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Lords and Gentlemen of the Bedchamber

Gentleman of the Bedchamber was a title in the Royal Household of the Kingdom of England from the 11th century, later used also in the Kingdom of Great Britain. A Lord of the Bedchamber was a courtier in the Royal Household; the term being first used in 1718. The duties of the Lords and Gentlemen of the Bedchamber originally consisted of assisting the monarch with dressing, waiting on him when he ate, guarding access to his bedchamber and closet and providing companionship. Such functions became less important over time, but provided proximity to the monarch; the holders were thus trusted confidants and often extremely powerful. The offices were in the gift of The Crown and were originally sworn by Royal Warrant directed to the Lord Chamberlain.

This is an incomplete list of noblemen who have served as Lord of the Bedchamber or Gentleman of the Bedchamber:

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 water closet, and providing companionship.

From 1660 the office of first gentleman of the bedchamber was invariably combined with that of Groom of the Stool. 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.

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

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
1667–1680: John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester
1669–1685: Charles Sackville, Lord Buckhurst
1672–1683 (extra) & 1673–1682: John Sheffield, 3rd Earl of Mulgrave
1673–?: Christopher Monck, 2nd Duke of Albemarle (died 1688)
1673–1674: Lionel Cranfield, 3rd Earl of Middlesex
1673–1674 (extra) & 1674–?: Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland
1674–1685: Robert Bertie, 3rd Earl of Lindsey
1677–?: Aubrey de Vere, 20th Earl of Oxford (died 1703)
1679–?: Richard Jones, 1st Earl of Ranelagh (died 1712)
1679–1682 (extra) & 1682–1685: James Hamilton, Earl of Arran
1680–?: Peregrine Osborne, Viscount Latimer
1680–1685: Thomas Lennard, 1st Earl of Sussex
1682–1685: Louis de Duras, 2nd Earl of Feversham (extra)
1683–1685: Edward Lee, 1st Earl of Lichfield
1685: Thomas Bruce, Lord Bruce

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
1701–1702: Wriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke of Bedford
1701–1702: Arnold van Keppel, 1st Earl of Albemarle

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)
1719–1727: Peregrine Bertie, Marquess of Lindsey
1720–?: Charles Douglas, 3rd Duke of Queensberry
1720–1723: Anthony Grey, Earl of Harold
1721–1727: John Manners, 3rd Duke of Rutland
1721–1727: William Montagu, 2nd Duke of Manchester
1722–1727: Talbot Yelverton, 1st Earl of Sussex
1723–?: Henry Roper, 8th Baron Teynham
1723–1727: Charles Townshend, