Mistress of the Robes

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

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

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

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

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

Mistress of the robes to Mary I, 1553–1558

• 1553–1558: Susan Clarencieux^[3]

Mistress of the robes to Elizabeth I, 1558–1603

• 1559/1562–1603: Dorothy, Lady Stafford^[3]

Mistress of the robes to Anne of Denmark, 1603–1619

• 1603–1619: Audrey (Etheldreda), Lady Walsingham^[4]

Mistress of the robes to Henrietta Maria of France, 1625–1669

• 1626–1652: Susan Feilding, Countess of Denbigh^[5] (also called First Lady of the Bedchamber)^[6]
• 1653–1669: Elizabeth Fielding Boyle, Countess of Guilford^[7]

Mistress of the robes to Catherine of Braganza, 1662–1692

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

Mistress of the robes to Mary of Modena, 1673–1688

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

Mistress of the robes to Mary II, 1688–1694

• 1688–1694: Lady Elizabeth Butler, Countess of Derby

Mistresses of the robes to Anne, 1704–1714

• 1704–1711: Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough^[8]
• 1711–1714: Elizabeth Seymour, Duchess of Somerset^[9]

Mistresses of the robes to Caroline of Ansbach, 1714–1737

• 1714–1717: Diana Beauclerk, Duchess of St Albans^[10]
• 1717–1723: Possibly vacant
• 1723–1731: Elizabeth Sackville, Duchess of Dorset^[11]
• 1731–1735: Henrietta Howard, Countess of Suffolk (Dowager Countess of Suffolk from 1733)^[12]
• 1735–1737: Position vacant^[12]

Mistresses of the robes to Augusta of Saxe-Gotha 1736–1763

• 1736–1745: Lady Archibald Hamilton^[12]
• 1745–1747: Position vacant^[12]
• 1747–1763: Grace Sackville, Countess of Middlesex^[12]

Mistress of the robes to Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, 1761–1818

• 1761–1793: Mary Bertie, Duchess of Ancaster and Kesteven (Dowager Duchess of Ancaster and Kesteven from 1778)^[12]
• 1793–1818: Elizabeth Thynne, Marchioness of Bath (Dowager Marchioness of Bath from 1796)^[12]

Mistress of the robes to Caroline of Brunswick 1795–1821

• 1795–1808: Anne Townshend, Marchioness Townshend
• 1808–1817: Catherine Douglas, Baroness Glenbervie
• 1817–1821: Possibly vacant

Mistress of the robes to Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, 1830–1837

• 1830–1830: Elizabeth Gordon, Duchess of Gordon
• 1830–1837: Catherine Osborne, Duchess of Leeds^[12]

Mistress of the robes to Victoria, 1837–1901

• 1837–1841: Harriet Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland^[13]
• 1841–1846: Charlotte Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry^[14]
• 1846–1852: Harriet Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland^[15]
• 1852–1853: Anne Murray, Duchess of Atholl^[16]
• 1853–1858: Harriet Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland^[17]
• 1858–1859: Louisa Montagu, Duchess of Manchester^[18]
• 1859–1861: Harriet Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland^[19]
• 1861–1868: Elizabeth Wellesley, Duchess of Wellington^[20]
• 1868–1870: Elizabeth Campbell, Duchess of Argyll^[21]
• 1870–1874: Anne Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland^[22]
• 1874–1880: Elizabeth Wellesley, Duchess of Wellington^[23]
• 1880–1883: Elizabeth Russell, Duchess of Bedford^[24]
• 1883–1885: Anne Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe^[25]
• 1885–1886: Louisa Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry^[26]
• 1886: Position vacant
  • Acting mistress of the robes: Elizabeth Russell, Duchess of Bedford
• 1886–1892: Louisa Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry^[27]
• 1892–1895: Position vacant
  • Acting mistress of the robes: Anne Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe, and Anne Murray, Dowager Duchess of Atholl (jointly)
• 1894: Position vacant
  • Acting mistress of the robes: Louisa McDonnell, Countess of Antrim
• 1895–1901: Louisa Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry^[28]

Mistress of the robes to Alexandra of Denmark, 1901–1925

• 1901–1912: Louisa Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry^[29]
• 1913–1925: Winifred Cavendish-Bentinck, Duchess of Portland^[30]

Mistress of the robes to Mary of Teck, 1910–1953

• 1910–1916: Evelyn Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire^[31]
• 1916–1921: Eileen Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland^[32]
• 1921–1953: Evelyn Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (Dowager Duchess of Devonshire from 1938)

Mistress of the robes to Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, 1937–2002

• 1937–1964: Helen Percy, Duchess of Northumberland (Dowager Duchess of Northumberland from 1946)^[33]
• 1964–1990: Kathleen Hamilton, Duchess of Abercorn (Dowager Duchess of Abercorn from 1979)^[34]
• 1990–2002: Position vacant

Mistress of the robes to Elizabeth II, 1953–2022

• 1953–1967: Mary Cavendish, Dowager Duchess of Devonshire^[35]
• 1967–2021: Fortune FitzRoy, Duchess of Grafton (Countess of Euston until 1970, Dowager Duchess of Grafton from 2011)^[36]
• 2021–2022: Position vacant

See also

• Chief Court Mistress, Dutch, German, Scandinavian and Russian equivalent
• Camarera mayor de Palacio, Spanish equivalent
• Première dame d'honneur, French equivalent
• Surintendante de la Maison de la Reine, French equivalent

References

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