The mistress of the robes was the senior lady in the Royal Household of the United Kingdom, who would, by appointment, attend on the Queen (whether

queen regnant A queen regnant (: queens regnant) is a female monarch, equivalent in rank, title and position to a king. She reigns ''suo jure'' (in her own right) over a realm known as a kingdom; as opposed to a queen consort, who is married to a reigning ...

or a

queen consort A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king, and usually shares her spouse's social Imperial, royal and noble ranks, rank and status. She holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles and may be crowned and anointed, but hi ...

). Queens dowager retained their own mistresses of the robes. In the 18th century Princesses of Wales had one, too. Initially responsible for the queen's clothes and jewellery (as the name implies), the post-holder latterly had the responsibility for arranging the rota of attendance of the ladies-in-waiting on the queen, being in attendance herself on more formal occasions, and undertaking duties at state ceremonies. During the 17th and 18th centuries, this role often overlapped with or was replaced as first lady of the bedchamber. In modern times, the mistress of the robes was almost always a duchess. In the past, whenever the Queen was a queen regnant, 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 Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

in 1901, and Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

had only had two mistresses of the robes in more than seventy years' reign. Since the accession of King Charles III no appointment of a Mistress of the Robes has been announced. In November 2022, it was announced that

Queen Camilla Camilla (born Camilla Rosemary Shand, later Parker Bowles, 17 July 1947) is List of British royal consorts, Queen of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms as the wife of King Charles III. Camilla was raised in East ...

would end the tradition of having ladies-in-waiting. Instead, she will be helped by "Queen's companions"; their role will be informal and they will not be involved in tasks such as replying to letters or developing schedules.

List of mistresses of the robes by queen

Mary I, 1553–1558

*1553–1558: Susan Clarencieux 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)

Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudo ...
, 1558–1603

*1559/1562–1603: Dorothy, Lady Stafford

Anne of Denmark Anne of Denmark (; 12 December 1574 – 2 March 1619) was the wife of King James VI and I. She was List of Scottish royal consorts, Queen of Scotland from their marriage on 20 August 1589 and List of English royal consorts, Queen of Engl ...
, 1603–1619

*1603–1619: Audrey (Etheldreda), Lady WalsinghamCarole Levin, Anna Riehl Bertolet: '' Biographical Encyclopedia of Early Modern Englishwomen: Exemplary Lives and Memorable Acts, 1500-1650', New York, 2017

Henrietta Maria of France Henrietta Maria of France ( French: ''Henriette Marie''; 25 November 1609 – 10 September 1669) was Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland from her marriage to King Charles I on 13 June 1625 until his execution on 30 January 1649. She was ...
, 1625–1669

* 1626–1652: Susan Feilding, Countess of Denbigh (also called First Lady of the Bedchamber) * 1653–1669: Elizabeth Fielding Boyle, Countess of Guilford

Catherine of Braganza Catherine of Braganza (; 25 November 1638 – 31 December 1705) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England, List of Scottish royal consorts, Scotland and Ireland during her marriage to Charles II of England, King Charles II, which la ...
, 1662–1692

* 1660–1692: Position vacant, replaced by a First Lady of the Bedchamber

Mary of Modena, 1673–1688

* 1673–1688: Position vacant, replaced by a First Lady of the Bedchamber

Mary II Mary II (30 April 1662 – 28 December 1694) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England, List of Scottish monarchs, Scotland, and Monarchy of Ireland, Ireland with her husband, King William III and II, from 1689 until her death in 1694. Sh ...
, 1688–1694

* 1688–1694: Lady Elizabeth Butler, Countess of Derby

Anne, 1704–1714

*1704–1711: Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough *1711–1714: Elizabeth Seymour, Duchess of Somerset

Caroline of Ansbach, 1714–1737

*1714–1717: Diana Beauclerk, Duchess of St Albans *1717–1723: Possibly vacant *1723–1731: Elizabeth Sackville, Duchess of Dorset *1731–1735: Henrietta Howard, Countess of Suffolk (Dowager Countess of Suffolk from 1733)Institute of Historical Research
/ref> *1735–1737: Position vacant

Augusta of Saxe-Gotha 1736–1763

*1736–1745: Lady Archibald Hamilton *1745–1747: Position vacant *1747–1763: Grace Sackville, Countess of Middlesex

Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, 1761–1818

*1761–1793: Mary Bertie, Duchess of Ancaster and Kesteven (Dowager Duchess of Ancaster and Kesteven from 1778) *1793–1818: Elizabeth Thynne, Marchioness of Bath (Dowager Marchioness of Bath from 1796)

Caroline of Brunswick 1795–1821

*1795–1808: Anne Townshend, Marchioness Townshend *1808–1817: Catherine Douglas, Baroness Glenbervie *1817–1821: Possibly vacant

Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, 1830–1837

*1830–1830: Elizabeth Gordon, Duchess of Gordon *1830–1837: Catherine Osborne, Duchess of Leeds

Victoria, 1837–1901

*1837–1841: Harriet Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland *1841–1846: Charlotte Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry *1846–1852: Harriet Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland *1852–1853: Anne Murray, Duchess of Atholl *1853–1858: Harriet Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland *1858–1859: Louisa Montagu, Duchess of Manchester *1859–1861: Harriet Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland *1861–1868: Elizabeth Wellesley, Duchess of Wellington *1868–1870: Elizabeth Campbell, Duchess of Argyll *1870–1874: Anne Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland *1874–1880: Elizabeth Wellesley, Duchess of Wellington *1880–1883: Elizabeth Russell, Duchess of Bedford *1883–1885: Anne Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe *1885–1886: Louisa Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry *1886: Position vacant **Acting mistress of the robes: Elizabeth Russell, Duchess of Bedford *1886–1892: Louisa Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry *1892–1895: Position vacant **Acting mistress of the robes: Anne Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe, and Anne Murray, Dowager Duchess of Atholl (jointly) *1894: Position vacant **Acting mistress of the robes: Louisa McDonnell, Countess of Antrim *1895–1901: Louisa Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry

Alexandra of Denmark Alexandra of Denmark (Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia; 1 December 1844 – 20 November 1925) was List of British royal consorts, queen-consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 22 Januar ...
, 1901–1925

*1901–1912: Louisa Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry *1913–1925: Winifred Cavendish-Bentinck, Duchess of Portland

Mary of Teck Mary of Teck (Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes; 26 May 186724 March 1953) was List of British royal consorts, Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 6 May 1910 until 20 Janua ...
, 1910–1953

*1910–1916: Evelyn Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire *1916–1921: Eileen Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland *1921–1953: Evelyn Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (Dowager Duchess of Devonshire from 1938)

Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, 1937–2002

*1937–1964: Helen Percy, Duchess of Northumberland (Dowager Duchess of Northumberland from 1946) *1964–1990: Kathleen Hamilton, Duchess of Abercorn (Dowager Duchess of Abercorn from 1979) *1990–2002: Position vacant

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
, 1953–2022

*1953–1967: Mary Cavendish, Dowager Duchess of Devonshire *1967–2021: Fortune FitzRoy, Duchess of Grafton (Countess of Euston until 1970, Dowager Duchess of Grafton from 2011) *2021–2022: Position vacant

Camila Shand, 2022–Present

*2022-present: Position vacant

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mistress Of The Robes Positions within the British Royal Household Ceremonial officers in the United Kingdom *