarial tasks supervision of servants budget and purchases reading correspondence to her mistress and writing on her behalf and discreetly relaying messages upon command By court EditAustria Edit In the late Middle Ages when the court of the Emperor no longer moved around constantly the household of the Empress as well as the equivalent household of the German princely consorts started to develop a less fluid and more strict organisation with set court offices The court model of the Duchy of Burgundy as well as the Spanish court model came to influence the organisation of the Austrian imperial court during the 16th century when the Burgundian Netherlands Spain and Austria were united through the House of Habsburg 2 page needed In the early and mid 16th century the female courtiers kept by female Habsburgs in the Netherlands and Austria was composed of one Hofmesterees Court Mistress or Dame d honneur who served as the principal lady in waiting one Hofdame or Mere de Filles who was second in rank and deputy of the Hofmesterees as well as being in charge of the Eredames Maids of Honour also known as Demoiselle d honneur Fille d honneur or Junckfrauen depending on language Dutch French and Austrian German respectively and finally the Kamenisters Chamber Maids 3 page needed However during the tenure of Maria of Austria Holy Roman Empress in the mid 16th century the court of the Empress was organised in accordance with the Spanish court model and after she left Austria there was no further household of an Empress until the 1610s 4 page needed This resulted in a mix of Burgundian and Spanish customs when the Austrian court model was created In 1619 a set organisation was finally established for the Austrian imperial court which came to be the characteristic organisation of the Austrian Habsburg court roughly kept from this point onward 4 The first rank of the female courtiers was the Obersthofmeisterin Mistress of the Robes who was second in rank after the Empress herself and responsible for all the female courtiers 4 Second rank belonged to the Ayas essentially governesses of the imperial children and heads of the children s court 4 Third in rank was the Frauleinhofmeisterin who was the replacement of the Obersthofmeisterin when necessary but otherwise had the responsibility of the unmarried female courtiers their conduct and service 4 The rest of the female noble courtiers consisted of the Hoffraulein Maid of Honour unmarried females from the nobility who normally served temporarily until marriage 4 The Hoffraulein could sometimes be promoted to Kammerfraulein Maid of Honour of the Chamber 4 The Austrian court model was the role model for the princely courts in Germany 4 The German court model in turn became the role model of the early modern Scandinavian Courts of Denmark and Sweden 5 page needed Belgium Edit The Kingdom of Belgium was founded in 1830 after which a royal court was founded and ladies in waiting were appointed for Louise of Orleans when she became the first queen of Belgium in 1832 The female officeholders of the Queen s household were created after the French model and composed of one Dame d honneur followed by several ladies in waiting with the title Dame du Palais in turn ranking above the Premiere femme de chambre and the Femme de chambre 6 The ladies in waiting have historically been chosen by the queen herself from the noblewomen of the Catholic Noble Houses of Belgium The chief functions at court were undertaken by members of the higher nobility involving much contact with the royal ladies Belgian princesses were assigned a lady upon their 18th birthdays Princess Clementine was given a Dame by her father a symbolic acknowledgement of adulthood When the queen entertains the ladies welcome guests and assist the hostess in sustaining conversation Cambodia Edit 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 maids to ladies in waiting concubines or even queen Srey Snom Khmer ស រ ស ន is the Cambodian term for the Khmer lady in waiting The six favorite court ladies of King Sisowath of Cambodia were probably initially drawn from the ranks of classical royal dancers of the 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 Canada Edit Several Canadian ladies in waiting have also been appointed to the Royal Household of Canada Canadian ladies in waiting are typically appointed in order to assist the Queen of Canada when carrying out official duties in Canada and royal tours in the country Five Canadian ladies in waiting were made Lieutenants of the Royal Victorian Order 7 China Edit Tang Dynasty court ladies on A Palace Concert painting Han Edit The ladies in waiting in China referred to as palace women palace ladies or court ladies were all formally if not always in practice a part of the Emperor s harem regardless of their task and could be promoted by him to the rank of official concubine consort or even empress 8 page needed The Emperors of the Han dynasty 202 BC 220 AD are reported to have had a harem of thousands of palace women although the actual numbers are unconfirmed 8 Song Edit At least during the Song dynasty 960 1279 palace women were divided in three groups imperial women consisting of concubines and consorts imperial daughters consisting of daughters and sisters of the Emperor and the female officials and assistants who performed a wide range of tasks and could potentially be promoted to the rank of concubine or consort 9 Women from official elite families could be chosen to become Empress consort or concubine immediately upon their entrance in the palace but the Emperor could also promote any female court official to that post as they were officially all members of his harem 9 The female court officials and attendants were normally selected from trusted families and then educated for their task 9 Ming Edit During the Ming dynasty 1368 1644 palace women were sorted into roughly the same three categories as in the Song Dynasty 10 However female officials and assistants in the Ming Dynasty were organized into six established government groups called the Six Bureaus the Bureau of General Affairs Bureau of Handicrafts Bureau of Ceremonies Bureau of Apartments Bureau of Apparel and Bureau of Foodstuffs 11 These groups were all overseen by the Office of Staff Surveillance headed by a female official 12 Women workers in the imperial palace were distinguished as either permanent or temporary staff 13 Permanent palace staff included educated and literate female officials serving in the Six Bureaus and wet nurses caring for imperial heirs or other palace children 13 These women received great wealth and social acclaim if their jobs were performed well 14 Seasonal or temporary palace women included midwives female physicians and indentured contractors these were usually women serving as maids to consorts entertainers