Portrait of the Count-Duke of Olivares - Google Art Project

A chamberlain (

Medieval Latin Medieval Latin was the form of Literary Latin used in Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Western Europe during the Middle Ages. It was also the administrative language in the former Western Roman Empire, Roman Provinces of Mauretania, Numidi ...

: ''cambellanus'' or ''cambrerius'', with charge of treasury ''camerarius'') is a senior royal official in charge of managing a royal household. Historically, the chamberlain superintends the arrangement of domestic affairs and was often also charged with receiving and paying out money kept in the royal chamber. The position was usually awarded as an honour to a high-ranking member of the

nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...

(nobleman) or the

clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

, often a

royal favourite Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family or royalty Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Roy ...

. Roman emperors appointed this officer under the title of ''

cubicularius ''Cubicularius'', Hellenized as ''koubikoularios'' (), was a title used for the eunuch chamberlains of the imperial palace in the later Roman Empire and in the Byzantine Empire. The feminine version, used for the ladies-in-waiting of the empres ...

''. The Chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church enjoys very extensive powers, having the revenues of the papal household under his charge. As a sign of their dignity, chamberlains bore a key, which in the seventeenth century was often silvered, and actually fitted the door-locks of chamber rooms. Since the eighteenth century, it has turned into a merely symbolic, albeit splendid, rank-insignia of gilded bronze. In many countries there are ceremonial posts associated with the household of the sovereign.

Description

Historically, many institutions and governments – monasteries, cathedrals and cities – also had the post of chamberlain, who usually had charge of finances. The Finance Director of the

City of London The City of London, also known as ''the City'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and Districts of England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in England. It is the Old town, his ...

is still called the Chamberlain, while

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

had a chamberlain who managed city accounts until the early 20th century.

Etymology

From the Old French ''chamberlain, chamberlenc'', Modern French ''chambellan'', from Old High German ''Chamarling, Chamarlinc'', whence also the Medieval Latin ''cambellanus, camerlingus, camerlengus''; Italian ''camerlingo''; Spanish ''camerlengo'', compounded of Old High German ''Chamara, Kamara'' atin ''camera'', "chamber" and the German suffix ''-ling''.

Posts

Some of the principal posts known by this name:

Austria

* Kammerherr, or Kämmerer (with a charge of finances, treasury)

Brunei Brunei, officially Brunei Darussalam, is a country in Southeast Asia, situated on the northern coast of the island of Borneo. Apart from its coastline on the South China Sea, it is completely surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak, with ...

*Grand Chamberlain of The Councils of Brunei titled as ''Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Penggawa Laila Bentara Istiadat Diraja Dalam Istana''. The current Grand Chamberlain is Pengiran Haji Alauddin Pengiran Paduka Tuan Pengiran Haji Abu Bakar. Around the year of 2012, The Grand Chamberlain of The l, Alauddin bin Abu Bakar, on emergency broadcast had announced the divorce between the Sultan and his third wif

June 7, 2015. The Grand Chamberlain of Brunei announced the newborn prince of Al-Muhtadee Billah, Deputy Sultan, Crown Prince of Brunei.

Byzantine Empire

* Koubikoularios * Parakoimomenos *

Praepositus sacri cubiculi The ''praepositus sacri cubiculi'' (Latin: "provost of the sacred bedchamber", in ) was one of the senior palace offices in the Late Roman Empire. Its holder was usually a eunuch, and acted as the grand chamberlain of the palace, wielding considera ...

Denmark

*Hofmarskallen ( Court Marshal) **Kammerherre **Kammerdame * Lord Chamberlain of Denmark

France

Grand Chamberlain of France The Grand Chamberlain of France () was one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France, a member of the ''Maison du Roi'' ("King's Household"), and one of the Great Offices of the Maison du Roi during the Ancien Régime. It is similar in name ...

* Grand Chamberman of France

Germany

*Kammerherr, or Kämmerer (with a charge of finances, treasury)

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

*Kammerherr, or Kämmerer (with a charge of finances, treasury) *Reichskämmerer (imperial chamberlain) * Lord Chamberlain of the Archduchess

Japan

* Grand Chamberlain of Japan and Chamberlain of Japan

Norway

* Lord Chamberlain of Norway

Poland

* Podkomorzy

Portugal

* Chamberlain-Major of Portugal *

Chamberlain of the Prince of Portugal Chamberlain may refer to: Profession *Chamberlain (office), the officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign or other noble figure People * Chamberlain (surname) ** Austen Chamberlain (1863-1937), British politician ** Houston St ...

