Mistress of the Robes
The Mistress of the Robes (Template:Lang-da; Template:Lang-no; Template:Lang-sv) is the senior lady in the royal households of Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
Denmark
In Denmark, the chief lady-in-waiting is entitled hofmesterinde in Danish, corresponding to the English title Mistress of the Robes.
Mistress of the Robes to Christina of Saxony, 1481–1513
- 1503–1516: Anne Meinstrup
Mistress of the Robes to Isabella of Austria, 1515–1523
- 1516–1517: Anne Meinstrup
Mistress of the Robes to Sophie of Pomerania, 1523–1533
- 1526–1533: Anne Meinstrup
Mistress of the Robes to Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow 1572–1631
- 1572–1584: Inger Oxe
- 1584–1592: Beate Clausdatter Bille
Mistress of the Robes to Anne Catherine of Brandenburg 1597–1612
- 1597–1612: Beate Huitfeldt
Mistress of the Robes to Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel 1670–1714
- 1695–1705: Dorothea Justina Haxthausen
- Louise Charlotte von Schlaberndorf
Mistress of the Robes to Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow 1699–1721
- 1699–1716: Abel Cathrine Buchwald
Mistress of the Robes to Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel 1752–1796
- 1757–1767: Karen Huitfeldt
- 1774–1784: Margrethe von der Lühe
- 1784–1793: Sophie Louise Holck-Winterfeldt
Mistress of the Robes to Caroline Matilda of Great Britain 1766–1772
- 1766–1768: Louise von Plessen
- 1768–1768: Charlotte Elisabeth Henriette Holstein
- 1768–1772: Margrethe von der Lühe
Mistress of the Robes to Marie of Hesse-Kassel 1808–1852
- 1823–1839: Lucie Charlotte Sehestedt Juul
Mistress of the Robes to Caroline Amalie of Augustenburg 1839–1881
- 1845–1859: Ingeborg Christiane Rosenørn
Mistress of the Robes to Louise of Hesse-Kassel 1863–1898
- 1864–1876: Ida Marie Bille
- 1876–1888: Julia Adelaide Harriet Raben-Levetzau
Mistress of the Robes to Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin 1912–1952
- 1912–1935: Louise Grevenkop-Castenskiold
- 1935–1952: Inger Wedell
Norway
During the union of Sweden-Norway in 1814–1905, Sweden and Norway shared the same royal family. At that time, there were two Mistresses of the Robes for the same queen: one as Queen of Sweden at the Swedish royal court when she lived in Sweden, and a separate Mistress of the Robes as Queen of Norway at the Norwegian royal court, who served in her post during the visits of the Swedish-Norwegian royal family to Norway.
Presently, the overhoffmesterinne in Norway acts as a vice hostess at the Norwegian royal court when the queen and the other female members of the royal family are absent.
Mistress of the Robes to Désirée Clary, 1823–1861
- 1825–1844: Karen Wedel-Jarlsberg
Mistress of the Robes to Josephine of Leuchtenberg, 1844–1876
- 1844–1845: Karen Wedel-Jarlsberg
- ? -? : Fanny Lövenskjöld
Mistress of the Robes to Louise of the Netherlands, 1859–1871
- 1859–1871: Juliane Cathrine Wilhelmine Wedel Jarlsberg
Mistress of the Robes to Sophia of Nassau, 1872–1905
- 1873–1887: Alette Due
- 1887–1905: Elise Lovenskiold
Sweden
In Sweden, the Mistress of the Robes is the second highest-ranking official of the royal household, preceded only by the Marshal of the Realm. She ranks immediately below the members of the royal family, the speaker of the Parliament and the prime minister, and has precedence over former speakers of the Parliament and former prime ministers. The incumbent is Countess Alice Trolle-Wachtmeister, who has served since 1994.
The title and position have changed over time. Before the reign of Queen Christina (1632–1654), the title was generally referred to as hovmästarinna (the Court Mistress), but during and after the reign of Christina, it became the custom to have two such Court mistresses subordinate to one överhovmästarinna (the Chief Court Mistress).[1] Only the Queen and the Queen Dowager had a Mistress of the Robes called överhovmästarinna (the Chief Court Mistress) while the equivalent at the courts of other female members of the royal house was called hovmästarinna (the Court Mistress). The position was the highest a female courtier could have in the Swedish royal court, and the överhovmästarinna was ranked an Excellency, something unusual for a woman in the 17th century, which placed her immediately after the female members of the royal house in rank. Her role was to uphold etiquette at court, and receive and carry out the instructions of the Queen in the management of the court. She managed the employment of new members to the court of the Queen, and every meeting and letter to the Queen passed through her.[2] She also managed the ceremony of the court presentation, in which nobles were presented to the royal family and thus allowed to show themselves officially at court.[3] She could also represent the Queen on some occasions at court ceremonies and parties as hostess.
Mistress of the Robes to Catherine Stenbock 1552–1621
- 1552–1568: Anna Hogenskild
Mistress of the Robes to Karin Månsdotter 1567–1568
- 1567–1569: Elin Andersdotter
Mistress of the Robes to Catherine Jagellon 1568–1583
- 1568–1583: Karin Gyllenstierna
Mistress of the Robes to Gunilla Bielke 1585–1597
- 1587–1592: Kerstin Oxenstierna
Mistress of the Robes to Christina of Holstein-Gottorp 1604–1625
- 1604–1608 : Carin Ulfsdotter Snakeborg
- 1608–1612 : Gunilla Jönsdotter Struss
- 1612–1619 : Carin Kyle
Mistress of the Robes to Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg 1620–1655
- 1620–1623 : Hebbla Eriksdotter Stålarm
- Catharina von Schnideck
- Regina Catharina von Windisch-Grätz
- 1628–1633 : Brita Gylta
- 1633–1634 : Ebba Mauritzdotter Leijonhufvud
- 1634–1639 : Elisabet Gyllenstierna
- 1639–1640 : Christina Posse
- 1640–1649 : Vacant
- 1649–1655 : Görvel Posse
Mistress of the Robes to Christina 1632–1654
- 1633–1634 : Ebba Mauritzdotter Leijonhufvud
- 1634–1639 : Elisabet Gyllenstierna
- 1639–1647 : Beata Oxenstierna
- 1651–1655 : Maria Sofia De la Gardie
Mistress of the Robes to Hedvig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp, 1654–1715
- 1655–1660 : Elisabet Carlsdotter Gyllenhielm
- 1660–1664 : Görwel Bååt
- 1664–1671 : Görvel Posse
- 1671–1686 : Occa Maria Johanna von Riperda
- 1686–1715 : Märta Berendes (equivalent position at the court of the princesses in 1687–1717)
Mistress of the Robes to Ulrika Eleonora of Denmark, 1680–1693
- 1680–1693 : Maria Elisabeth Stenbock
Mistress of the Robes to Ulrika Eleonora 1718–1741
- 1717–1736 : Katarina Ebba Horn af Åminne
- 1736–1741 : Hedvig Elisabet Strömfelt (equivalent position to the Crown princess in 1744–1751)
Mistress of the Robes to Louisa Ulrika of Prussia, 1751–1782
- 1751–1751 : Hedvig Elisabet Strömfelt
- 1751–1754 : Ulla Tessin
- 1754–1761 : Ulrica Catharina Stromberg
- 1761–1765 : Ulrika Juliana Gyllenstierna
- 1765–1771 : Brita Stina Sparre
- 1771–1782 : Fredrika Eleonora von Düben
Mistress of the Robes to Sophia Magdalena of Denmark, 1771–1813
- 1771–1777 : Anna Maria Hjärne
- 1777–1780 : Ulrika Strömfelt
- 1780–1795 : Charlotta Sparre
Mistress of the Robes to Frederica of Baden, 1797–1809
- 1795–1805 : Hedvig Catharina Piper
- 1805–1810 : Lovisa Sophia von Fersen
Mistress of the Robes to Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp, 1809–1818
- 1809–1810 : Lovisa Sophia von Fersen
- 1811–1818 : Christina Charlotta Stjerneld
- 1818–1818 : Caroline Lewenhaupt
- 1818–1818 : Charlotta Aurora De Geer
Mistress of the Robes to Désirée Clary, 1823–1861
- 1823–1829: Marcelle Tascher de la Pagerie
- 1829–1844: Vilhelmina Gyldenstolpe
Mistress of the Robes to Josephine of Leuchtenberg, 1844–1876
- 1844–1866: Charlotta Skjöldebrand
Mistress of the Robes to Louise of the Netherlands, 1859–1872
- 1859–1860: Stefanie Hamilton
- 1860–1869: Wilhelmina Bonde
- 1871–1872: Anne-Malène Wachtmeister
Mistress of the Robes to Sophia of Nassau, 1872–1907
- 1872–1879: Elisabet Augusta Piper
- 1880–1890: Malvina De la Gardie
- 1890–1907: Ebba Åkerhielm
Mistress of the Robes to Victoria of Baden, 1907–1931
- 1907–1908: Vacant
- 1908–1931: Augusta Lewenhaupt
United Kingdom
Formerly (as the name implies) responsible for the queen's clothes and jewelry, the post now has the responsibility for arranging the rota of attendance of the ladies-in-waiting on the queen, along with various duties at state ceremonies. In the past, whenever the queen was a queen regnant rather than a queen consort, 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 has only had two Mistresses of the Robes in more than sixty years' reign. Queens dowager have their own Mistresses of the Robes, and in the 18th century Princesses of Wales had one too. In modern times, the Mistress of the Robes is almost always a duchess. During the 17th and 18th centuries role often overlapped with or was retitled as First Lady of the Bedchamber.
Mistress of the Robes to Mary I, 1553–1558
- 1553–1558: Susan Clarencieux[4]
Mistress of the Robes to Elizabeth I, 1558–1603
- 1559/1562–1603: Dorothy, Lady Stafford[4]
Mistress of the Robes to Anne of Denmark, 1603–1619
- 1603–1619: Audrey (Etheldreda), Lady Walsingham
Mistresses of the Robes to Anne, 1704–1714
- 1704–1710: Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough[5]
- 1710–1714: Elizabeth Seymour, Duchess of Somerset[6]
Mistresses of the Robes to Caroline of Ansbach, 1714–1737
- 1714–1717: Diana Beauclerk, Duchess of St Albans[7]
- 1717–1723: Vacant?
- 1723–1731: Elizabeth Sackville, Duchess of Dorset[8]
- 1731–1735: Henrietta Howard, Countess of Suffolk (Dowager Countess of Suffolk from 1733)[9]
- 1735–1737: Vacant[9]
Mistresses of the Robes to Augusta of Saxe-Gotha 1736–1763
- 1736–1745: Lady Archibald Hamilton[9]
- 1745–1747: Vacant[9]
- 1747–1763: Grace Sackville, Countess of Middlesex[9]
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)[9]
- 1793–1818: Elizabeth Thynne, Marchioness of Bath (Dowager Marchioness of Bath from 1796)[9]
Mistress of the Robes to Caroline of Brunswick 1795–1820
- 1795–1808: Anne Townshend, Marchioness Townshend
- 1808-1817: Catherine Douglas, Baroness Glenbervie
Mistress of the Robes to Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, 1830–1837
- 1830–1837: Catherine Osborne, Duchess of Leeds[9]
Mistress of the Robes to Victoria, 1837–1901
- 1837–1841: Harriet Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland[10]
- 1841–1846: Charlotte Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry[11]
- 1846–1852: Harriet Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland[12]
- 1852–1853: Anne Murray, Duchess of Atholl[13]
- 1853–1858: Harriet Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland[14]
- 1858–1859: Louisa Montagu, Duchess of Manchester[15]
- 1859–1861: Harriet Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland[16]
- 1861–1868: Elizabeth Wellesley, Duchess of Wellington[17]