sewing tutors or sedan chair bearers 15 These women were recruited into the palace when necessary and then released following the termination of their predetermined period of service 16 Throughout the Ming dynasty there was frequent movement between the palace service industry and the low levels of the Imperial Harem 17 Although Emperors frequently selected minor consorts from Imperial serving women few selected women ever reached the higher ranks of the consort structure or gained significant prominence 18 As the Ming dynasty progressed living and working conditions for palace women began to deteriorate 19 Lower ranked serving women working in the Imperial palace were often underpaid and unable to buy food leaving them to support themselves by selling embroidery at the market outside the palace via eunuchs 20 Overall living conditions and punishments for misbehaving eventually grew so bad that there was an assassination attempt against the Jiajing Emperor by a group of serving women 21 Led by palace maid Yang Jinying in 1542 the failed assassination attempt involved several maids sneaking into the Emperor s bedchamber as he slept to strangle him with a curtain cord 22 The attempt ultimately failed and all the women involved were put to death although this type of violent revolt by serving women had never been seen before in the Ming Dynasty 22 Due to slanderous literary propaganda written and spread by male officials and Confucian authors higher class female officials also saw their power begin to weaken throughout the Ming dynasty 23 These prominent government men began to disparage having educated women in government and state roles in response to the influence Imperial women had held over the nation in the past 24 This prompted a gradual overtaking of female official roles by palace eunuchs that continued throughout the remainder of the Dynasty 25 Qing Edit The system of palace women continued mostly unchanged during the Qing dynasty 1644 1912 when a class of imperial women acting as consorts or concubines who had not previously held other roles existed However female court attendants were also all available for promotion to concubinage or the position of consort by the Emperor 26 page needed During the Qing dynasty imperial women were selected from among the teenage daughters of the Manchu official banner families who were drafted to an inspection before they could marry 26 Similarly palace maids were drafted from lower official and banner classes before they could marry 27 page needed After their selection palace maids were educated as personal attendants to consorts female officials within court rituals or other tasks and were also available for the Emperor to promote to consort or concubine 27 Below the palace maids were the maidservants who were selected the same way by a draft among the daughters of soldiers 27 Denmark Edit The early modern Danish court was organized according to the German court model in turn inspired by the Austrian imperial court model from the 16th century onward 5 The highest rank female courtier to a female royal was the Hofmesterinde Court Mistress or from 1694 98 onward Overhofmesterinde Chief Court Mistress equivalent to the Mistress of the Robes normally an elder widow who supervised the rest of the ladies in waiting 28 page needed The rest of the female courtiers were mainly Kammerfroken Senior Maid of Honour followed by a group of Hofdame Court Lady and the Hoffroken Maid of Honour 28 They were followed by the non noble female court employees not ranking as ladies in waiting such as the chamber maids This hierarchy was roughly in place from the 16th century until the death of King Christian IX of Denmark in 1906 28 During the 20th century most of these titles came of use and all ladies in waiting at the royal Danish court are now referred to as Hofdame Court Lady France Edit Marie Louise of Savoy Carignan Princesse de Lamballe was chief lady in waiting to Queen Marie Antoinette of France The Queen of France is confirmed to have had a separate household in the late 12th century and an ordinance from 1286 notes that Joan I of Navarre Queen of France had a group of five ladies Dames and maids in waiting Damoiselles In the 1480s the French ladies in waiting were divided into Femmes Mariees married ladies in waiting and Filles d honneur Maids of Honour 1 However the Queen s household and the number of female courtiers during the Middle Ages was very small in France as in most European courts It was not until the end of the 15th century and early 16th century that emulation of the new courts of the Italian Renaissance made ladies in waiting fashionable in official court ceremonies and representation and female court offices became more developed and numerous in the French court as well as in other European courts 1 The introduction of ladies in waiting increased in great numbers at the French court at this time from a mere five in 1286 and still only 23 in 1490 to 39 in 1498 and roughly 54 during the 16th century 1 This expansion of female presence at court has been attributed to both Anne of Brittany who encouraged all male courtiers to send their daughters to her and to Francis I of France who was criticized for bringing to court the constant presence of large crowds of women who gossiped and interfered in state affairs Francis I once said a court without ladies is a court without a court 1 The first ranked female courtier in the French royal court was the Surintendante de la Maison de la Reine Mistress of the Robes to the queen The Surintendante and the Governess of the Children of France were the only female office holders in France to give an oath of loyalty to the King himself 2 This office was created in 1619 29 page needed and was vacant from the death of Marie Anne de Bourbon in 1741 until the appointment of Marie Louise of Savoy Carignan Princesse de Lamballe in 1775 The second highest rank was that of the Premiere dame d honneur who could act as the stand in of the Surintendante 2 and had roughly the same tasks hiring and supervising the female courtiers and the Queen s daily routine and expenditure 29 This post was created in 1523 and had originally been the highest female court office 1 The third rank belonged to the Dame d atour who formally supervised the Queen s wardrobe and jewelry and the dressing of the queen 29 This post was created in 1534 1 The fourth rank was that of the dames from 1523 named Dame d honneur 1 composed of ladies in waiting whose task was simply to serve as companions and attending and assisting with court functions 29 The position was abolished in 1674 and replaced by the Dame du palais 12 married noblewomen with the same tasks 2 The fifth rank was the Filles d honneur or Demoiselles d honneur Maids of Honour unmarried daughters of the nobility who had the same tasks