The Royal Household, Courtiers, Advisers and Attendants

[Patra]

I'd love to see a picture of the wine decanter, if any one can post. Thanks in advance!

[wbenson]

Express.co.uk - Home of the Daily and Sunday Express | UK News :: Queen's chambermaids walk out

The Queen’s chambermaids are poised to down dusters and stage a walkout over unpaid overtime.

[muriel]

Uh oh - does not seem like a great position to be in.

[QueenElizabeth]

I took a photograph of Lady Susan Hussey yesterday. She is such a fabulous Lady indeed. She accompanied the Queen during the Presentation of new Colours and the reception afterwards.

presentationofcolours10119.jpg picture by Yoeri - Photobucket

[Lord Rossmore]

Hi does any one have a good clear picture of the Duchess of Devonshire (Mistress of the Robes) in her regalia at the 1953 Coronation to H.M Queen Elizabeth II? Thanks in advance

[Hopewell]

I was delighted to see Arthur Chatto as a Page of Honour. As he is the younger son, I wondered if Samuel had also done this. Seems interesting that just the younger boy would do this. I looked at the Wikipedia list and do not see Samuel listed. That list is very interesting--during the current Reign, two distantly related members of the Royal Family, the Marquess of Lorne and Lord Carnegie, also held these posts.3 members of the late Queen Mother's extended family--Simon Rhodes, James and John Bowes-Lyon also held the posts. The rest are mostly familiar names from the royal household and aristocracy. Anyone have any links to anything discussing how these young men are chosen? Very interesting little "fraternity" when you look over the list since Queen Victoria's time.

[Lumutqueen]

They have to be sons of nobility or gentry and especially of senior members of the royal family. They have to be teenagers, and that's about it.

[MAfan]

Sir Edmund Grove - Telegraph

Sir Edmund Grove, the last living member of King George VI's household, died on 28 June 2010, aged 90.

[muriel]

Originally Posted by MAfan

Sir Edmund Grove - Telegraph

Sir Edmund Grove, the last living member of King George VI's household, died on 28 June 2010, aged 90.

I am sure HM would have noted the event.

[Kasumi]

A silversmith and goldsmith who made gifts for the royal family, is to retire on Saturday, October 16th 2010, after more than half a century in the business. - Buckinghamshire Advertiser

[bigboommusic]

Dear everyone,

I am a new member. Now I am looking for the title of mandarin/person who is responsible for teaching life protocol (eat, walk, study, etc) to royal members.

Please help me. Thank you so much.

[QueenElizabeth]

State Visits to Oman and UAE: I saw on the website that Mrs. Whitehead and Mrs. Gordon Lennox are in attendance; are these two 'new' Ladies in Waiting?

[QueenElizabeth]

The first Garden Party of the season 2011 introduced us a new Lady-in-Waiting. Could this be Mrs Whitehead or Mrs Gordon Lennox?
The lady is wearing the badge of LiW
Photo from Getty Images

[Warren]

Raising the young Royals - Telegraph
11 March 2012
Raising the young Royals

As the Duchess of Cambridge prepares to give her first public speech - just days after Prince Harry's crowd-pleasing tour of the Caribbean - it is clear how much the young members of the Royal Family owe their ease on the public stage to a core band of trusted advisers. Prince Harry running with Usain Bolt in Kingston, and hugging the Jamaican prime minister into a swoon. Prince William flying to the Falklands to strengthen the resolve of the islanders as a helicopter pilot. The Duchess of Cambridge wowing America on her first tour as a royal, alongside her husband. These have been some of the successes in a remarkably positive year for the House of Windsor, which has seen its new generation of Royals emerge as confident, charming and hugely popular around the world.

Such scenes would not have been imaginable only five years ago, when Harry was seen as the "Party Prince" and William was hidden away in the Armed Forces. The transformation of these three young people has been a triumph for a small group of advisers, who have shaped the way the new Royals have presented themselves. Guiding Harry, William and Kate through the minefield of etiquette and diplomacy have been three key figures, including an SAS commander, a former ambassador to the US and a very modern press secretary who recently entered into the Royal household’s first civil partnership.

Arranging the details of Prince Harry’s first solo tour – around the Caribbean to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee – Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, Sir David Manning and Miguel Head listened to his wish to “pay personal tribute to his grandmother, but also to spend time wherever possible with young people”. They knew he would “bring his own brand of enthusiasm and energy” to the trip, as Mr Lowther-Pinkerton put it. They visited the Caribbean in January to prepare for a tour chosen for him by the Queen. And they helped the fun-loving Harry avoid all the pitfalls of a part of the world where a taste for drinking, dancing and smoking might be easily indulged.

...Just as Harry feels he can trust his advisers, their ability to relax and let him do his thing comes from knowing him well. The first of the key advisers to come on board was Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, who became Private Secretary to Princes William and Harry back in 2005. He now also serves the Duchess in the same capacity. He has become so close to Prince William that his son, Billy, was a page boy at the Royal wedding last year. Mr Lowther-Pinkerton has an impeccable military and Royal household pedigree. After Sandhurst, he served with the 1st Battalion Irish Guards, and was Equerry to the late Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother from 1984 to 1986. Far from being just a ceremonial soldier, he was an officer in the SAS, targeting drug barons in Colombia, fighting in the first Gulf war and taking part in special operations in the Balkans during the mid-Nineties.

