A royal household or imperial household is the residence and administrative headquarters in

ancient Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history through late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the development of Sumerian cuneiform script. Ancient h ...

and

post-classical In Human history, world history, post-classical history refers to the period from about 500 CE to 1500 CE, roughly corresponding to the European Middle Ages. The period is characterized by the expansion of civilizations geographically an ...

monarchies A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, reigns as head of state for the rest of their life, or until abdication. The extent of the authority of the monarch may vary from restricted and largely symbolic (constitutio ...

, and papal household for

pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...

s, and formed the basis for the general

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...

of the country as well as providing for the needs of the

sovereign ''Sovereign'' is a title that can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word is borrowed from Old French , which is ultimately derived from the Latin">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to ...

and their relations. It is the core of the

royal court A royal court, often called simply a court when the royal context is clear, is an extended royal household in a monarchy, including all those who regularly attend on a monarch, or another central figure. Hence, the word ''court'' may also be app ...

, though a court includes many courtiers who are not directly employed by the monarch as part of the household. Traditionally there often have been large numbers of employees in the household, strictly differentiated by rank, from nobles with highly sought-after positions that gave close access to the monarch, to all the usual servants such as cooks,

footmen A footman is a male domestic worker employed mainly to wait at table or attend a coach or carriage. Etymology Originally in the 14th century a footman denoted a soldier or any pedestrian, later it indicated a foot servant. A running footman deli ...

, and maids. Traditionally the household typically includes military forces providing security. Specialists such as artists, clock-makers and poets might be given a place in the household, often by appointing them as

valet de chambre ''Valet de chambre'' (), or ''varlet de chambre'', was a court appointment introduced in the late Middle Ages, common from the 14th century onwards. Royal households had many persons appointed at any time. While some valets simply waited on ...

or the local equivalent. Among many of these households there are certain great offices which have become, in course of time, merely

hereditary Heredity, also called inheritance or biological inheritance, is the passing on of traits from parents to their offspring; either through asexual reproduction or sexual reproduction, the offspring cells or organisms acquire the genetic inform ...

. In most cases, as the name of the office would suggest, they were held by those who discharged personal functions about the sovereign. Gradually, in ways or for reasons which might vary in each individual case, the office alone survived, the duties either ceasing to be necessary or being transferred to officers of less exalted station. In the

modern period The modern era or the modern period is considered the current historical period of human history. It was originally applied to the history of Europe and Western history for events that came after the Middle Ages, often from around the year 1500 ...

, royal households have evolved into entities which are variously differentiated from national governments. Most modern households have become merely

titular Titular may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Title character in a narrative work, the character referred to in its title Religion * Titular (Catholicism), a cardinal who holds a titulus, one of the main churches of Rome ** Titular bisho ...

. An example of a present-day royal household that employs hundreds of people, with many job descriptions, is the household of Charles III.

Asia

China

Japan

In Japan, the Imperial Household Agency (宮内庁, Kunaichō) is the agency within the

Government of Japan The Government of Japan is the central government of Japan. It consists of legislative, executive (government), executive and judiciary branches and functions under the framework established by the Constitution of Japan. Japan is a unitary st ...

responsible for supporting the

Emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

and the

Imperial Family A royal family is the immediate family of monarch, monarchs and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or emperor, empress, and the term papal family describes the family of ...

as well as keeping the Privy Seal and

Great Seal A great seal is a seal used by a head of state, or someone authorised to do so on their behalf, to confirm formal documents, such as laws, treaties, appointments and letters of dispatch. It was and is used as a guarantee of the authenticity of ...

of Japan. The Agency is headed by a director-general, who is assisted by the Cabinet-appointed deputy director. The internal organisation of the Agency can be seen below. * The

Grand Steward's Secretariat The is the head department of the Imperial Household Agency of Japan. History The origins of the structure of the Imperial Household can be traced back to the reign of Emperor Monmu, with the organisation of the government structure in 701 AD ...

Board of Chamberlains The is a department of the Imperial Household Agency of Japan. History According to Taihō Code around the 8th century, it was presupposed that a chamberlain belonged to the Ministry of the Center. When the was installed during the Heian era ...

* Emperor Emeritus' Household *

Crown Prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title, crown princess, is held by a woman who is heir apparent or is married to the heir apparent. ''Crown prince ...

's Household *

Board of Ceremonies The is a department of the Imperial Household Agency of Japan. The board is the chief administration charged with ceremonial matters. History The history dates back to the Asuka period of the 8th century under the Taihō Code, when the was form ...