as the dames but were mainly placed at court to learn etiquette and look for a spouse 29 They were supervised by the Gouvernante and the Sous gouvernante 29 The Filles were from 1531 supervised by the Gouvernante de Filles a lady in waiting who had the task to chaperone them this post was divided in to several from 1547 onward 1 The position of Filles d honneur was abolished in 1674 2 The sixth rank was the Premiere femme de chambre who in turn outranked the remaining Femme de Chambres and Lavandieres 2 The Premiere femme de chambre had the keys to the Queen s rooms and could recommend and deny audiences to her which in practice made her position very powerful at court 29 During the First Empire the principal lady in waiting of the Empress was the Dame d honneur followed by between 20 and 36 Dames du Palais 30 page needed During the Bourbon Restoration Marie Therese of France restored the pre revolutionary court hierarchy 31 page needed During the Second Empire the female courtiers of the Empress were composed of the first rank Grand Maitresse and the second rank Dame d honneur followed by six later twelve Dames du Palais 32 page needed Germany Edit The early modern princely courts in Germany were modeled after the Austrian imperial court model 4 This court model divided the ladies in waiting in a chief lady in waiting named Oberhofmeisterin a widowed or married elder woman who supervised the Hoffraulein Maids of Honour of which one or two could be promoted to the middle rank of Kammerfraulein Maid of Honour of the Chamber 4 The German princely courts in turn became the role model of the Scandinavian courts of Denmark and Sweden in the 16th century 5 After the end of the German Holy Roman Empire in 1806 and the establishment of several minor Kingdoms in Germany the post of Staatsdame married ladies in waiting were introduced in many German princely and royal courts At the imperial German court the ladies in waiting were composed of one Oberhofmeisterin in charge of several Hofstaatsdamen or Palastdamen 33 page needed Greece Edit During the Byzantine Empire the Byzantine Empress was attended by a female court the Sekreton Tōn Gynaikōn which consisted mostly of the wives of high ranking male court officials who simply used the feminine versions of their husbands titles The only specifically female dignity was that of the Zoste patrikia the chief lady in waiting and female attendant of the Empress who was the head of the women s court and often a relative of the Empress this title existed at least since the 9th century The Kingdom of Greece was established in 1832 and its first queen Amalia of Oldenburg organized the ladies in waiting of its first royal court with one Grande Maitresse followed by the second rank Dame d honneur and the third rank Dame de Palais 34 page needed Italy Edit Naples and the Two Sicilies Edit Prior to the unification the greatest of the Italian states was the Kingdom of Naples later called Kingdom of the Two Sicilies In 1842 the ladies in waiting of the Queen of the Two Sicilies were composed of one Dama di Onore Lady of Honor ranked just below the Cavaliere di Onore three Dama di Compagnia Lady Companions ranked below the Cavalerizzo and a large number of Dame di Corte Court Ladies 35 Kingdom of Italy Edit In 1861 the Italian Peninsula was united in to the Kingdom of Italy The ladies in waiting of the Queen of Italy were headed by the Dama d Onore followed by the Dame di Corte and finally the Dame di Palazzo 36 The Dama d Onore was nominally the chief lady in waiting but in practice often limited her service to state occasions the Dame di Corte was the regular lady in waiting who personally attended to the queen while the Dame di Palazzo were honorary courtiers attached to the royal palaces in particular cities such as Florence Turin and so forth and only served temporary when the queen visited the city in question among these only the Dame di Palazzo attached to the royal palace of the capital of Rome served more than temporary 37 Japan Edit In Japan the imperial court offices was normally reserved for members of the court aristocracy and the ladies in waiting or palace attendants were commonly educated members of the nobility 38 page needed During the Heian period 794 1185 women could hold court offices of substantial responsibility managing the affairs of the Emperor 38 Female palace attendants were employed by the Imperial Bureau of Palace Attendants from among the court aristocracy but were required to have sufficient education in Chinese classics to be accepted 39 page needed During the Sengoku period 1467 1603 the highest rank of a lady in waiting was the Female Assistant to the Major Counselor who ran the affairs of the daily life of the Imperial Household 38 The second rank was Koto No Naishi Female Palace Attendant who acted as intermediary between the Emperor and those seeking an audience and issued his wishes in writing 38 Ladies in waiting acted as imperial secretaries and noted the events at court visitors and gifts in the official court journals 38 In contrast to China female palace attendants managed the palace of the imperial harem rather than eunuchs and could hold high court offices in the Emperor s personal household 39 Female palace attendants were divided in two classes which in turn had several ranks signifying their task 40 page needed The first class consisted of the nyokan or ladies in waiting who held court offices naishi kami shoji naishi suke tenji and naishi no jo shoji The second class were the female palace attendants myobu osashi osue and nyoju 40 The ladies in waiting worked as personal assistants tending to the Emperor s wardrobe assisting the emperor s baths serving meals performing and attending court rituals 39 Ladies in waiting could be appointed as concubines consorts or even Empresses by the Emperor or the heir to the throne 39 The function of a lady in waiting as potential concubine was abolished in 1924 39 Korea Edit Gungnyeo literally palace women is a term that refers to women who worked in the palace and waited upon the king and other members of the royal family It is short for Gungjung Yeogwan which translates to woman officer of the royal court Gungnyeo consisted of the ladies in waiting both high ranking court ladies and the ordinary maids known as nain responsible for most of the labour work who were divided into ranks from 9 to 5 the ranks from 4 to 1 were the official concubines of the king with two levels each senior and junior the highest attainable rank being sanggung senior 5th 41 as well as other types of working women who were not included in the classification such as musuri women from the lowest class who did odd jobs such as drawing water and distributing firewood gaksimi also known as bija and bangja who were personal servants of a sanggung sonnim literally