Royal Courtiers, Ladies in Waiting, Staff, etc

[Shadiyah2086]

Does anyone know if Queen Paola, Crown Princes Mathlide, Princess Claire, or Princess Astrid have a lady-in-waiting or assistant.

[hrhcp]

Originally Posted by rebbevb

i dont think she has one

I beg to differ.

I don't think there is a single Crown Princess in Europe without a lady in waiting.

But mum's the word .... it being a position of privilege and more so, honour.

[Charlotte1]

Originally Posted by hrhcp

I beg to differ.

I don't think there is a single Crown Princess in Europe without a lady in waiting.

But mum's the word .... it being a position of privilege and more so, honour.

Maxima doesn't have a lady in waiting. If the occasion warrants one then Queen Beatrix lends her one of hers to accompany her.

There's also been no announcement as to whether Camilla has a lady in waiting. They are usually formally announced.

[rchainho]

none of the spanish royals have lady in waiting.

[Henri M.]

Originally Posted by Charlotte1

Maxima doesn't have a lady in waiting. If the occasion warrants one then Queen Beatrix lends her one of hers to accompany her.

In daily practice Princess Máxima always has a Hofdame in her enclosure, but because these ladies are in the Queen's personal service and are paid by the Queen herself, do have appartments in the Queen's residences and fall under the 'Honorary Household', we formally can not label them as 'Máxima's Hofdame'. In practice the Queen's Hofdames (6 ladies) and Dames du Palais (appr. 4 ladies) have a shift which also 'covers' the engagements of the Princess of Orange.

[Saudiprincipessa]

ive noticed that many Royals have ladies or should i say people, in waiting, and others dont.
but what exactly is the job of a Lady or person in waiting?

i know it seems stupid to ask, but im curious
thank you!

[tamar]

I Know That Cp Mary Has A Lady In Waiting, You Can See Her In Many Photos, She Is A Bit Taller Than Mary And Looks Very Nice

[Henri M.]

Originally Posted by Saudiprincipessa

ive noticed that many Royals have ladies or should i say people, in waiting, and others dont.
but what exactly is the job of a Lady or person in waiting?

i know it seems stupid to ask, but im curious
thank you!

See the link please.

[Henri M.]

Originally Posted by tamar

I Know That Cp Mary Has A Lady In Waiting, You Can See Her In Many Photos, She Is A Bit Taller Than Mary And Looks Very Nice

The Hofdame of Crown Princess Mary is Caroline Heering, born Kjær.

She is the daughter of Helle Kirsten Countess Moltke of Bregentved and Jomfruens Egede, born Flamand, formerly Kjær.

[hrhcp]

on wikipedia, I found a presentation of (minimum number of) household staff, that I thought the readers here might in interested in ....

"Household staff

Practices vary depending on the size of the household and the preference of the employers, but in general the staff is divided into departments run by the:

• Butler--the head of household staff in most homes; in charge of the pantry, wine cellar and dining room. In a small house the butler also valets for the master of the house. Male staff report to him. The butler is often engaged by the master of the house but usually reports to the lady of the house or sometimes to the housekeeper.
• Cook--in charge of the kitchen and kitchen staff. Sometimes a chef is employed with several subordinate cooks. The cook usually reports directly to the lady of the house but sometimes to the housekeeper.
• Housekeeper--responsible for the house and its appearance; in charge of all female servants. In grand homes the butler and cook sometimes report to the housekeeper.

Support staff

• Chauffeur
• Companion - (Lady's Companion)
• Governess
• Lady's maid
• Nanny
• Tutor
• Valet (Gentleman's gentleman)

Junior staff

• Footmen
• Between maids (also called Hall girl particularly in the US)
• Hall boy
• Maids -- chambermaids, housemaids,parlourmaids, kitchen maids, laundry maids, nursery maid, scullery maids, still room maids
• Page
• Seamstress
• Useful Man also called houseman

Grounds staff

An Estate Manager may have charge of the maintenance and care of the grounds, landscaping, and outbuildings (pool, cabana, stables, greenhouse etc.) which is divided into departments run by the:

• Head Gardener -- responsible for the grounds around the house; in charge of any additional gardeners or seasonal men and women brought in at times of harvest or planting.
• Stable Master, Stud Master, Master of the Horse, Master of the Hounds, Gamekeeper - various titles used for the individual responsible for the keeping of animals, particularly those used for recreational pursuits such as horseback riding, fox hunting or dog fancy.

Support staff

• Gardeners
• Groundskeepers
• Stablehands
• Handyman"

[Vanesa]

Thank you for the info. It's very useful to me. I see that Royal families still have a great Household Staff.

Vanesa.

[Henri M.]

Originally Posted by Vanesa

Thank you for the info. It's very useful to me. I see that Royal families still have a great Household Staff.

Vanesa.

In the Netherlands some 400 to 800 persons, depending on how you count (only workforce effectively receiving their monthly payment slip from the Royal Household Services), or everyone who works for the Queen's Household like the security (police and armed forces but detached into the Queen's Household) or the the workers from the Royal Forestry (who formally are paid by the Crown Domains) but are effectively working for the Queen's pleasure.

[Henri M.]

Originally Posted by hrhcp

on wikipedia, I found a presentation of (minimum number of) household staff, that I thought the readers here might in interested in ....

That was a nice list but not really the description of a royal household. It is typically the household of a big country estate or stately home.

A royal household also has functions like Chamberlain, Mistress of the Robes, Crown Equerry, Court Chaplain, Court Jeweller, etc.

[FarahJoy]

This vital question has been haunting my mind for a while :stuart:

Is it a maid ? A servant ? A friend ? A mix between this all ?

Does anyone know ?

What is their training ? How are they chosen ? What do they exactly do ? How many of them do Royals have at their disposal ? When ? In what do their jobs differ from other servant jobs ?

I swear I'm not going to apply to Buckingham Palace but I am really curious about this uncommon job

[susan alicia]

Lady-in-waiting - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Beatrice]

Originally Posted by susan alicia

Lady-in-waiting - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

thanks for the link!!i had searched for that too but i had still questions

[Henri M.]

Originally Posted by FarahJoy

This vital question has been haunting my mind for a while :stuart:

Is it a maid ? A servant ? A friend ? A mix between this all ?

Does anyone know ?

What is their training ? How are they chosen ? What do they exactly do ? How many of them do Royals have at their disposal ? When ? In what do their jobs differ from other servant jobs ?

I swear I'm not going to apply to Buckingham Palace but I am really curious about this uncommon job

In short you can say that a lady-in-waiting (this is the English term, in my country it is called Hofdame ("Dame of the Court") or Dame du Palais ("Dame of the Palace"). They are definitely no maids or servants. In the Netherlands, but also in the United Kingdom, they use to be ladies of certain descent, with an excellent standing in society. Often it are noble or patrician (upper class) ladies who are "approved company to Her Majesty", so to say.

In the Netherlands the Hofdames and Dames du Palais are not paid. Their expenses for their functioning and representation are met by The Queen. So you need to be financially independent. It is seen as an utmost honour to be asked (you don't apply, you are 'asked') for this position. After all, after the family, you are the closest as possible to the Sovereign.

It is a very high position at the Court. In the Netherlands (and I assume in the United Kingdom it is comparable) the ladies do not belong to the regular staff (= cooks, footmen, maids) but are part of the 'Household Honorair", and are led by the Grootmeesteres (Grandmastress, in the United Kingdom: Mistress of the Robes) who only has one boss: The Queen.



In the Netherlands there are 6 Hofdames and 5 Dames du Palais. The difference has somewhat gone: Hofdames used to be unmarried ladies, while Dames du Palais were married ladies. Now there is in fact no real difference: Dames du Palais now are senior Hofdames with a long record. They have a weekly shift, so that means once in the 5 à 6 weeks they are on duty. Their high position is illustrated by the fact that they have their own appartments inside the palace, do receive their own guests in their salons and travel together with The Queen, usually next to her (since Queen Beatrix is a widow, she has no accompany from her spouse).

The Grootmeesteres used to give her own New Year's reception for the Corps Diplomatique. But this has been abolished. The Grootmeesteres, the Hofdames and the Dames du Palais however do organize diners and receptions and act as the eyes and ears of The Queen. They also represent The Queen at weddings and funerals of important figures and keep in touch with the aristocracy.

I hope this gave enough insight.

[Henri M.]

Coincidentally on the Benelux Royal Message Board a poster, named Joris, posted a link to an exhibition with an interesting insight in what was discussed in the latest post:


An excerpt:

The Hague in the Netherlands, home to the Court and the nobility, city of politicians and ambassadors, has always been sophisticated and outward-looking. La Haye even had its own language, known as Hagois, a striking mixture of Dutch and French. The city’s refinement is reflected in the gowns that have been preserved of hofdames, dames du palais and others who moved in Court circles.

They wore these fashionable creations at receptions, dinners, balls, investitures and weddings, but also during times of mourning. In entertainment circles one could dress less formally than at Court but here, too, the smart set of The Hague showed class.

A large and truly unique collection of garments has been preserved from the wardrobe of Jonkvrouw (= noble lady) Henriëtte van de Poll (1853-1946), hofdame to the Queen Emma of the Netherlands, whose many letters provide a peek behind the palace screens. A host of anecdotes betrays a society in which fashion was a matter of life and death.
Each item of clothing has its own special story that reveals the Court’s written and unwritten rules. When did you wear a manteau de cour, what did demi-montante mean, what should you wear for light mourning and what on earth was meant by compulsory décolleté?

[HRH Kerry]

Henri M.,
Thanks for the insightful answers. I definitely thought that a lady-in-waiting was a graceful way of saying servant.

[acdc1]

Weren't they mostly from aristocracy or nobility?