Lord of the Bedchamber

Origins

Following the abdication of Mary, Queen of Scots in 1567, her one year-old son acceded to the throne of Scotland as King James VI. During his minority, a series of regents held power, with government largely exercised through the Privy Council of Scotland. The king grew up in the company of young nobles, in Stirling Castle, until 1579 when, at 13 years old, he made a ceremonial entry into Edinburgh; this signalled the end of the Regency period and the beginning of his adult rule. The Privy Council, however, was still dominated by protegés of the former regent, the Earl of Morton; so, on 15 April 1580, a new establishment was created with the intention of it forming an alternative centre of power to the Privy Council. Taking inspiration from the French court, it was named the 'Bedchamber'. It had a staff of 24 young Gentlemen, overseen by Esmé Stewart in the office of Lord Chamberlain. The Gentlemen, who were invariably sons of nobles and of barons, did duty in rotation for three months at a time. Throughout the year there were always at least four Gentlemen of the Bedchamber in attendance at the Scottish royal court.

On acceding to the throne of England, king James introduced the Bedchamber to the English court. Once in place, it quickly supplanted the Privy Chamber (its erstwhile Tudor equivalent) in importance and influence. It maintained a decidedly Scottish entourage around the king to begin with: numbered among the Gentlemen of the Bedchamber was only a single Englishman until 1615, when a second was appointed; in all, ten of the fifteen Gentlemen appointed by James I were Scots.

Description and functions

There were always several holders of the office, who were invariably gentlemen and almost invariably peers, often important ones, as the regular access to the monarch which the role brought was the most valuable commodity of the courtier. The duties of the office involved waiting on the King when he ate in private, helping him to dress, guarding the bedchamber and closet, and providing companionship.

After the Restoration, the office of first gentleman of the bedchamber was invariably combined with that of Groom of the Stole. On average the number of Gentlemen varied around 12 but fluctuated from time to time. During the reign of James II there were only eight, and none were appointed during the reign of Queen Anne. The female counterparts to the Gentlemen (or Lords) of the Bedchamber were the Ladies of the Bedchamber (appointed by Queens regnant and consort alike). Working under the Gentlemen, in the same location, were the Grooms of the Bedchamber.

Below is an incomplete list of noblemen who have served as Gentlemen of the Bedchamber or Lords of the Bedchamber:

Gentlemen of the Bedchamber to James I of England (1603–1625)

1603: James Hay, 1st Earl of Carlisle

1607–1615: Robert Carr

1611–1625: Robert Carey

1612–?: Henry Gibb

1615–?: George Villiers (died 1628).

1622–1625: John Murray

Gentlemen of the Bedchamber to Charles I of England (1625–1649)

1625–1640: James Erskine, 6th Earl of Buchan

1625–?: James Stewart

1625–1639: Robert Carey

?1625–? Richard Tichborne

?1625–? Gerard Fowke

1631–1636: James Hay, 1st Earl of Carlisle

1643–1649: Montagu Bertie

1647–1649: James Harrington

Gentlemen of the Bedchamber to Charles II of England (1660–1685)

1650–1657 & 1661–1667 & 1667–1674: George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham

1652–1677: William Crofts, 1st Baron Crofts

1660– Sir John Granville (later Earl of Bath) (and Groom of the Stole)

1660–1679: Charles Gerard, 1st Earl of Macclesfield

1660–1665: Thomas Wentworth, 5th Baron Wentworth

1660–1673: John Maitland, 2nd Earl of Lauderdale

1660–1677: William Cavendish, 1st Marquess of Newcastle (Duke of Newcastle from 1665)

1660–1670: George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle

1660–1666: James Butler, 1st Marquess of Ormonde (Duke of Ormonde from 1661)

1660–1666: Mountjoy Blount, 1st Earl of Newport

1661–?: Charles Stewart, 3rd Duke of Richmond (died 1672)

1662–1685: Henry Cavendish, Viscount Mansfield (Duke of Newcastle from 1676)

1665–1681: James Howard, 3rd Earl of Suffolk

1666–1681: Robert Montagu, Viscount Mandeville (Earl of Manchester from 1671)