translated to guest were maids brought in the palace to work for the royal concubines most of the time connected to the families of the concubines and uinyeo selected from public female slaves they worked at the royal infirmary or public clinics and practiced simple medicine skills Generally the ladies in waiting were chosen from among the young girls of the sangmin commoners and the private female slaves of the sadaebu governing class Later the candidates were also picked from among the government slaves together with the daughters of noblemen s concubines who were former courtesans or slaves The appointment process was different for nain associated with the inner quarters for the king and queen who were recruited by the high ranked court ladies themselves through recommendations and connections The nain for the departments with specific skills such as sewing and embroidery were from the jungin middle class with the lowest class of gungnyeo coming from the cheonmin vulgar commoners They could be as young as 4 when entering the palace and after learning court language and etiquette they could be elevated to a nain When they had served the court for more than 15 years they would eventually be promoted to higher ranks however they were eligible for the rank of sanggung only after a minimum of 35 years of work Ladies in waiting could become concubines if the king favored them They would be elevated to the highest rank senior 5th and would be known as seungeun sanggung or favored special court lady If they gave birth to a son they would become members of the royal family after being promoted to sug won junior 4th and until the 18th century they could advance as high as becoming queen the most notable example being Jang Ok jeong a concubine of Sukjong of Joseon and mother of Gyeongjong of Joseon The Netherlands Edit The court of the Duchy of Burgundy which was situated in the Netherlands in the 15th century was famous for its elaborate ceremonial court life and became a role model for several other courts of Europe 1 The Burgundian court model came to be the role model for the Austrian imperial court during the 16th century when the Burgundian Netherlands and Austria were united through the Habsburg dynasty 2 In the 16th century the ladies in waiting in the courts of the Habsburg governors of the Netherlands Margaret of Austria and Mary of Hungary were composed of one Hofmeesteres Court Mistress or Dame d honneur who served as the principal lady in waiting one Hofdame or Mere de Filles who was second in rank and deputy of the Hofmeesteres as well as being in charge of the Eredames Maids of Honour also known as Demoiselle d honneur Fille d honneur or Junckfrauen and finally the Kameniersters Chamber Maids all with different titles depending on language in the multilingual area of the Netherlands 3 The Kingdom of the Netherlands was founded in 1815 signifying the organisation of a royal court In the 19th century the ladies in waiting of the Dutch court were headed by the Grootmeesteres Grand Mistress equivalent to Mistress of the Robes of second rank were the Dames du Palais married ladies in waiting followed by the third rank Hofdames Court Ladies equivalent to Maids of Honour 42 page needed 43 full citation needed Beatrix of the Netherlands had a total of seven Hofdames They accompanied the queen and the other female members of the Royal House during visits and receptions at the royal court The monarch paid for their expenses but they did not receive any salary Not all of these ladies were members of the Dutch aristocracy but each had a notable husband Excellent social behavior and discretion were the most important recommendations for becoming a Hofdame In 2012 the Hofdames were Letje van Karnebeek van Lede Lieke Gaarlandt van Voorst van Beest Julie Jeekel Thate Miente Boellaard Stheeman Jonkvrouwe Reina de Blocq van Scheltinga Elizabeth Baroness van Wassenaer Mersmans and Bibi Baroness van Zuylen van Nijevelt Jonkvrouwe den Beer Poortugael Queen Maxima reduced the number of Hofdames to three hers being Lieke Gaarlandt van Voorst van Beest Pien van Karnebeek Thijssen and Annemijn Crince le Roy van Munster van Heuven After their voluntary retirement Hofdames were appointed to the honorary royal household The honorary royal household still distinguishes between Dames du Palais and Hofdames but the category Dames du Palais is slated for discontinuation The Grootmeesteres Grandmistress is the highest ranking lady at the royal court From 1984 until 2014 the position was held by Martine van Loon Labouchere descendant of the famous banker family a former diplomat and the widow of Jonkheer Maurits van Loon of the famous Amsterdam canal estate The current Grootmeesteres is Bibi Countess van Zuylen van Nijevelt den Beer Poortugael lady in waiting between 2011 and 2014 Nigeria Edit A number of tribes and cultural areas in the African continent such as the Lobedu people of Southern Africa had a similar custom on ladies in waiting in historic times As a further example within certain pre colonial states of the Bini and Yoruba peoples in Nigeria the queen mothers and high priestesses were considered ritually male due to their social eminence As a result of this fact they were often attended on by women who belonged to their harems in much the same way as their actually male counterparts were served by women who belonged to theirs Although these women effectively functioned as ladies in waiting were often members of powerful families of the local nobility in their own right and were not usually used for sexual purposes they were none the less referred to as their principals wives Norway Edit During the Denmark Norway Union from 1380 until 1814 the Danish royal court in Copenhagen was counted as the Norwegian royal court and thus there was no royal court present in Norway during this period During the union between Norway and Sweden from 1814 to 1905 there were Norwegian courtiers who served during the Swedish royal family s visits to Norway The female courtiers were appointed according to the Swedish court model that is to say the class of Hovfroken Maid of Honour Kammarfroken Chief Maid of Honour and Statsfru Lady of the Bedchamber all supervised by the Overhoffmesterinne Mistress of the Robes these posts were first appointed in 1817 44 page needed When the union between Sweden and Norway was dissolved in 1905 a permanent Norwegian royal court was established Ottoman Empire Edit In the Ottoman Empire the word lady in waiting or court lady has often been used to described those women of the Imperial Harem who functioned as servants secretaries and companions of the consorts concubines daughters sisters and mothers of the Ottoman Sultan These women originally came to the Harem as slaves captured through the Crimean slave trade the Barbary slave trade and the White slave trade 45 When they entered the Harem they were given the position of Cariye and were all formally available as concubines to the Sultan but if they were not chosen to share his bed they served in a position similar to lady in waiting serving the mother concubines sisters and daughters of the Sultan 45 The enslaved ladies in waiting of the Ottoman Imperial harem were collectively known as kalfa of different ranks Each royal and royal concubine had their own houshold staff of kalfa a kalfa serving as the servant of the sultan himself was titled Hunkar Kalfalari 46 A Hazinedar or Hazinedar Usta was a kalfa with special assignments rather than just an ordinary attendant and were ranked under the Hazinedar Usta 47 All kalfa belonging to the same household within the court were ranked under their Daire Kalfasi who was the supervisor of the kalfa s belonging to a specific royal person 48 All Daire Kalfasi of the harem were rankend under the Buyuk Kalfa who in turn was the supervisor of all the Daire Kalfasi of the court 49 The highest ranked kalfa was the Saray Ustas who supervised all the kalfa of the entire court harem 50 Poland Edit In early modern Poland the queen s ladies in waitings were collectively referred to as the fraucimer The queen s household mirrored that of the king but was smaller The queen s male courtiers were supervised by the Ochmistrz a nobleman and the women of her court were supervised by the chief lady in waiting the Ochmistrzyni magister curiae The Ochmistrzyni was defined as a state office and it was the only state office in Poland prior to the partition of Poland which was held by a woman She was always to be a noblewoman married to a nobleman of senatorial rank The Ochmistrzyni supervised a large number of unmarried ladies in waiting maids of honour The queen s court was a larger version of the courts of the Polish magnate noblewomen and it was the custom in the Polish nobility to send their teenage daughters to be educated as ladies in waitings in the household of another noblewoman or preferably the queen herself in order to receive an education and find someone to marry 51 Russia Edit In the Court of Muscovite Russia the offices of ladies in waiting to the Tsarina were normally divided among the Boyarinas widows or wives of Boyars often from the family and relatives of the Tsarina 52 The first rank among the offices of the ladies in waiting was the Tsarina s treasurer The second was the group of companions The third were the royal nurses to the princes and princesses where the nurses of the male children outranked among the nurses the most significant post was that of the Mamok the head royal governess who was normally selected from elder widows often relatives to the Tsar or Tsarina 53 All offices were appointed by royal decree The group of ladies in waiting were collectively above the rank of the Svetlichnaya the Tsarina s sewing women the Postelnitsy the Tsarina s Chamber Women and Washing Women and the officials who handled the affairs of the staff 53 In 1722 this system was abolished and the Russian imperial court was reorganized in accordance with the reforms of Peter the Great to westernize Russia and the old court offices of the Tsarina were replaced with court offices inspired by the German model see lady in waiting of the Imperial Court of Russia citation needed Spain Edit The royal court of Castile included a group of ladies in waiting for the queen named Camarera in the late 13th century and early 14th century but it was not until the 15th century that a set organisation of the ladies in waiting is confirmed 54 page needed This characteristic organisation of the Spanish ladies in waiting roughly established during the reign of Isabella I of Castile r 1474 1504 was kept by Isabella of Portugal Holy Roman Empress and Queen of Spain during the 16th century and became the standard Spanish court model for ladies in waiting 54 The highest rank female courtier was the Camarera Mayor de Palacio Mistress of the Robes 4 This office is confirmed from the 1410s 54 The second rank was shared by the Ayas royal governess and the Guardas chaperones 4 The third rank was the Duenas de Honor the married ladies in waiting who were responsible for not only the unmarried Damas or Meninas Maids of honour but also of the female slaves and dwarfs who were classified as courtiers and ranked before the Mozas maids and Lavanderas washer women 4 Sweden Edit The early modern Swedish court as well as the Danish equivalent were re organized in the early 16th century according to the German court model in turn inspired by the Austrian imperial court model 5 This model roughly organized the female noble courtiers in the class of the unmarried Hovfroken Maid of Honour until 1719 Hovjungfru which could be promoted to Kammarfroken Chief Maid of Honour until 1719 Kammarjungfru 5 They were supervised by the Hovmastarinna Court Mistress equivalent to Mistress of the Robes normally a married or widowed elder noblewoman 5 Under this class of female noble courtiers were the non noble female servants They were headed by the normally married Kammarfru Mistress of the Chamber roughly equivalent to a Lady s Maid often of burgher background who supervised the group of Kammarpiga Chamber Maids 5 From the reign of Queen Christina the Hovmastarinna was supervised by the Overhovmastarinna Chief Court Mistress 5 In 1774 the post of Statsfru Mistress of the State was introduced which was the title for the group of married ladies in waiting with a rank between the Hovmastarinna and the Kammarfroken 55 page needed The Swedish court staff was reduced in size in 1873 55 The new court protocols of 1911 and 1954 continued this reduction and many court posts were abolished or no longer filled With the exception of the Statsfru and the Overhovmastarinna none of the titles above are in use today At the death of Queen Louise in 1965 her Overhovmastarinna was employed by the King From 1994 the Overhovmastarinna is the head of the court of the King rather than the Queen while the court of the Queen is headed by the Statsfru There is now only one Statsfru and the other ladies in waiting are simply referred to as Hovdam Court Lady Queen Silvia of Sweden has only three Hovdamer Court Ladies Her chief lady in waiting is the Statsfru United Kingdom Edit In the Royal Households of the United Kingdom a lady in waiting is a woman attending a female member of the Royal Family Ladies in waiting are routinely appointed by junior female members of the Royal Family to accompany them on public engagements and provide other support and assistance 56 A woman attending on a queen regnant or queen consort is also often referred to by this title including in official notices but is more formally styled as either Woman of the Bedchamber or Lady of the Bedchamber depending