Lords-in-waiting (male) or baronesses-in-waiting (female) are peers who hold office in the
Definition of 'gentleman-in-waiting'
gentleman-in-waiting.
For male members of the Royal Family the same rules apply, with the title used in the first instance being 'Your Royal Highness' and subsequently 'Sir'. For other female members of the Royal Family the first address is conventionally 'Your Royal Highness' and subsequently 'Ma'am'.
In the position, the women are tasked with supporting her as she carries out her official and state duties. It is believed the women will have similar responsibilities as the Queen's ladies in waiting, who have now been given the role of ladies of the household to assist the King instead.
And while Queen Elizabeth had a whole fleet of ladies-in-waiting throughout her reign—many of whom had been close with her for more than 60 years—apparently Queen Camilla is ditching the outdated tradition and instead having six assistants who will be known as “queen's companions,” according to reports from Today.
This belief meant that only those of elevated status should engage in physical contact and close relationships with a monarch. Thus, ladies-in-waiting became women of noble birth. In addition, they were required to be married.
Sir is used to address a man who has the rank of baronet or knight; the higher nobles are referred to as Lord. Lady is used when referring to women who hold certain titles: marchioness, countess, viscountess, or baroness. It can also be used of the wife of a lower-ranking noble, such as a baron, baronet, or knight.
The highest grade is duke/duchess, followed by marquess/marchioness, earl/countess, viscount/viscountess and baron/baroness. Dukes and duchesses are addressed with their actual title, but all other ranks of the peerage have the appellation Lord or Lady. Non hereditary life peers are also addressed as Lord or Lady.
The five possible titles, ranked from highest to lowest, are: duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron for men; duchess, marchioness, countess, viscountess, and baroness for women. In addition to being bestowed, the titles could also be inherited, but only by male heirs.
A lady-in-waiting attending to the queen is usually called Lady of the Bedchamber and they are ranked between First Lady of the Bedchamber and the Women of the Bedchamber, each carrying out various duties. The Mistress of the Robes is almost always a duchess and the senior woman in the royal household.
synonyms for lady-in-waiting
On this page you'll find 8 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to lady-in-waiting, such as: soubrette, abigail, lady of the bedchamber, lady's maid, maid-in-waiting, and waiting maid. Finish This Word Of The Day Quiz And Dance An Écossaise!
In the Royal Household of the United Kingdom the term Woman of the Bedchamber is used to describe a woman (usually a daughter of a peer) attending either a queen regnant or queen consort, in the role of lady-in-waiting.
In a description from 1728, the task of the ladies of the bedchamber was to act as the go-between for the queen and the women of the bedchamber, who had the task to wait upon the queen by helping her wash, dress and undress, and so forth.
The senior lady of a queen's household (whether queen regnant or queen consort) is the Mistress of the Robes, who (as well as being in attendance herself on occasion) has traditionally been responsible for arranging all the duties of the queen's ladies in waiting.
In 2015 The Princess Royal became one of the first female honorary members of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrew's. 65) The Princess Royal has 11 Ladies-in-Waiting, one of whom accompanies her on official engagements.
The five titles of the peerage, in descending order of precedence, or rank, are: duke, marquess, earl, viscount, baron.
Barons were the lowest rank of nobility and were granted small parcels of land. Earls were the next highest rank and were responsible for larger territories. Dukes were the highest rank of nobility and were responsible for the largest territories, known as duchies.
While both duchesses and princesses are royalty, and princesses technically outrank duchesses, the relationship between the two titles is not always clearly defined. Princesses are usually the daughters or granddaughters of a king or queen.
The duke's son would be a marquess and the grandson would be an earl. Only eldest sons or their eldest sons could bear courtesy titles.
The daughters of a duke, marquess or earl have the courtesy title of "Lady" before their forename and surname.
Ancient Roman law required brides to be at least 12 years old. In ancient Roman law, first marriages to brides aged 12–25 required the consent of the bride and her father, but by the late antique period Roman law permitted women over 25 to marry without parental consent.
In some cases, ladies-in-waiting would sleep in the room of the lady they served, on a small bed or cot. A lady-in-waiting is historically also a noble woman, but one who is of lesser rank than the woman she is serving. A queen will typically have several ladies in waiting.
In reality, most high society Victorian brides in England and America fell somewhere between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five, with the marriage age gradually growing later as the century progressed.