1666–1680: Thomas Butler, 6th Earl of Ossory

Gentlemen of the Bedchamber to James II of England (1685–1688)

1669–1684: Francis Hawley, 1st Baron Hawley

1673–?: John Churchill, 1st Baron Churchill

1685–1687: Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset

1685–1688: Thomas Bruce, 2nd Earl of Ailesbury

1685–1688: Edward Lee, 1st Earl of Lichfield

1685–1688: Henry Somerset, 1st Duke of Beaufort

1685–1688: James Butler, Earl of Ossory

1685–?: John Sheffield, 3rd Earl of Mulgrave

1685–1688: Louis de Duras, 2nd Earl of Feversham

1687–?: George Douglas, 1st Earl of Dumbarton

1688: George FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Northumberland

1688: James Cecil, 4th Earl of Salisbury

Gentlemen of the Bedchamber to William III of England (1689–1702)

1689–1697: Charles Mordaunt, 1st Earl of Monmouth

1689–1699: James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde

1689–?: Hon. H. Sydney

1689–?: Aubrey de Vere, 20th Earl of Oxford

1689–?: John Churchill, 1st Baron Churchill

1689–?: Richard Lumley, 2nd Viscount Lumley (Earl of Scarbrough from 1690)

1689–1700: Henry Sydney, 1st Earl of Romney

1689–?: John Holles, 4th Earl of Clare

1689–?: James Douglas, Earl of Drumlanrig

1689–1702: Charles Douglas, 2nd Earl of Selkirk

1691–1702: Algernon Capell, 2nd Earl of Essex

1692–1693: Charles Granville, Viscount Granville

1692–1702: Robert Sutton, 2nd Baron Lexinton

1697–1702: Charles Boyle, 4th Viscount Dungarvan (Earl of Cork and Burlington from 1698)

1699–1702: Charles Butler, 1st Earl of Arran

1699–1702: James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton

1700–1702: Charles Howard, 3rd Earl of Carlisle

Gentlemen of the Bedchamber to Prince George of Denmark (1702–1708)

1703–1705: Scroop Egerton, 4th Earl of Bridgwater

1704–?: Thomas Fane, 6th Earl of Westmorland

1706–1708: Thomas Howard, 6th Baron Howard of Effingham

1708: Henry Clinton, 7th Earl of Lincoln

?–?: Archibald Primrose, 1st Earl of Rosebery

Gentlemen and Lords of the Bedchamber to George I of Great Britain (1714–1727)

Lord

1721–1723: 2nd Earl of Bute

Gentlemen

1714–1716: Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Kent

1714–1716: Charles Boyle, 4th Earl of Orrery

1714–1717: Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Grafton

1714–1721: John Carteret, 2nd Baron Carteret

1714–1722: Charles Montagu, 4th Earl of Manchester (Duke of Manchester from 1719)

1714–1723: Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond

1714–1727: James Berkeley, 3rd Earl of Berkeley

1714–1727: Henry Clinton, 7th Earl of Lincoln

1714–1727: John Dalrymple, 2nd Earl of Stair

1714–1727: Charles Douglas, 2nd Earl of Selkirk

1716–1723: Francis Godolphin, 2nd Earl of Godolphin

1716–1727: George Hamilton, 1st Earl of Orkney

1717–1727: John Sidney, 6th Earl of Leicester

1717–1726: Henry Bentinck, 1st Duke of Portland

1717–1727: Henry Lowther, 3rd Viscount Lonsdale

1719–1721: Edward Rich, 7th Earl of Warwick

1719–1721: Robert Darcy, 3rd Earl of Holderness

1719–1727: Scroop Egerton, 4th Earl of Bridgwater (Duke of Bridgwater from 1720)

Lords and Gentlemen of the Bedchamber to George II of Great Britain (1714–1760)

Lords

1722–1751: 2nd Earl of Albemarle; appointed when Prince of Wales.

