Groom in Waiting
Encyclopedia
The office of Groom in Waiting (sometimes hyphenated as Groom-in-Waiting) was a post in the Royal Household of the United Kingdom, which in earlier times was usually held by more than one person at a time – in the late Middle Ages there might be dozens of persons with the rank. Grooms-in-Waiting to other members of the Royal Family and Extra Grooms in Waiting were also sometimes appointed. For the general history of court valets or grooms see Valet de chambre
.
One of the holders of the office was designated the Parliamentary Groom in Waiting from about 1859, when it became customary to appoint a Member of Parliament
who was a supporter of the government of the day. The office became vacant in 1891, when Lord Burghley was promoted to the similar political office of Vice-Chamberlain of the Household
. The political office was abolished in 1892, although this did not affect the non political Grooms in Waiting.
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...
.
One of the holders of the office was designated the Parliamentary Groom in Waiting from about 1859, when it became customary to appoint a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
who was a supporter of the government of the day. The office became vacant in 1891, when Lord Burghley was promoted to the similar political office of Vice-Chamberlain of the Household
Vice-Chamberlain of the Household
The Vice-Chamberlain of the Household is usually a junior government whip in the British House of Commons and is an officer of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. He or she is the Deputy to the Lord Chamberlain of the Household. The Vice-Chamberlain's main role is to compile...
. The political office was abolished in 1892, although this did not affect the non political Grooms in Waiting.
List of Parliamentary Grooms in Waiting
- 1859 Robert Nigel Fitzhardinge Kingscote
- 1866 Hon. Charles Hugh Lindsay
- 1869 Algernon Fulke GrevilleAlgernon Greville, 2nd Baron GrevilleAlgernon William Fulke Greville, 2nd Baron Greville was a British politician.Algernon was the eldest son of Fulke Southwell Greville and his wife Lady Rosa Nugent, the only daughter and heir of the Marquess of Westmeath...
- 1874 Donald Cameron (of Lochiel)Donald Cameron, 24th LochielDonald Cameron of Lochiel DL was a Scottish Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1868 to 1885. He was chieftain, the 24th chief of Clan Cameron....
- 1880 William CaringtonWilliam CaringtonSir William Henry Peregrine Carington GCVO KCB PC JP was a British soldier, courtier and Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1868 to 1883-Biography:...
- 1883 William Henry GrenfellWilliam Grenfell, 1st Baron DesboroughWilliam Henry Grenfell, 1st Baron Desborough, KG, GCVO, was an athlete, sportsman, public servant and politician. He sat in the House of Commons firstly for the Liberal Party and then for the Conservatives between 1880 and 1905 when he was raised to the peerage...
- 1883 Sir Gerard Smith
- 1885 Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher, Bt
- 1886 Hon. Charles Robert SpencerCharles Spencer, 6th Earl SpencerCharles Robert Spencer, 6th Earl Spencer KG, GCVO, PC, VRD , styled The Honourable Charles Spencer until 1905 and known as The Viscount Althorp between 1905 and 1910, was a British courtier and Liberal politician. An MP from 1880 to 1895 and again from 1900 to 1905, he served as Vice-Chamberlain of...
- 1886 Lord BurghleyBrownlow Cecil, 4th Marquess of ExeterBrownlow Henry George Cecil, 4th Marquess of Exeter PC, DL , styled Lord Burghley between 1867 and 1895, was a British peer and Conservative politician...
- 1891 office vacant
- 1892 office abolished
List of Grooms in Waiting (non-political)
Non-political holders of the office, included the following people.- 18?–1846: Arthur Duncombe
- 1846–1861: Sir Edward BowaterEdward BowaterGeneral Sir Edward Bowater KCH was a British soldier and courtier.-Background and education:Born in St James's Palace, Bowater descended from a Coventry family and was the only son of the Admiral Edward Bowater. His mother Louisa was the daughter of Thomas Lane and widow of George Edward Hawkins,...
- 1859–1867: Henry John William Bentinck
- 1867–1876: Sir Francis Seymour, BtSir Francis Seymour, 1st BaronetGeneral Sir Francis Seymour, 1st Baronet, GCB was a British Army officer and courtier....
(also served as Groom-in-Waiting to Prince Albert 1841–1861 and Extra Groom-in-Waiting from 1861) - 1881–1894: Lord Edward Pelham-ClintonLord Edward Pelham-ClintonLieutenant-Colonel Lord Edward William Pelham-Clinton GCVO KCB was a British Liberal Party politician.Pelham-Clinton was educated at Eton College and left in 1853. He joined the Rifle Brigade as an Ensign in 1854 and served in the Crimea after the fall of Sebastopol. He reached the rank of Captain...
- 1905–1907: Hon. Arthur WalshArthur Walsh, 3rd Baron OrmathwaiteArthur Henry John Walsh, 3rd Baron Ormathwaite, GCVO was a British peer and courtier.Walsh was the eldest son of the 2nd Baron Ormathwaite and his wife, Katherine, a daughter of the 7th Duke of Beaufort. He was educated at Eton College...
- 1908–1910: Lord EliotMontague Eliot, 8th Earl of St GermansMontague Charles Eliot, 8th Earl of St Germans, KCVO, OBE , styled Hon. Montague Eliot from 1923 to 1942, was a British peer and courtier....
- 1924–1936: Lord EliotMontague Eliot, 8th Earl of St GermansMontague Charles Eliot, 8th Earl of St Germans, KCVO, OBE , styled Hon. Montague Eliot from 1923 to 1942, was a British peer and courtier....
(Extra Groom in Waiting) - 1937–1951: Sir Frank MitchellSir Frank MitchellSir Frank Herbert Mitchell KCVO, CBE was an English cricketer. Mitchell was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm underarm slow. The younger son of first-class cricketer and Eton master Richard Mitchell, he was born in Eton, Buckinghamshire and was educated at Eton College, where he...