Archives and Mausolea Department The Archives and Mausolea Department (書陵部 ''Shoryō-bu'') is a division of the Imperial Household Agency of Japan. The department is headed by a Director-General and consists of the following divisions: * Archives Division * Compiling * Im ...

* Maintenance and Works Department Auxiliary organs of the Agency include: * Office of the Shoshoin Treasure House * Imperial Stock Farm Local branch office: * Kyoto Office

Thailand

Europe

The royal households of such of

European monarchies In the European history, monarchy was the prevalent form of government throughout the Middle Ages, only occasionally competing with communalism, notably in the case of the maritime republics and the Swiss Confederacy. In the early modern period ...

have a continuous history since medieval times.

Austria

Francia

France

Germany

Prussia

*1. Supreme Officers of the Court (Oberste Hofchargen) - honorary functions **1.1. The Grand Chamberlain (Oberst-Kämmerer) **1.2. The Grand

Cup-Bearer A cup-bearer was historically an officer of high rank in royal courts, whose duty was to pour and serve the drinks at the royal table. On account of the constant fear of plots and intrigues (such as poisoning), a person had to be regarded as thor ...

(Oberst-Schenk) **1.3. The Grand Steward (Oberst-Truchseß) **1.4. The Grand

Marshal Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used fo ...

(Oberst-Marschall) **1.5. The Grand Master of the Hunt (Oberst-Jägermeister) *2. Chief Officers of the Household (Oberhofchargen) **2.0. The Premier Marshal of the Household (Oberhof- und Hausmarschall, i. e. chief

executive officer An executive officer is a person who is principally responsible for leading all or part of an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization. In many militaries and police forces, an executive officer ...

of the court) **2.1. The Premier Master of Ceremonies (Ober-Zeremonienmeister) **2.2. The Premier

Master of the Robes The Master of the Robes is an office in the British Royal Household. He is responsible for the King's robes at times such as a coronation, the annual Order of the Garter service and the State Opening of Parliament. Since the reign of Edward VII, th ...

(Ober-Gewandkämmerer) **2.3. The Premier

Cellarer A cellarium (from the Latin language, Latin ''cella'', "pantry"), also known as an ''undercroft'', was a storehouse or storeroom, usually in a medieval monastery or castle. In English monasteries, it was usually located in or under the buildings o ...

(Ober-Mundschenk) **2.4. The Premier Master of the

Horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 mi ...

s and

Mews A mews is a row or courtyard of stables and carriage houses with living quarters above them, built behind large city houses before motor vehicles replaced horses in the early twentieth century. Mews are usually located in desirable residential ...

(Ober-

Stallmeister An equerry (; from French 'stable', and related to 'squire') is an officer of honour. Historically, it was a senior attendant with responsibilities for the horses of a person of rank. In contemporary use, it is a personal attendant, usually upon ...

) **2.5. The Premier Master of the Hunt (Ober-Jägermeister) **2.6. The Premier Captain of the

Palace Guard ''Palace Guard'' is an American crime drama television series that was briefly broadcast by CBS from October 18 to November 1, 1991, as part of its 1991 fall lineup. It was produced by Stephen J. Cannell. Synopsis ''Palace Guard'' is the story ...

(Ober-Schloßhauptmann) **2.7. The Premier Master of the

Kitchen A kitchen is a room (architecture), room or part of a room used for cooking and food preparation in a dwelling or in a commercial establishment. A modern middle-class residential kitchen is typically equipped with a Kitchen stove, stove, a sink ...

(Ober-Küchenmeister) **2.8. The Superintendent general of the

Theaters Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

(Generalintendant der Schauspiele)

Mannheim (Electors Palatinate)

* The Grand Master of the Household (Obristhofmeister) ** Stewards (Truchsesse) ** The Master of the Music (Hofkapellmeister) ** The Scientist of the Court (Librarian, Masters of the Collections) ** The Artists of the Court ** The medical staff * The Grand Chamberlain (Obristkämmerer) ** Court's Chamberlains (Hofkämmerer) ** Life Offices * The Grand Marshal of the Household (Obristhofmarschall) ** The Master of the Larder ** The Master of the Cellar ** The Master of the Tablecloth ** The Master of the Silver and China ** The Master of Kitchen ** The Master of the Pastry * The Grand Master of the Mews (Obriststallmeister) ** Court's Fourriers * The Grand Master of the Hunt (Obristjägermeister) * The Superintendent of the Court's Music

Asia

China

Japan

Thailand

Europe

Austria

Francia

France

Germany

Prussia

Mannheim (Electors Palatinate)

Russia

Spain

Sweden

United Kingdom

Vatican

North America

Canada

See also

References

External links