1727–1730: Lord Philip Stanhope

1727–1736: Thomas Paget, Lord Paget

1727–1738: Lord William Manners

1752–1760: George Coventry, 6th Earl of Coventry

1757–1760: John Hobart, 2nd Earl of Buckinghamshire

Gentlemen

1714–1721: John Hamilton, 3rd Lord Belhaven and Stenton

1714–1722: Charles Paulet, 3rd Duke of Bolton

1714–1735: Henry Herbert, Lord Herbert (Earl of Pembroke from 1733)

1715–1730: Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield

1718–1722: Edward Watson, Viscount Sondes

1719–1736: Henry Paget, Lord Paget

1727–1730: Henry Scott, 1st Earl of Deloraine

1727–?: William Capell, 3rd Earl of Essex

1727–1733: James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton

1727–1739: Charles Douglas, 2nd Earl of Selkirk

1727–?: Hugh Fortescue, 1st Earl Clinton

1727–?: James Waldegrave, 1st Earl Waldegrave

1731–1752: John Murray, 2nd Earl of Dunmore

1733–1755: John Poulett, 2nd Earl Poulett

1733–1747: William Clavering-Cowper, 2nd Earl Cowper

1735–1751: Simon Harcourt, 2nd Viscount Harcourt (Earl Harcourt from 1749)

1737–?: Charles Bennet, 2nd Earl of Tankerville

1738–1743: Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough

Gentlemen of the Bedchamber to Frederick, Prince of Wales (1729–1751)

1729–1731: John Ashburnham, 1st Earl of Ashburnham

1729–1742: Henry Brydges, Marquess of Carnarvon

1729–1730: Lord Charles Cavendish

1729–1751: Harry Paulet, 4th Duke of Bolton

1730–1733: Charles Bennet, 2nd Earl of Tankerville

1730–1751: Francis North, 4th Baron Guilford

1731–1749: Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore

1733–1738: William Villiers, 3rd Earl of Jersey

1738–1751: Charles Douglas, 3rd Duke of Queensberry

1742–1743: George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax

1742–1745: Edward Bligh, 2nd Earl of Darnley

1744–1751: William O'Brien, 4th Earl of Inchiquin

1747–1750: Arthur St Leger, 3rd Viscount Doneraile

1748–1751: John Perceval, 2nd Earl of Egmont

1749–1751: Lord Robert Manners-Sutton

1750–1751: John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute

Lords and Gentlemen of the Bedchamber to George III of the United Kingdom (1751–1820)

Lords

1747–1750: Arthur St Leger, 3rd Viscount Doneraile (to Prince George)

1749–1751: Lord Robert Manners-Sutton (to Prince George)

1751–1782: Lord Robert Bertie (1751–1760 to Prince George)

1760–1761: George Lee, 3rd Earl of Lichfield

1760–1767: John Hobart, 2nd Earl of Buckinghamshire

1760–1770: George Coventry, 6th Earl of Coventry

1761–1790: Edward Harley

1767–1770: Norborne Berkeley, 4th Baron Botetourt

1777–1783: Heneage Finch, 4th Earl of Aylesford

1782–1803: George Pitt, 1st Baron Rivers

1800–1810: John Townshend, 2nd Viscount Sydney

1804–1819: George Pitt, 2nd Baron Rivers

Gentlemen

1760–1765: Peregrine Bertie, 3rd Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven

1760–1761: Robert Montagu, 3rd Duke of Manchester

1760–1762: Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham

1760–1761: Thomas Belasyse, 1st Earl Fauconberg

1760–1762: Henry Clinton, 9th Earl of Lincoln

1760–1762: John Ashburnham, 2nd Earl of Ashburnham

1760–1766: Francis Seymour-Conway, 8th Earl of Hertford

1760–1761: John Carmichael, 3rd Earl of Hyndford

1760–1762: Hugh Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland

1760–1761 & 1782–1799: William Capell, 4th Earl of Essex

1760–1782: George Walpole, 3rd Earl of Orford

1760–1763: Thomas Thynne, 3rd Viscount Weymouth

1760–1764: James Brydges, Marquess of Carnarvon

1760: Henry Dawnay, 3rd Viscount Downe

1760–1763: William Pulteney, Viscount Pulteney

1760–1776: Thomas Brudenell-Bruce, 2nd Baron Bruce

1760–1789: William Douglas, Earl of March

1760–1767: Alexander Montgomerie, 10th Earl of Eglinton

Lords and Gentlemen of the Bedchamber to George IV of the United Kingdom (1780–1830)

