Maid of honour
In 1536, Mary Zouche stood as one of seven maids of honour serving Queen Anne Boleyn. This specific number exceeded the traditional eight maids assigned to a queen regnant and four for a queen consort. The role required these women to be unmarried noblewomen in their sixteenth year or older. Lady Jane Grey broke this norm by serving Catherine Parr between 1546 and 1548 at only ten years old. Elizabeth Knollys entered court service at age nine during the reign of Elizabeth I. These young women formed a distinct group within the royal household hierarchy.
Maids of honour did not always receive a fee or salary beyond their board and lodging. Some individuals earned £10 yearly during the seventeenth century. Grants and rewards included property leases which provided income known as annual rent. Cecilia Crofts gained pensions and an income from duty on coal mines near Benwell in 1630. The monarch sometimes provided dowries directly to these servants. An ordinance for the English household of Anne of Denmark dated the 20th of July 1603 allowed for six maids and a supervisory mother of maids. Four chamberers worked alongside them under this arrangement.
In 1912, Ivy Gordon-Lennox was appointed maid of honour to Queen Alexandra following the resignation of Blanche Lascelles. King George V granted maids of honour the style of The Honourable in that same year. This title gave them precedence next after daughters of barons. Six maids attended Queen Elizabeth II throughout her coronation ceremony. Lady Moyra Hamilton carried part of the train while Lady Anne Coke assisted with another section. Lady Jane Vane-Tempest-Stewart and Lady Mary Baillie-Hamilton also served in this capacity. Lady Rosemary Spencer-Churchill completed the group of six attendants at Buckingham Palace.
A lady-in-waiting attended a female member of the Royal Family other than the queen regnant or queen consort. An attendant upon one of the latter held the title Lady of the Bedchamber or Woman of the Bedchamber. The senior lady-in-waiting bore the rank Mistress of the Robes. Women of the bedchamber maintained regular attendance within the household structure. The mistress of the robes and ladies of the bedchamber appeared normally only for ceremonial occasions. At Tudor and Stuart courts, gentlewomen worked alongside maids of honour and chamberers. The woman in charge of the maids of honour was known as the Mother of the Maids.
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Common questions
Who were the maids of honour serving Queen Anne Boleyn in 1536?
Mary Zouche stood as one of seven maids of honour serving Queen Anne Boleyn in 1536. This specific number exceeded the traditional eight maids assigned to a queen regnant and four for a queen consort.
What was the age requirement for women becoming maids of honour during Tudor times?
The role required these women to be unmarried noblewomen in their sixteenth year or older. Lady Jane Grey broke this norm by serving Catherine Parr between 1546 and 1548 at only ten years old while Elizabeth Knollys entered court service at age nine during the reign of Elizabeth I.
When did Elizabeth I distribute gifts of clothing to her attendants including sisters Elizabeth and Anne Knollys?
Elizabeth I distributed gifts of clothing to her attendants including sisters Elizabeth and Anne Knollys. Margaret, Philadelphia, and Catherine Carey also received these royal garments along with Frances and Elizabeth Howard who were part of this same circle of recipients.
How much money did some maids of honour earn yearly during the seventeenth century?
Some individuals earned £10 yearly during the seventeenth century beyond their board and lodging. Grants and rewards included property leases which provided income known as annual rent while Cecilia Crofts gained pensions and an income from duty on coal mines near Benwell in 1630.
Who served as maids of honour to Queen Elizabeth II throughout her coronation ceremony in 1912?
Six maids attended Queen Elizabeth II throughout her coronation ceremony. Lady Moyra Hamilton carried part of the train while Lady Anne Coke assisted with another section alongside Lady Jane Vane-Tempest-Stewart and Lady Mary Baillie-Hamilton. Lady Rosemary Spencer-Churchill completed the group of six attendants at Buckingham Palace.