on which of these offices she holds On more formal occasions ladies in waiting wear a badge of office which usually takes the form of a jewelled or enamelled monogram of the relevant member of the Royal Family beneath the appropriate crown or coronet suspended from a coloured ribbon 57 The senior lady of a queen s household whether queen regnant or queen consort is the Mistress of the Robes who as well as being in attendance herself on occasion has traditionally been responsible for arranging all the duties of the queen s ladies in waiting 56 Queen Elizabeth II Edit Walking behind Queen Elizabeth II on a visit to Toronto in 2010 are two of her ladies in waiting Lady Hussey left and Lady Farnham right During the reign of Queen Elizabeth II one of the Women of the Bedchamber was always in daily attendance each served for a fortnight at a time in rotation In the Court Circular the phrase Lady in Waiting to the Queen referred to the women on duty at a given time 58 The Ladies of the Bedchamber were not in daily attendance but were called upon for more formal or important public occasions and events 56 Towards the end of her reign the ladies in waiting to Queen Elizabeth II were 59 Mistress of the Robes The Duchess of Grafton served as Mistress of the Robes to Elizabeth II from 1967 until her death on 3 December 2021 after which the position remained vacant Ladies of the Bedchamber The Countess of Airlie was appointed in 1973 and served throughout the rest of Elizabeth II s reign 60 The Lady Farnham served from 1987 until her death in 2021 61 Women of the Bedchamber The Hon Dame Mary Morrison was appointed in 1960 and served throughout the rest of Elizabeth II s reign 62 The Lady Hussey of North Bradley was also appointed in 1960 and served throughout the rest of Elizabeth II s reign 63 The Lady Elton was appointed in 1987 and served throughout the rest of Elizabeth II s reign 61 Mrs Robert de Pass was appointed as an Extra Woman of the Bedchamber in 1987 and served throughout the rest of Elizabeth II s reign 61 The Hon Dame Annabel Whitehead was appointed in 2002 and served throughout the rest of Elizabeth II s reign 64 Mrs Michael Gordon Lennox was also appointed in 2002 and served throughout the rest of Elizabeth II s reign 64 Extra ladies in waiting 65 Lady Elizabeth Leeming nee Bowes Lyon a cousin of Elizabeth II Mrs Simon Rhodes daughter in law of The Hon Margaret Rhodes a cousin of Elizabeth II and former Woman of the Bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother After the death of Elizabeth II and the accession of Charles III it was announced that the King would be retaining the late Queen s ladies in waiting with their titles changing to Ladies of the Household 66 They will help with hosting events at Buckingham Palace 66 Camilla Queen Consort Edit In November 2022 it was announced that Camilla the Queen Consort would end the tradition of having ladies in waiting Instead she will be helped by Queen s companions 66 Their role will be informal and they will not be involved in tasks such as replying to letters or developing schedules 66 As of 30 November 2022 update her companions were 66 The Marchioness of Lansdowne The Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen Lady Sarah Keswick Katherine Lady Brooke Jane von Westenholz Sarah TroughtonHistoric Edit In the Middle Ages Margaret of France Queen of England is noted to have had seven ladies in waiting three married ones who were called Domina and four unmarried maids of honour but no principal lady in waiting is mentioned 67 and until the 15th century the majority of the office holders of the Queen s household were still male 68 As late as in the mid 15th century Queen Elizabeth Woodville had only five ladies in waiting 68 but in the late 15th century and early 16th century ladies in waiting were given a more dominant place at the English court in parallel with developments in France and the continental courts The court life of the Duchy of Burgundy served as an example when Edward IV created the Black Book of the Household in 1478 2 and the organisation of the English royal household was essentially set from that point onward 69 page needed Elizabeth of York Queen of England had numerous ladies in waiting which was reported by the Spanish ambassador Rodrigo de Puebla as something unusual and astonishing the Queen has thirty two ladies very magnificent and in splendid style 68 She reportedly had 36 ladies in waiting 18 of them noblewomen in 1502 a more complete account summarised them as 16 gentlewomen seven maids of honour and three chamberers women who attended to her in the bedchamber 68 Aside from the women formally employed as ladies in waiting the Queen s female retinue in reality also consisted of the daughters and the ladies in waiting of her ladies in waiting who also resided in the Queen s household 68 The duties of ladies in waiting at the Tudor court were to act as companions for the queen both in public and in private They had to accompany her wherever she went to entertain her with music dance or singing and to dress bathe and help her use the toilet since a royal person by the standards of the day was not supposed to do anything for herself but was always to be waited upon in all daily tasks as a sign of their status 68 Ladies in waiting were appointed because of their social status as members of the nobility on the recommendation of court officials or other prominent citizens and because they were expected to be supporters of the royal family due to their own family relationships When the queen was not a foreigner her own relations were often appointed as they were presumed to be trustworthy and loyal Lady Margaret Lee was a Lady of the Privy Chamber to Queen Anne Boleyn just as Lady Elizabeth Seymour Cromwell was to Queen Jane Seymour The organisation of the Queen s ladies in waiting was set in the period of the Tudor court The ladies in waiting were headed by the Mistress of the Robes followed in rank by the First Lady of the Bedchamber who supervised the group of Ladies of the Bedchamber typically wives or widows of peers above the rank of Earl in turn followed by the group of Women of the Bedchamber usually the daughters of peers and finally the group of maids of honour whose service entitled them to the style of The Honourable for life 70 The system had formally remained roughly the same since the Tudor period However in practice many offices have since then been left vacant For example in recent times maids of honour have only been appointed for coronations Notable examples EditThis is a list of particularly well known and famous ladies in waiting of each nation listed More can be found in their respective category Austria Edit Countess Sophie Chotek von Chotkow und Wognin later Duchess of Hohenberg 1868 1914 Canada Edit Margaret Southern