A privy chamber was the private apartment of a royal residence in England .
61-742: The Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber were noble-born servants to the Crown who would wait and attend on the King in private, as well as during various court activities, functions and entertainments. In addition, six of these gentlemen were appointed by the Lord Chamberlain , together with a peer, and the Master of the Ceremonies , to publicly attend to all foreign ambassadors. Their institution
122-751: A bowl, water and towels and also for monitoring the king's diet and bowel movements and liaising with the Royal Doctor about the king's health. The appellation "Groom of the Close Stool" derived from the item of furniture used as a toilet . It also appears as "Grom of the Stole" as the word "Groom" comes from the Old Low Franconian word "Grom". By the Tudor age , the role of Groom of the Stool
183-695: A duchess who combined its duties with those of Mistress of the Robes . Under the Hanoverians the 'Groom of the Stole' began to be named in The London Gazette . In 1726, John Chamberlayne wrote that while the Lord Chamberlain has oversight of all Officers belonging to the King's Chamber, 'the Precinct of the King's Bed-Chamber […] is wholly under the Groom of the Stole'. Chamberlayne defines
244-463: A form of entertainment and as a way to create time for bonding. The duties of the gentlemen of the privy chamber or "gentlemen weyters" (later these gentlemen waiters would belong to the chamber) were required to "dilligently attend upon... [the king's] person... doeing humble, reverent, secrett and lowly service". In other words, this service consisted primarily in giving company to the sovereign and in dressing and undressing him, although they performed
305-524: A greater emphasis on public relations started. In 1986, he produced a 1,393-page report recommending 188 changes for smoother operations of the Royal Household. The Lord Chamberlain's Office is a department of the Royal Household and its day-to-day work is headed by the Comptroller. It is responsible for organizing ceremonial activities including state visits, investitures, garden parties,
366-554: A licence by the Lord Chamberlain, they could not transfer to the West End . In the case of John Osborne's play A Patriot for Me , the Lord Chamberlain at the time, Lord Cobbold , was irritated that the play was so widely publicized even though he had banned it and therefore pursued legal action. In the end, the play was allowed to continue as it was. At this point, several widely regarded authors had all been censored by
427-629: A male servant to the household, in charge of the "royal excretion" (which meant he had the task of cleaning the monarch's anus after defecation), the service was seen as very honourable rather than humiliating, and the Groom of the Stool had a high standing. During 1549–53, there were six "principal gentlemen" (Sir John Cheke , Sir Henry Sydney, Sir Nicholas Throckmorton, Sir Thomas Wroth , Sir Henry Nevill and Barnaby) and twenty-six "ordinary gentlemen" in Edward VI 's Privy chamber. All of these gentlemen, except for Barnaby, were 10 to 15 years older than
488-671: A military role, providing an "army-within-an-army". Often, the gentlemen in the privy chamber were peers of Henry or figures of importance in the government, who shared their duties with the Groom of the Stool and the Chief Gentleman of the Chamber, with overall responsibility for all staff. These people usually organised hunting expeditions, in King Henry's case, or games, in the case of the boy King Edward VI who succeeded him, as
549-514: A play (or part of a play) that had not received prior approval. Historically though, the Lord Chamberlain had been exercising a commanding authority on London's theatre companies under the Royal Prerogative for many decades already. But by the 1730s the theatre was not controlled by royal patronage anymore. Instead it had become more of a commercial business. Therefore, the fact the Lord Chamberlain still retained censorship authority for
610-405: A variety of chores. The privy chamber was properly established under Henry VIII who, as a young man early in his reign, had a "desire to have friends around him"; friends who also enjoyed sports and jousting as Henry did. The Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber usually became very distinguished individuals, sometimes having more influence over the king even than his wife. As Henry's rule progressed,
671-442: Is ordeyned that such persons as be appointed of the privy Chamber, shall be loving together, and of good Unity and accord keeping secrett all such things as shalbe done or said in the same, without disclosing any part thereof to any person Not being for the time present in the said chamber, and that the King being absent, without they be commanded to goe with his Grace, they shall not only give their continuall and diligent attendance in
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#1732765922899732-578: The British Library also includes correspondence and administrative documents related to the censorship process. The Lord Chamberlain is the most senior official of the Royal Household and oversees its business, including liaising with the other senior officers of the Household, chairing Heads of Department meetings, and advising in the appointment of senior Household officials. The Lord Chamberlain also undertakes ceremonial duties and serves as
793-762: The Sovereign of the United Kingdom while also acting as the main channel of communication between the Sovereign and the House of Lords . The office organises all ceremonial activity such as garden parties , state visits , royal weddings , and the State Opening of Parliament . They also oversee the Royal Mews and Royal Travel, as well as the ceremony around the awarding of honours. From 1737 to 1968,
854-790: The Groom of the Stole as the first of the Gentlemen of the Bedchamber ; translating his title ('from the Greek') as 'Groom or Servant of the Long-robe or Vestment', he explains that he has 'the Office and Honour to present and put on his Majesty's first Garment or Shirt every morning, and to order the Things of the Bed-Chamber'. By 1740 the Groom of the Stole is described as having 'the care of
915-486: The Groom of the Stool bore "the indefinable charisma of the monarchy". The office was exclusively one serving male monarchs, so on the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, it was replaced by the First Lady of the Bedchamber , first held by Kat Ashley . The office effectively came to an end when it was "neutralised" in 1559. In Scotland the valets of the chamber like John Gibb had an equivalent role. On
976-458: The King effectively required access to and control of the King's private lodgings; in other words, the privy chamber. The privy chamber originated in Henry VII's reign (1485–1509). By the time his son Henry VIII had ascended the throne, the privy chamber had become quite institutionalized, with a regular staff of its own, such as gentlemen, ushers, grooms, and pages. It developed further under
1037-531: The King the night before determineth to arise in the morning, shall be in the said chamber there diligently attending upon his Grace coming forth; being ready and prompt, to apparel and dresse his Highnesse, putting on such garments, in reverent, discreet and sober manner, as shall be his Grace’s pleasure to weare; and that none of the said groomes or ushers doe approach or presume (unlesse they be otherwise by his Grace commanded or admitted) to lay hands upon his royall person, or intermeddle with prepareing or dressing of
1098-602: The King's spokesman in Council and Parliament . The current Lord Chamberlain is The Lord Benyon , who has been in office since 4 November 2024. During the early modern period, the Lord Chamberlain was one of the three principal officers of the Royal Household, the others being the Lord Steward and the Master of the Horse . The Lord Chamberlain was responsible for the "chamber" or the household "above stairs": that is,
1159-529: The Lord Chamberlain at one time or another, including playwrights Henrik Ibsen and George Bernard Shaw . Sometimes censorship was self-serving. A comedy written for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in the early 1960s had, as its plot, a jocular scheme to steal the Crown jewels. The Lord Chamberlain issued a one-line letter requiring the excision of that plot element. As Michael Palin , one of its authors and performers notes, that meant banning
1220-606: The Lord Chamberlain had the power to decide which plays would be granted a licence for performance; this meant that he had the capacity to censor theatre at his pleasure. The Lord Chamberlain is always sworn of the Privy Council , is usually a peer and before 1782 the post was of Cabinet rank . The position was a political one until 1924. The office dates from the Middle Ages when the King's Chamberlain often acted as
1281-587: The Lord President of the Privy Council) who would pack the privy chamber with his allies. This not only suggests that the members of the privy chamber changed depending on who occupied these positions of power, but also hints that the privy chamber was very useful in maintaining the power of such people. In fact, John Fowler indirectly maintained Thomas Seymour 's control over Edward by accepting bribes and allowing repeated contact and influence between
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#17327659228991342-745: The Sovereign but arranged and staffed ceremonies and entertainments for the court. He also had (secular) authority over the Chapel Royal . In 1782, under the terms of the Civil List and Secret Service Money Act (22 Geo. III c.82), the Lord Chamberlain took on direct responsibility for items kept and maintained by the Great Wardrobe and the Jewel House (whereby these formerly semi-independent sub-departments were abolished). As other responsibilities of government were devolved to ministers,
1403-483: The State Opening of Parliament, weddings and funerals. On State and ceremonial occasions, the Lord Chamberlain carries specific symbols that represent his office: a white staff and a key (which is worn at the hip pocket). These insignia are returned to the monarch when the Lord Chamberlain retires from office; but if the monarch dies, the white staff is symbolically broken by the Lord Chamberlain and placed on
1464-520: The accession of James I , the male office was revived as the senior Gentleman of the Bedchamber , who always was a great nobleman who had considerable power because of its intimate access to the king. During the reign of Charles I , the term "stool" appears to have lost its original signification of chair . From 1660 the office of Groom of the Stole (revived with the Restoration of the Monarchy )