...[The Duchess of Cambridge] has also leant on the wisdom of the second key figure to join the team, Sir David Manning, 62, who was appointed as an adviser to William and Harry at the request of the Queen when they formed their joint private office in 2009. He is seen as playing a similar role to that of General Sir Frederick Browning, a decorated soldier who acted as adviser to the then Princess Elizabeth during the 1940s. The Queen is said to have been keen to ensure that William and Harry had a similar “wise man” to help them adapt as working Royals. Once described as “a super-bright owl of a man”, Sir David served in embassies in Israel, Poland, India, Paris and Moscow before becoming an adviser to Tony Blair in the run-up to the 2003 Iraq war. He was the man the family turned to before the Royal wedding to give Kate Middleton “advice and mentoring” on the role she was about to take up. A senior aide recently said: “She still meets often with Sir David, taking notes on everything from foreign affairs to the constitution and how the Duchies work.”

The third adviser also joined the Princes’ private office in 2009. Miguel Head, 33, was raised in suburban London and went to Bancrofts, a small public school in Essex.He joined the MoD press office in his early twenties and worked his way up, serving as the liaison with Clarence House when Harry went to war in 2007. Editors agreed a media blackout to allow Lieutenant Wales to serve in Afghanistan, but he had to be pulled out when foreign media gave the game away. Mr Head’s performance went down well with the Princes, who hired him. “They wanted someone who could help them with the public,” said a friend at the time. “They were impressed with how this new guy handled Harry’s stint in Afghanistan and they like him – he’s fun.” Having come from the MoD, Mr Head understands the Princes’ desire to put their military careers ahead of royal duty. Being seen to do brave things in uniform has done wonders for their public image, but more than that, they have enjoyed the space to mature out of view, with the camaraderie and protection of colleagues-in-arms. .
.

[Royal Smurfness]

Who are the handmaidens of the Queen?
How does onw become Queen's handmaiden?

[Artemisia]

Originally Posted by Royal Smurfness

Who are the handmaidens of the Queen?
How does onw become Queen's handmaiden?

You don't.
There is no position of handmaiden in any of current European monarchies, and hasn't been for many centuries.

A handmaiden (in Eastern monarchies or early European ones) was basically a maid or servant, who attended to all of the Queen's whimsies. She was probably as down the social staircase as possible, just above slave girls. A handmaiden was most certainly not on par with lady-in-waiting or even an ordinary servant girl.
Then there is of course biblical examples of a handmaiden, which did appear to be pretty much slave girls. For example, when Rachel couldn't bear Jacob children, she gave one of her handmaidens, Bilhah, to her husband as a concubine to produce children.

[Royal Smurfness]

I guess what I mean than are ladies-in-waiting.

[Artemisia]

Originally Posted by Royal Smurfness

I guess what I mean than are ladies-in-waiting.

Ah, that's a different question. Ladies-in-waiting are ladies attending a female member of the Royal Family, but not the Queen (Regnant or Consort). Ladies attending them are called Ladies of he Bedchamber, and the senior of them - the Mistress of the Robes. These ladies are personally chosen by royal ladies, usually among friends and acquaintances. This is not a position that is advertised or can be applied for. It is also a non-paid job, although expenses (which occur while they are on service) are usually covered. Currently, Queen Elizabeth's Mistress of the Robes and Ladies of the Bedchamber are:

- Ann Fortune Fitzroy, Duchess of Grafton
She is the senior Lady of the Bedchamber and as such holds the title of the Mistress of the Robes - a position she has held since 1967.

- Virginia Ogilvy, Countess of Airlie
She is the wife of David Ogilvy, 13th Earl of Airlie, who was the brother of Sir Angus Ogilvy - Princess Alexandra husband. Virginia Ogilvy is the 1st Lady of the Bedchamber of the Queen.

- Diana Maxwell, Baroness Farnham
She is the widow of Barry Maxwell, 12th Baron Farnham. Diana Maxwell is the 2nd Lady of the Bedchamber of the Queen.

- Richenda Elton, Baroness Elton
She is the wife of Rodney Elton, 2nd Baron Elton. Richenda is the 3rd Lady of the Bedchamber of the Queen.

- Lady Susan Hussey, Baroness Hussey of North Bradley
she is the wife of Marmaduke Hussey, Baron Hussey of North Bradley. Lady Susan is one of is Her Majesty's Women of the Bedchamber.

- Mrs. Phillipa de Pass
She is the wife of the Commander Robert de Pass, an old friend of Prince Philip (their son is also a close friend of Prince Charles'). She is an extra Lady of the Bedchamber to the Queen.

[Royal Smurfness]

I see that each of the Queen's ladies has a title - I suppose de Pass is a title too?

What are the eqivalents for a king?

Does Prince Phillip have men who serve him?

[nascarlucy]

It seems like most of these positions at least the ones to Queen Elizabeth one would have to have a title to be considered for the position.

I'm just curious. What exactly do these women do? Are they like personal assistants or do they have other duties?