b 1931 7 Denmark Edit Louise Scheel von Plessen 1725 1799 England Scotland Great Britain and the United Kingdom Edit Catherine Douglas fl 1497 Elizabeth Woodville possibly 1437 1492 Lady Mary Boleyn s 1499 1500 1543 Four of Henry VIII s queens consort Lady Anne Boleyn c 1501 07 1536 Jane Seymour c 1508 1537 Catherine Howard s 1523 1542 Catherine Parr 1512 1548 Jane Boleyn Viscountess Rochford c 1505 1542 Katherine Ashley c 1502 1565 Jane Dormer later Duchess of Feria 1538 1612 Mary Fleming 1542 1581 one of the Four Marys Lettice Knollys 1543 1634 Sarah Churchill Duchess of Marlborough 1660 1744 Ivy Gordon Lennox later Duchess of Portland 1887 1982 Ruth Roche Baroness Fermoy 1908 1993 Lady Pamela Mountbatten b 1929 Jane Loftus Marchioness of Ely 1821 1890 Lady Sarah McCorquodale b 1955 France Edit Francoise de Breze Countess of Maulevrier 1515 14 October 1577 Regent of Sedan from 1553 to 1559 Jacqueline de Longwy Countess of Bar sur Sein before 1520 28 August 1561 Henriette of Cleves 4th Duchess of Nevers 31 October 1542 24 June 1601 one of France s chief creditors until her death Marie Therese Louise of Savoy Princess of Lamballe 1749 1792 Yolande de Polastron 1749 1793 Louise Elisabeth de Croy Marchioness of Tourzel 1749 1832 Germany Edit Marie Luise von Degenfeld 1634 1677 at the court of The Palatinate Baroness Maria Caroline Charlotte von Ingenheim 1704 1749 at the court of Bavaria Sophie Marie von Voss 1729 1814 at the court of Prussia Charlotte von Stein 1742 1827 at the court of Saxe Weimar Luise von Gochhausen 1752 1807 at the court of Saxe Weimar Karoline Friederike von Berg 1760 1826 at the court of Prussia Gabriele von Bulow 1802 1887 chief lady in waiting at the court of Prussia Rosalie von Rauch later Countess of Hohenau 1820 1879 at the court of PrussiaHungary Edit Helene Kottanner 1400 1470 lady in waiting for Elisabeth of Luxembourg she organized the abduction of the Holy Crown and nursed Elisabeth of Habsburg who later become a Polish Queen Countess Irma Sztaray de Sztara et Nagymihaly 1863 1940 at the court of Empress Elisabeth Sisi of Austria Countess Marie Festetics von Tolna 1839 1923 lady in waiting for Empress Elisabeth of Austria and Honorary Lady of the Order of Theresa Ida Krisztina Veronika Ferenczy of Vecseszek 1839 1928 close friend and confidant of Empress Elisabeth of AustriaJapan Edit Lady Ise 875 938 poet lover of Prince Atsuyoshi and later concubine of Emperor Uda Takashina no Takako d 996 served at the court of Empress Junshi later the legal wife of Fujiwara no Michitaka and regent of Emperor Ichijō Uma no Naishi 949 1011 poet she served under Empress Kishi wife of Emperor Murakami Fujiwara no Senshi the imperial consort of Emperor En yu and mother of Emperor Ichijō and Empress Teishi wife of Emperor Ichijō and later became a follower of Shōnagon Akazome Emon s 956 1041 or later poet and writer of Tale of Flowering Fortunes she served at the court of Empress Shoshi Murasaki Shikibu c 978 c 1016 1031 poet and the writer of the first known novel The Tale of Genji she also wrote a diary about court life after serving at the court of Empress Shoshi Sei Shōnagon c 966 1017 1025 writer of the Pillow Book she served at the court of Empress Teishi Ise no Taifu 989 1060 poet she served Empress Shoshi along with Murasaki Shikibu Akazome Emon and Izumi Shikibu and later became the nurse of Emperor Shirakawa Daini no Sanmi 999 1082 daughter of Murasaki Shikibu she served at court of Grand Empress Dowager Shoshi and was the nurse of Emperor Go Reizei and the imperial princesses Lady Sarashina 1008 after 1059 writer of Sarashina Nikki she served Imperial Princess Yushi the third daughter of Emperor Go SuzakuKorea Edit Kim Gae si d 1623 Royal Consort Gwi in of the Okcheon Jo clan d 1652 Jang Ok jeong Royal Noble Consort Hui of the Indong Jang clan 1659 1701 Royal Noble Consort Suk of the Haeju Choe clan 1670 1718 Royal Noble Consort Yeong of the Jeonui Yi clan 1696 1764 Royal Noble Consort Ui of the Changnyeong Seong clan 1753 1786 Imperial Consort Boknyeong Gwi in of the Cheongju Yang clan 1882 1929 China Edit Lu Lingxuan d 577 served as the wet nurse of Emperor Gao Wei Sumalagu 1615 24 October 1705 palace attendant during the Qing Dynasty and close confidant of Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang Wei Tuan er d 693 favourite lady in waiting of Wu Zetian Princess Der Ling 1885 1944 she was given the title of commandery princess while serving as the first lady in waiting for Empress Dowager Cixi Nellie Yu Roung Ling 1889 1973 she was given the title of commandery princess while serving as a lady in waiting for Empress Dowager CixiOttoman Edit Gulfem Hatun d 1562 supposed concubine of Sultan Suleiman I the Magnificent Canfeda Hatun d 1600 mistress housekeeper Hubbi Hatun d 1590 poetess Raziye Hatun 1525 26 June 1597 mistress of financial affairs Sahinde Hanim nee Princess Kezban Marshania c 1895 15 March 1924 lady in waiting to her aunt Nazikeda Kadin Sekerpare Hatun mistress housekeeperPoland Edit Marie Casimire Louise de La Grange d Arquien later Queen of Poland 1641 1716 Klara Izabella Pacowa 1631 1685 Elzbieta Helena Sieniawska 1669 1729 Russia Edit Sophia Stepanovna Razumovskaya 1746 1803 a mistress of Paul I of Russia Countess Julia von Hauke later Princess of Battenberg 1825 1895 Anna Alexandrovna Vyrubova 1884 1964 Sweden Edit Elizabeth Ribbing 1596 1662 and later her morganatic daughter Elizabeth Carlsdotter Gyllenhielm 1622 1682 Ulrika Stromfelt 1724 1780 Augusta von Fersen 1754 1846 Magdalena Rudenschold 1766 1823 Thailand Edit Princess Vibhavadi Rangsit 1920 1977 In fiction EditThe Favourite 2018 film Extended uses EditThe term lady in waiting is sometimes used as slang for pregnant woman See also EditChaperone social Handmaiden Lady s companion Lady s maid Manservant OdalisqueNotes Edit a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Kolk 2009 a b c d e f g h Duindam a b Kerkhoff a b c d e f g h i j k l m Akkerman amp Houben 2013 a b c d e f g h Persson 1999 Almanach royal officiel de Belgique pour l an 1841 full citation needed a b McCreery Christopher 2008 On Her Majesty s Service Royal Honours and Recognition in Canada Dundurn p 133 ISBN 978 1 5500 2742 6 a b Ebrey a b c Chung pp 960 1126 Hsieh Bao Hua 1999 From Charwoman to Empress Dowager Serving Women in the Ming Palace Ming Studies 42 42 26 80 doi 10 1179 014703799788763371 PMID 22026040 Hsieh Bao Hua 2014 Ming Palace Serving Women Concubinage and Servitude in Late Imperial China London Lexington Books pp 179 208 Hsieh Concubinage and Servitude p 184 a b Hsieh Concubinage and Servitude p 180 Hsieh Concubinage and Servitude p 181 Cass Victoria B 1986 Female Healers in the Ming and the Lodge of Ritual and Ceremony Journal of the American Oriental Society 106 1 233 245 doi 10 2307 602374 JSTOR 602374 Cass Female Healers p 236 