1525-466: The architectural spaces of the palaces were different to England. James' varlets of the "chalmer" became grooms of the bedchamber. Some English courtiers, like John Fortescue , lost their places for resisting the appointment of Scottish courtiers. The new Privy Chamber formed in May 1603 had 48 gentlemen, twelve in service at any time. The new grooms seem to have been of lower family status than Elizabeth’s, but
1586-517: The channel of communication between the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Under Lord Airlie, the Lord Chamberlain’s ceremonial and non-executive role was altered to that of chief executive. Airlie initiated changes in the early 1990s under the auspices of "The Way Ahead Group". Under these plans the Queen agreed to pay tax, greater transparency for the public subsidy of the monarchy began and
1647-761: The coffin of the deceased Sovereign at the end of the State Funeral service. This was last done by the Lord Parker of Minsmere , who broke his staff over the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022. The Lord Chamberlain is ex-officio the Chancellor of the Royal Victorian Order , having possession of a Badge corresponding to that office. As such, they are often appointed to the said Order either upon appointment as Lord Chamberlain, or later in their career. The Lord Chamberlain also regulates
1708-492: The design and the wearing of court uniform and dress and how insignia are worn. Groom of the Stool The Groom of the Stool (formally styled: "Groom of the King's Close Stool ") was the most intimate of an English monarch 's courtiers , initially responsible for assisting the king in excretion and hygiene . The physical intimacy of the role naturally led to his becoming a man in whom much confidence
1769-472: The entire production. Another Joint Select Committee was founded to further debate on the issue and present a solution. This time the argument largely centered around this issue on the portrayal of living and recently dead individuals, particularly in reference to the monarchy as well as politicians. After much debate, the Theatres Act 1968 was finally passed; it officially abolished the censorship of
1830-456: The fame, but onely that said six gentlemen : except it be to warme cloaths or to bring to the said gentlemen such things as shall apperteyne to the apparelling and dressing of the King’s said perſon. The position of Groom of the Stool became an increasingly influential one, especially in King Henry's old age, when he required a great deal of physical assistance. Although this position was one of
1891-465: The gentry. In time, they came to act as personal secretaries to the king, carrying out a variety of administrative tasks within his private rooms. The position was an especially respected one since it held the promise of regularly gaining the king's attention, as described in the Ordinances of Eltham: It is also ordeyned that the six gentlemen of the privy chamber, by seven of the clock or sooner, as
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1952-481: The king's "privy lodging", consisting of bedroom, library, study, and lavatory. What was known as the chamber was later divided into a privy chamber (distinguished from bedchamber in 1559), and outer chamber (often styled presence chamber). "While entry to the Presence Chamber was strongly contested by many, the key to real influence lay in access to the Privy Chamber." In fact, maintaining verbal contact with
2013-570: The king's wardrobe'. The office again fell into abeyance with the accession of Queen Victoria , though her husband, Prince Albert , and their son, Edward, Prince of Wales , employed similar courtiers; but when Edward acceded to the throne as King Edward VII in 1901, he discontinued the office. Heneage and Denny, as servants "whom he used secretly about him", were privy to Henry VIII's most intimate confidences about Anne of Cleves . He told them he doubted her virginity, on account of "her brests so slacke". Neither Mary I nor Elizabeth I appointed
2074-461: The king. David Starkey writes: "The Groom of the Stool had (to our eyes) the most menial tasks; his standing, though, was the highest ... Clearly then, the royal body service must have been seen as entirely honourable, without a trace of the demeaning or the humiliating." Further, "the mere word of the Gentleman of the Privy Chamber was sufficient evidence in itself of the king's will", and
2135-449: The king. Usually, the six "principal gentlemen" would be close intimates of the monarch; however, with a king as young and inexperienced as Edward, there was a huge possibility that some of these men could have forced themselves onto the king rather than the other way around. In fact, it might well have been the case that there were gentlemen of the privy chamber who were not so friendly with the king: such may have been Sir Phillip Hoby , who
2196-436: The laws regarding theatre censorship for many years. In 1948, the first British Theatre Conference recommended the termination of theatre censorship with the plan to pursue parliamentary action to ratify this. In the 1960s the debate to abolish theatre censorship rose again as a new generation of young playwrights came on the scene. They gained popularity with their new plays in local establishments, but since many were refused
