Ever wondered who Queen Elizabeth’s most trusted friends are? Even a queen needs close friends to confide in and to let loose a little bit, right? I was asking myself that exact question and was surprised to find out that some of the Queen’s closest friends were actually her so-called ladies-in waiting! I have to admit that I had heard that title before but never really understood what it meant. Now, only upon researching the Queen’s most trusted friends was I was able to connect the dots. Yay!
In this post, you will get to know the names and images of the Queen’s ladies-in-waiting (LIW). I will also try to explain the hierarchy and function of that whole ladies-in-waiting system as best as I can. Well, if you are interested then:
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So, first things first. The Queen cannot make friends easily outside the confides of her royal orbit. This is why most of her LIW are of aristocratic descent or have married aristocrats. Some of her former LIW were also relatives like Margaret Rhodes for example, who was one of the Queen’s cousins. She was one of her most trusted friends until she died in 2016.
The Queen’s Ladies-in-waiting:
As of this year and day, the Queen has 11 LIW:
In hierarchical order
- Mistress of the Robes: Fortune FitzRoy, Duchess of Grafton
- Lady of the Bedchamber: Virginia Ogilvy, Countess of Airlie
- Lady of the Bedchamber: Diana Maxwell, Baroness Farnham
- Woman of the Bedchamber: The Honorable (Hon.) Mary Anne Morrison
- Woman of the Bedchamber: Lady Susan Hussey
- Woman of the Bedchamber: Baroness Richenda Elton
- Woman of the Bedchamber: The Hon. Mrs. Annabel Whitehead
- Woman of the Bedchamber: Jennifer Gibbs
- Woman of the Bedchamber: Philippa de Pass
- Woman of the Bedchamber: Susan Rhodes
- Woman of the Bedchamber: Lady Elizabeth Leeming
Hierarchy and function
A notable fact is is that the highest ranking LIW are not necessarily the ones who are closest to the Queen. This is because the “Mistress of the Robes” and the “Ladies of the Bedchamber” are not at the Queen’s side on a daily basis. They usually accompany the Queen on foreign tours and are needed for ceremonial occasions predominantly. They help to chart the seating plans for state visits for example, overseeing the complex and fine details of royal protocol. The Mistress of the Robes helps the Queen select her wardrobe and jewlery for her many official duties. The top positions are rather remote and don’t require the Ladies to be around the Queen 24/7.
This is different with the eight “Women of the Bedchamber”. These women get to see Queen Elizabeth on a regular basis and their tasks are wide-ranging:
Like the Mistress of the Robes they also advise the Queen on her outfits, but usually for minor royal duties. Some of the Women of the Bedchamber help the Queen answer her many letters. On most days, the Queen starts to answer some of her mail on her own until one of her “Women of the Bedchamber” take over. That is why most replies to royal fan mail bear the signature of one of these Ladies. The Women of the Bedchamber also help the Queen to dress and undress and allegedly also help the Queen to bathe. Royal fans who watched Netflix’s hit series The Crown can recall the scenes in which the Queen gets dressed or undressed with the help of one of her trusted LIW.
Not all of the eight Women of the Bedchamber are present at the same time. They work on a rota and one can assume that – depending on the duties at hand – only a required number of this group will be called for assistance for each day.
But it is not about the everyday duties that makes this group special. The LIW are the Queen’s confidantes! The Queen needs to unwind and talk to friends about the many impressions she faces each day. This is pure speculation, but given the fact that these women come so close to her, I would assume that the Queen confides in them telling them about her problems and worries as well. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Queen – who is known for her dry sense of humor – would also crack jokes with her LIW like most other people would do with their friends.
Susan Hussey
Some of the Queen’s LIW have been at her side for quite a while. Susan Hussey is a very close LIW among others and helps the Queen ever since 1960. She has become a very trusted member of the royal household, so much that she became one of Prince William’s godmothers! This speaks volumes of how deep the Queen and her family trust their LIW.
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The Queen needs to trust her Ladies and be sure that none of them talks to the press or sells any stories. That is why the LIW are usually from higher royal or aristocratic circles who are definitely not in for the money. In fact, most of them have a very affluent background. Speaking about money: None of the LIW get a regular pay! They consider it to be an honor to help the Queen. They get, however, reimbursed for travel expenses or for their clothes which always have to fit the occasion. Especially when it comes to vast and lavish state visits! And there is one more thing: None of the LIW officially retire. They help their Queen as long as she needs them like friends do. And since being a LIW is not an official job there is no such thing as a retirement.
How to become a LIW?
Interested? Bad news :/ All LIW are being either appointed to the Queen by her royal friends and family or are being handpicked by the Queen herself. So, there will never be anything such as an official job vacancy description for becoming a LIW. But if you happen to be interested in working in one of the Queen’s palaces you can click here. Those who are fine might want to check out the website anyway to be surprised to see the wide range of jobs the court has to offer!