Hsieh From Charwoman to Empress Dowager Ming Studies 45 Hsieh From Charwoman to Empress Dowager Ming Studies 46 Hsieh Concubinage and Servitude p 187 Hsieh From Charwoman to Empress Dowager Ming Studies 127 Lee Lily Xiao Hong 2016 Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women Volume II Tang Through Ming 618 1644 Hoboken Taylor and Francis p 543 a b Lee Biographical Dictionary p 543 Hinsch Bret 2016 Women in Imperial China London Rowman amp Littlefield pp 147 174 Hinsch Women in Imperial China p 148 Hsieh From Charwoman to Empress Dowager Ming Studies 125 a b Walthall a b c Hsieh Bao Hua a b c Kjolsen 2010 a b c d e f g Akkerman amp Houben 2013 Mansel Nagel 2008 Seward 2004 Zedlitz Trutzschler 1924 Almanach de Gotha 1859 Almanacco reale del regno delle Due Sicilie Calendario reale per l anno 1879 full citation needed la Repubblica it 2007 11 25 La dama di compagnia dell ultima Regina full citation needed a b c d e Lillehoj a b c d e Rowley a b Lebra 상궁 尙宮 Sanggung in Korean and English The Academy of Korean Studies Archived from the original on 3 March 2016 Retrieved 9 September 2016 Hamer 2011 S Gravenhaagsche Stads Almanak voor 1857 Hauge amp Egeberg 1960 a b Madeline Zilfi Women and Slavery in the Late Ottoman Empire The Design of Difference Brookes Douglas Scott 2010 The Concubine the Princess and the Teacher Voices from the Ottoman Harem University of Texas Press ISBN 978 0 292 78335 5 s 293 301 Brookes Douglas Scott 2010 The Concubine the Princess and the Teacher Voices from the Ottoman Harem University of Texas Press ISBN 978 0 292 78335 5 s 293 301 Brookes Douglas Scott 2010 The Concubine the Princess and the Teacher Voices from the Ottoman Harem University of Texas Press ISBN 978 0 292 78335 5 s 293 301 Brookes Douglas Scott 2010 The Concubine the Princess and the Teacher Voices from the Ottoman Harem University of Texas Press ISBN 978 0 292 78335 5 s 293 301 Brookes Douglas Scott 2010 The Concubine the Princess and the Teacher Voices from the Ottoman Harem University of Texas Press ISBN 978 0 292 78335 5 s 293 301 Bozena Popiolek Rola dworow magnackich w edukacji dziewczat na przelomie XVII i XVIII wieku www wilanow palac pl dostep 2020 02 25 I E Zabelin Glava VI Caricyn dvorovyj chin Domashnij byt russkih caric v XVI i XVII stoletiyah M Tipografiya Gracheva i Komp 1869 need quotation to verify a b Verhovaya boyarynya Enciklopedicheskij slovar Brokgauza i Efrona v 86 t 82 t i 4 dop SPb 1890 1907 need quotation to verify a b c Cruz amp Stampino a b Rundquist 1989 a b c Allison Ronald Riddell Sarah eds 1991 The Royal Encyclopedia London Macmillan p 307 Risk James Pownall Henry Stanley David Tamplin John 2001 Royal Service Volume II Lingfield Surrey Third Millennium pp 65 70 e g Mrs Fiona Henderson has succeeded Mrs Robert de Pass as Lady in Waiting to The Queen Court Circular 29 October 2002 British Monarchy 2016 London Gazette Issue 45868 Page 105 2 January 1973 a b c London Gazette Issue 51019 Page 9885 4 August 1987 London Gazette Issue 41917 Page 79 1 January 1960 London Gazette Issue 42185 Page 7459 4 November 1960 a b Court Circular 11 August 2002 The Royal Family Retrieved 26 May 2022 Court Circular 13 July 2017 The Royal Family Retrieved 26 May 2022 a b c d e Coughlan Sean 27 November 2022 Camilla scraps ladies in waiting in modernising move BBC News Retrieved 27 November 2022 William J Thoms The Book of the Court Exhibiting the History Duties and Privileges of the English Nobility and Gentry Particularly of the Great Officers of State and Members of the Royal Household 1844 a b c d e f Alison Weir Elizabeth of York A Tudor Queen and Her World Gosman Macdonald amp Vanderjagt Chisholm 1911 p 663 References EditAkkerman Nadine Houben Birgit eds 2013 The Politics of Female Households Ladies In Waiting Across Early Modern Europe Leiden Brill full citation needed Almanach de Gotha annuaire genealogique diplomatique et statistique 1859 full citation needed Ladies in Waiting and Equerries The Official website of the British Monarchy archived from the original on 3 February 2016 Chung Priscilla Ching Palace Women in the Northern Sung pp 960 1126 full citation needed Chisholm Hugh ed 1911 Honourable Encyclopaedia Britannica vol 13 11th ed Cambridge University Press pp 662 663 Cruz Anne J Stampino Maria Galli Early Modern Habsburg Women Transnational Contexts Cultural Conflicts dynastic continuities full citation needed Ebrey Patricia Buckley Women and the Family in Chinese History full citation needed Duindam Jeroen Frans Jozef Vienna and Versailles The Courts of Europe s Dynastic Rivals 1550 1780 full citation needed Kolk Caroline zum June 2009 The Household of the Queen of France in the Sixteenth Century The Court Historian 14 1 full citation needed Hsieh Bao Hua Concubinage and Servitude in Late Imperial China full citation needed Gosman Martin Macdonald Alasdair James Vanderjagt Arie Johan Princes and Princely Culture 1450 1650 full citation needed Hamer Dianne 2011 Sophie biografie van Sophie van Wurtemberg 1818 1877 op basis van brieven en dagboken full citation needed Kagler Britta Frauen am Munchener Hof 1651 1756 full citation needed Kerkhoff Jacqueline Maria van Hongarije en haar hof 1505 1558 tot plichtsbetrachting uitverkoren full citation needed Lebra Takie Sugiyama Above the Clouds Status Culture of the Modern Japanese Nobility full citation needed Lillehoj Elizabeth Art and Palace Politics in Early Modern Japan 1580s 1680s full citation needed Mansel Philip The Eagle in Splendour Inside the Court of Napoleon full citation needed Nagel Susan 2008 Marie Therese Child of Terror The Fate of Marie Antoinette s Daughter NY Bloomsbury Macmillan ISBN 978 1 59691 057 7 Persson Fabian 1999 Servants of Fortune The Swedish Court between 1598 and 1721 Lund Wallin amp Dalholm ISBN 91 628 3340 5 Hauge Yngvar Egeberg Nini 1960 Bogstad 1773 1995 H Aschehoug Walthall Anne Servants of the Dynasty Palace Women in World History full citation needed Kjolsen Klaus 2010 Det Kongelige Danske Hof 1660 2000 full citation needed Rowley G G An Imperial Concubine s Tale Scandal Shipwreck and Salvation in Seventeenth Century Japan full citation needed Rundquist Angela 1989 Blatt blod och liljevita hander en etnologisk studie av aristokratiska kvinnor 1850 1900 Carlsson Diss Stockholm Univ Stockholm full citation needed Seward Desmond 2004 Eugenie An empress and her empire Stroud Sutton cop ISBN 0 7509 2979 0 Zedlitz Trutzschler Robert 1924 Twelve Years at the Imperial German Court full citation needed External links Edit Look up lady in waiting in Wiktionary the free dictionary Alchin Linda Lady in Waiting Elizabethan Era Retrieved 18 April 2017 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lady in waiting amp oldid 1139235169, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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