Roman Empire

* Admissionales *

Cubicularius ''Cubicularius'', Hellenized as ''koubikoularios'' (), was a title used for the eunuch chamberlains of the imperial palace in the later Roman Empire and in the Byzantine Empire. The feminine version, used for the ladies-in-waiting of the empres ...

Russian Empire

'' Ober-Kammerherr'' or '' Kammerherr'' (). Historically, '' postelnichiy'' (постельничий) was the ceremonial post at the

court A court is an institution, often a government entity, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between Party (law), parties and Administration of justice, administer justice in Civil law (common law), civil, Criminal law, criminal, an ...

of a

Grand Duke Grand duke (feminine: grand duchess) is a European hereditary title, used either by certain monarchs or by members of certain monarchs' families. The title is used in some current and former independent monarchies in Europe, particularly: * in ...

. Later, in 1772, at the court of the

Tsar Tsar (; also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar''; ; ; sr-Cyrl-Latn, цар, car) is a title historically used by Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word '' caesar'', which was intended to mean ''emperor'' in the Euro ...

the German term ''Kammerherr'' was introduced. The ''Ober-Kammerherr'' was responsible for the audiences granted to members of the

Royal Family A royal family is the immediate family of monarchs and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term papal family describes the family of a pope, while th ...

. Since the beginning of the 18th century, the ''Ober-Kammerherr'' was the most senior appointed official of the

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

n Imperial Court associated with the

household A household consists of one or more persons who live in the same dwelling. It may be of a single family or another type of person group. The household is the basic unit of analysis in many social, microeconomic and government models, and is im ...

of the sovereign. The most notable figures were: *

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

Alexander Danilovich Menshikov 1727 - 1728 *

1730 - 1740 *

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...

Ernst Johann von Biron 1730 - 1740 *

Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

Pyotr Borisovich Sheremetev 1761 - 1768 * Boris Vladimirovich Stürmer 1916–1917, the last Ober-Kammerherr of

Nicholas II.

Serbia in the Middle Ages

Kaznac Kaznac ( sr-cyr, казнац) was a court title of the state employee in medieval Bosnia and Serbia who was in charge for the treasury in the territory under his jurisdiction — ''kaznačina'' (казначина). The name of the title is derive ...

Sweden

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

there are ten serving chamberlains () and four serving cabinet chamberlains (kabinettskammarherrar) at the royal court. The chamberlains are not employed by the court but serve during ceremonial occasions such as state visits, audiences, and official dinners.

Thailand

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

the head of the Bureau of the Royal Household is titled the Lord Chamberlain (เลขาธิการพระราชวัง). He has several Grand Chamberlains as his deputy, usually in charge of a specific portfolio.

United Kingdom

Lord Great Chamberlain The Lord Great Chamberlain of England is the sixth of the Great Officers of State (United Kingdom), Great Officers of State, ranking beneath the Lord Privy Seal but above the Lord High Constable of England, Lord High Constable. The office of Lo ...

(one of the

Great Officers of State Government in medieval monarchies generally comprised the king's companions, later becoming the royal household, from which the officers of state arose. These officers initially had household and governmental duties. Later some of these offic ...

) *

Lord Chamberlain The Lord Chamberlain of the Household is the most senior officer of the Royal Households of the United Kingdom, Royal Household of the United Kingdom, supervising the departments which support and provide advice to the Monarchy of the United Ki ...

(senior executive Officer of the Royal Household) * Chamberlain of the City of London (a High Officer of the

City Corporation Municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including (but not necessarily limited to) cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. The term can also be used to describe municipally ow ...

, its Director of Finance. The appointment of a City Chamberlain is first recorded in 1276; his duties related to the City Chamber, where monies were kept. He also presided over the admission of Freemen of the City of London, and continues to do so today.) * Chamberlain of the Exchequer, treasury official in the English Exchequer * Lord Chamberlain of Scotland (a historic Office of State in the Kingdom of Scotland from 1124 to 1703)

United States

*Chamberlain of the City of New York

Vatican

Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church The camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church is an office of the papal household that administers the property and revenues of the Holy See. Formerly, his responsibilities included the fiscal administration of the Patrimony of Saint Peter. As regu ...

* Papal Gentleman (formerly known as Papal Chamberlain (Cameriere di spada e cappa))

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chamberlain (Office) Positions of authority Government occupations Court titles Monarchy and money