Lady of the Bedchamber is the title of a lady-in-waiting holding the official position of personal attendant on a British queen regnant or queen consort. The position is traditionally held by the wife of a peer. A lady of the bedchamber would give instructions to the women of the bedchamber on what their queen wished them to do, or may carry out those duties herself. The equivalent title and office has historically been used in most European royal courts (Dutch: Dames du Palais; French: Dames or Dame de Palais; German: Hofstaatsdame or Palastdame; Italian: Dame di Corte; Russian: Hofdame or Statsdame; Spanish: Dueña de honor; Swedish: Statsfru).

History

In the Middle Ages, Margaret of France is noted to have had seven ladies of the bedchamber: the three married ones were called dominæ and the four unmarried ones were known as maids of honour. Their task was simply to act as the companions (see lady's companion) and personal attendants to the royal woman. In a description from 1728, the task of the ladies of the bedchamber was to act as the go-between for the queen and the women of the bedchamber, who had the task to wait upon the queen by helping her wash, dress and undress, and so forth. A woman of the bedchamber worked independently from a lady of the bedchamber and did not take orders from her. However, if a lady of the bedchamber was present, a woman of the bedchamber would always defer to her. If a lady of the bedchamber was present when a woman of the bedchamber arrived to dress the queen, for example, she would not dress the queen herself, but instead give the garments to the lady of the bedchamber, who in turn helped the queen put it on. The procedure was the same in other issues. The post of a lady of the bedchamber was considered prestigious, and the appointments have therefore been subjected to controversies. Queen Anne appointed Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, to this position; the Duchess was widely considered an influential royal favourite. In 1839, concerns that Queen Victoria was determined to surround herself with wives of Whig politicians led to the Bedchamber crisis, preventing the installation of a Tory government under Robert Peel.

Ladies of the bedchamber to the queens of England

This is an incomplete list of those who have served as Lady of the Bedchamber in the English royal household. In Tudor England, the lady of the Bedchamber was often called Lady of the Privy Chamber.

Catherine of Aragon, 1509–1536

Anne Boleyn, 1533–1536

Jane Seymour, 1536–1537

Anne of Cleves, 1540–1540

Catherine Howard, 1540–1541

Mary I, 1553–1558

Elizabeth I, 1558–1603

Anne of Denmark, 1603–1619

Anne of Denmark was Queen Consort to James I of England.

Henrietta Maria of France, 1625–1649

Henrietta Maria was Queen Consort to Charles I of England. Queen Henrietta Maria had a French Household when she first arrived in England in 1625, and it was not until her French entourage was sent home in 1626-1627 that her English Household was fully installed.

Catherine of Braganza, 1662–1692

Catherine of Braganza was Queen Consort to Charles II of England

Mary of Modena, 1673–1688

Mary of Modena was Queen Consort to James II of England

Mary II, 1689–1694

Ladies of the bedchamber to the queens of Great Britain

Anne, 1702–1714

Caroline of Ansbach, 1714–1737

Caroline of Ansbach was Queen Consort to George II of Great Britain

Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, 1761–1818

Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was Queen Consort to King George III of Great Britain

Ladies of the bedchamber to the queens of the United Kingdom

Caroline of Brunswick, 1795–1821

Caroline of Brunswick was the wife of George, Prince of Wales, Prince Regent and from 1820 Queen Consort to George IV of the United Kingdom. They separated in 1796 and she died in 1821.

Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, 1830–1837

Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen was Queen Consort to William IV of the United Kingdom

Victoria, 1837–1901

Alexandra of Denmark, 1901–1925

Alexandra of Denmark was Queen Consort to Edward VII of the United Kingdom

Mary of Teck, 1901–1953

Mary of Teck was Queen Consort to George V of the United Kingdom

Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, 1937–2002

Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was Queen Consort to George VI of the United Kingdom

Elizabeth II, 1953–2022