2257-593: The monopoly that the patent houses had in London, providing a minor win for playwrights and theatre managers wishing to produce new work. In 1909, a Joint Select Committee on Stage Plays (Censorship) was established and recommended that the Lord Chamberlain should continue to act as censor but that it could be lawful to perform plays without a licence from the Lord Chamberlain. However, King Edward VII refused to accept these recommendations. The outbreak of both World Wars put an end to any parliamentary initiatives to change
2318-544: The name to the King's Men . In 1737, Sir Robert Walpole officially introduced statutory censorship with the Licensing Act of 1737 by appointing the Lord Chamberlain to act as the theatrical censor. The Licensing Act 1737 gave the Lord Chamberlain the statutory authority to veto the performance of any new plays: he could prevent any new play, or any modification to an existing play, from being performed for any reason, and theatre owners could be prosecuted for staging
2379-470: The neck of the monarch at the coronation". However, the change is in fact seen as early as the 17th century. The Groom of the Stool was a male servant in the household of the English monarch who was responsible for assisting the king in his toileting needs. It is a matter of some debate as to whether the duties involved cleaning the king's anus, but the groom is known to have been responsible for supplying
2440-403: The next 200 years gave him uniquely repressive authority during a period where Britain was experiencing "growing political enfranchisement and liberalization". Even further confusion rested in the fact that Members of Parliament could not present changes to the censorship laws because although the Lord Chamberlain exercised his authority under statute law, he was still an official whose authority
2501-485: The number of office-holders in the privy chamber increased, partly to accommodate outsiders who had recognised the advantages of holding a post so close to the king, and partly to provide enough cover to allow staff some release from duty. Occasionally, as in the case of Thomas Wolsey , access to the privy chamber could contribute to a downfall. An extract from the Ordinances of Eltham , manuscript dated 1526, reads: It
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2562-410: The ordering of the Royal Household was largely left to the personal taste of the Sovereign. To ensure that the chamber reflected the royal tastes, the Lord Chamberlain received commands directly from the sovereign to be transmitted to the heads of subordinate departments. In 1594, the Lord Chamberlain, Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon , founded the Lord Chamberlain's Men , for which William Shakespeare
2623-452: The reign of Henry VIII, through a winding process of reform and reorganisation, particularly from 1518 to 1536. The gentlemen who dominated the privy chamber were servants of the Crown and usually "shared two characteristics: the king's religion and the king's personal favour." Apart from playing an "increasingly important role in the handling of the crown's cash", the Privy chamber also played
2684-587: The reign of King Henry VIII. The privy chamber led to the rise of many powerful men. Later in the reign of King Edward VI, Sir John Gates emerged as "a political figure, based in the privy chamber, and able to control access to the young king on behalf of his patron, the Duke of Northumberland." Usually, it was the person closest to the king (whether it was the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Protector or
2745-553: The reputation of the royal family and the government instead of controlling obscenity and blasphemy on stage. However, this concern has largely been unfounded. Since the termination of censorship, British drama has flourished and produced several prominent playwrights and new works since. The abolition of censorship opened a floodgate of theatrical creativity. The long standing role of the Lord Chamberlain as theatrical censor resulted in an extensive archive of both licensed and unlicensed play scripts being preserved. The collection held at
2806-523: The royal finances, and under Henry VII , the Groom of the Stool became a powerful official involved in setting national fiscal policy, under the "chamber system". Later, the office was renamed Groom of the Stole . The Tudor historian David Starkey has attempted to frame this change as classic Victorianism : "When the Victorians came to look at this office, they spelt it s-t-o-l-e, and imagined all kinds of fictions about elaborate robes draped around
2867-428: The said Chamber, but also leave hearkening and inquiring where the King is or goeth, be it early or late, without grudgeing, mumbling, or talking of the King's Pastime; late or early going to bedd. In the early years of Henry VIII's reign, the title Gentleman of the Privy Chamber was awarded to subordinates of the king and to court companions who spent time with him. These were the sons of noblemen or important members of
2928-570: The series of rooms used by the Sovereign to receive increasingly select visitors, terminating in the royal bedchamber (although the bedchamber itself came to operate semi-autonomously under the Groom of the Stool/Stole ). His department not only furnished the servants and other personnel (such as physicians and bodyguards, the Yeomen of the Guard and Gentlemen Pensioners ) in intimate attendance on
2989-504: The stage and repealed the Lord Chamberlain's power to refuse a licence to a play of any kind. The first London performance of the musical Hair was actually delayed until the Act was passed after a licence had been refused. The battle regarding the abolition of censorship was largely a political one, fought on principle. Those who opposed the termination of this particular duty of the Lord Chamberlain were mostly concerned about how to protect
3050-402: The title was awarded to court companions of the King who spent time with him in the privy chamber . These were generally the sons of noblemen or important members of the gentry. In time they came to act as virtual personal secretaries to the King, carrying out a variety of administrative tasks within his private rooms. The position was an especially prized one, as it allowed unobstructed access to
3111-494: The two. Queen Mary 's household, at the time of her death, included a Privy Chamber establishment of seven Ladies and thirteen Gentlewomen, alongside a mere half a dozen Gentlemen and Grooms. Under Elizabeth I the number of males on the establishment was further reduced to just two, one Gentleman and one Groom. James VI of Scotland became king of England in 1603. The institutions of the Scottish royal court and household and
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#17327659228993172-553: The ushers enjoyed some superiority. The Duke of Lennox was Chamberlain, but Sir Thomas Erskine was in charge. John Murray of Bedchamber became a particularly influential courtier and conduit of patronage. Lord Chamberlain The Lord Chamberlain of the Household is the most senior officer of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom , supervising the departments which support and provide advice to
3233-490: Was a diplomatist and an intriguer, or Lord Strange and William Stanley who "confessed to having been employed by Somerset as a spy". As salary, a gentleman received £50 a year, a gentleman usher £30, and a groom £20. The gentlemen were regular officers of the court and hence belonged to what was called the "Ordinary of the King's Honorable House", as opposed to the six gentlemen, two gentlemen ushers, four grooms, one barber, and one page, whose positions had been established during
3294-517: Was a part (and later a shareholder in the company) and for whom he wrote most of his plays during his career. Carey served under Elizabeth I of England at the time and was in charge of all court entertainment, a duty traditionally given to the Master of the Revels , a deputy of the Lord Chamberlain. Later, in 1603, James I of England , elevated the Chamberlain's Men to royal patronage and changed
3355-556: Was derived from the Royal Prerogative. By the 1830s, it started to become clear that the theatre licensing system in England needed an upgrade. Playwrights, instead of representatives of minor theatres, actually initiated the final push for reform as they felt that their livelihoods were being negatively affected by the monopoly the larger theatres had on the industry, backed by the laws in the 1737 Act. A Select Committee
3416-401: Was formed in 1832 with the purpose of examining the laws that affected dramatic literature. Their main complaints were the lack of copyright protection for their work and more importantly that only two patent theatres in London could legitimately perform new plays. After more pressure from playwrights and theatre managers, the findings of the committee were finally presented to Parliament. It
3477-468: Was fulfilled by a substantial figure, such as Hugh Denys (d. 1511) who was a member of the Gloucestershire gentry, married to an aristocratic wife, and who died possessing at least four manors. The function was transformed into that of a virtual minister of the royal treasury, being then an essential figure in the king's management of fiscal policy. In the early years of Henry VIII 's reign,
3538-400: Was invariably coupled with that of First Gentleman (or Lady) of the Bedchamber; as effective Head of the royal Bedchamber, the Groom of the Stole was a powerful individual who had the right to attend the monarch at all times and to regulate access to his or her private quarters. Incongruously, the office of Groom of the Stole continued in use during the reign of Queen Anne , when it was held by
3599-463: Was owed to King Henry VII . As a singular mark of favour, they were empowered to execute the King's verbal command without producing any written order; their person and character being deemed sufficient authority. Below Gentlemen in the hierarchy of the Privy Chamber were the Grooms of the Privy Chamber . The privy chamber was the most influential department in an English royal household. It contained
3660-417: Was placed by his royal master and with whom many royal secrets were shared as a matter of course. This secret information—while it would never have been revealed, for it would have led to the discredit of his honour—in turn led to his becoming feared and respected and therefore powerful within the royal court in his own right. The office developed gradually over decades and centuries into one of administration of
3721-439: Was the proposals of this committee that Parliament implemented in the Theatres Act of 1843 . The Act still confirmed the absolute powers of censorship enjoyed by the Lord Chamberlain but still slightly restricted his powers so that he could only prohibit the performance of plays where he was of the opinion that "it is fitting for the preservation of good manners, decorum or of the public peace so to do". The Act, however, did abolish
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