Lord

1812–1828: Peniston Lamb, 1st Viscount Melbourne

Gentlemen

1780–1784: James Stopford, 2nd Earl of Courtown

1780–1781: Lord John Pelham-Clinton

1780–?: George Parker, Viscount Parker

1782–1783: George Legge, Viscount Lewisham

1783–1796: Peniston Lamb, 1st Viscount Melbourne

1784–1795: George Ashburnham, Viscount St Asaph

1789–?: William Fortescue, 1st Earl of Clermont

1814–1830: Charles William Vane, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry

1819–1821: James Duff, 4th Earl Fife

1820–1825: Frederick Irby, 2nd Baron Boston

1820–1823 & 1829–1830: William Amherst, 1st Earl Amherst

1820–1829: Charles Stanhope, 4th Earl of Harrington

1820–1830: James Murray, 1st Baron Glenlyon

1826–1830: Charles Gordon, Lord Strathavon

1827–1830: James Duff, 4th Earl Fife

1828–1830: Henry Greville, 3rd Earl of Warwick

1829–1830: Richard Curzon-Howe, 1st Earl Howe

Lords and Gentlemen of the Bedchamber to William IV of the United Kingdom (1830–1837)

Lords of the Bedchamber to King William IV (1830–1837)

1830–18: Lord St. Helens

1830–1832: Lord Glenlyon

1830–18: Lord Lovaine

1830: Lord Strathaven

1830–1835: Earl of Fife

1830–1832: Lord Clinton

1830–18: Earl of Warwick

1830–1831: Earl of Roden

1830–18: Earl of Chesterfield

1830–1835: Earl Amherst

1830–1837: Lord James O'Bryen

1830–1831: Marquess of Hastings

1830–1833: Earl of Denbigh

1831–1834: Earl of Gosford

1831–1835: Marquess of Queensbury

1830–1831: Earl of Waldegrave

1831–-1837: Lord Lilford

1832–1837: Viscount Ashbrook

1832–1836: Lord Elphinstone

Gentlemen

1835–1837: James Duff, 4th Earl Fife

1830–?: Lord James O'Brien

1830–?: William Napier, 9th Lord Napier

1830–1837: George Byron, 7th Baron Byron

1830–1837: Lucius Cary, 10th Viscount Falkland

1833–1837: Lord Adolphus FitzClarence

1834–1835 & 1835–1837: George Byng, 7th Viscount Torrington

1834–?: Alan Gardner, 3rd Baron Gardner

1834–1837: William Bury, Lord Tullamore

1834–1837: Lord Ernest Brudenell-Bruce

1834–1837: George Holroyd, 2nd Earl of Sheffield

1835–1837: James Grimston, 1st Earl of Verulam

1835–1837: Philip Sidney, 1st Baron De L'Isle and Dudley

1835–1837: John Townshend, 3rd Viscount Sydney

1835–1837: George Douglas, 17th Earl of Morton

1835–1837: Thomas Taylour, 2nd Marquess of Headfort

1835–1837: Arthur Chichester, 1st Baron Templemore

1836–1837: Lord John Gordon

Lords of the Bedchamber to Prince Albert (1840–1861)

1840–1861: Lord John Lennox

1859–1861: Henry Cavendish, 3rd Baron Waterpark

Lords of the Bedchamber to Edward, Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII (1866–1901)

1866–1883: James Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Abercorn

1872–1901: Charles Harbord, 5th Baron Suffield

Following Edward's accession to the throne, Baron Suffield was gazetted as a "Lord in Waiting" to the King.

Lords of the Bedchamber to George, Prince of Wales (1901–1910), later King George V (1910-1936)

1901–1910: Beilby Lawley, 3rd Baron Wenlock

1901–1907: Charles Cavendish, 3rd Baron Chesham

1908–1921: Luke White, 3rd Baron Annaly

Following George's accession to the throne, Baron Annaly was initially gazetted as "Lord of the Bedchamber in Waiting" to the king; but was subsequently referred to as "Lord in Waiting", or "Permanent Lord in Waiting", to His Majesty.