- 1868–1870: Elizabeth Campbell, Duchess of Argyll[18]
- 1870–1874: Anne Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland[19]
- 1874–1880: Elizabeth Wellesley, Duchess of Wellington[20]
- 1880–1883: Elizabeth Russell, Duchess of Bedford[21]
- 1883–1885: Anne Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe[22]
- 1885–1886: Louisa Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry[23]
- 1886: Vacant
- Acting Mistress of the Robes: Elizabeth Russell, Duchess of Bedford
- 1886–1892: Louisa Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry[24]
- 1892–1895: Vacant
- Acting Mistress of the Robes: Anne Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe, and Anne Murray, Dowager Duchess of Atholl (jointly)
- 1894: Vacant
- Acting Mistress of the Robes: Louisa McDonnell, Countess of Antrim
- 1895–1901: Louisa Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry[25]
Mistress of the Robes to Alexandra of Denmark, 1901–1925
- 1901–1912: Louisa Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry[26]
- 1913–1925: Winifred Cavendish-Bentinck, Duchess of Portland[27]
Mistress of the Robes to Mary of Teck, 1910–1953
- 1910–1916: Evelyn Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire[28]
- 1916–1921: Eileen Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland[29]
- 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)[30]
- 1964–1990: Kathleen Hamilton, Duchess of Abercorn (Dowager Duchess of Abercorn from 1979)[31]
- 1990–2002: Vacant
Mistress of the Robes to Elizabeth II, 1953–present
- 1953–1967: Mary Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (Dowager Duchess of Devonshire from 1950)[32]
- 1967–present[update]: Fortune FitzRoy, Duchess of Grafton (Dowager Duchess of Grafton from 2011)[33]
References
- ^ Fabian Persson (1999). Servants of Fortune. The Swedish court between 1598 and 1721. Lund: Wallin & Dalholm. ISBN 91-628-3340-5
- ^ Fabian Persson (1999). Servants of Fortune. The Swedish court between 1598 and 1721. Lund: Wallin & Dalholm. ISBN 91-628-3340-5
- ^ Tydén-Jordan Astrid, red (1987). Kungligt klädd, kungligt mode. Stockholm: Bergh. Libris 7401256. ISBN 91-502-0849-7
- ^ a b 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) Cite error: The named reference "CorrSpain" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ Cokayne et al., The Complete Peerage, volume VIII, p.496
- ^ Cokayne et al., The Complete Peerage, volume I, p.212
- ^ Wier, Alison, Britain's Royal Family: A Complete Genealogy, The Bodley Head, 1999, p.265
- ^ Cokayne et al., The Complete Peerage, volume XII/2, p.589
- ^ a b c d e f g h Institute of Historical Research
- ^ The London Gazette, 29 August 1837, p.15
- ^ The London Gazette, 10 September 1841, p.1
- ^ The London Gazette, 10 July 1846, p.5
- ^ The London Gazette, 16 March 1852, p.2
- ^ The London Gazette, 18 January 1853, p.5
- ^ The London Gazette, 5 March 1858, p.2
- ^ The London Gazette, 24 June 1859, p.3
- ^ The London Gazette, 26 April 1861, p.2
- ^ The London Gazette, 22 December 1868, p.1
- ^ The London Gazette, 25 January 1870, p.1
- ^ The London Gazette, 3 March 1874, p.6
- ^ The London Gazette, 7 May 1880, p.5
- ^ The London Gazette, 12 January 1883, p.6
- ^ The London Gazette, 27 June 1885, p.6
- ^ The London Gazette, 3 September 1886, p.4
- ^ The London Gazette, 16 July 1895, p.24
- ^ "No. 27292". The London Gazette. 8 March 1901.
- ^ The London Gazette, 28 October 1913, p.2
- ^ The London Gazette, 21 June 1910, p.1
- ^ The London Gazette, 14 November 1916, p.1
- ^ The London Gazette, 5 March 1937, p.2
- ^ The London Gazette, 17 April 1964, p.1
- ^ The London Gazette, 20 January 1953, p.1
- ^ The London Gazette, 3 January 1967, p.1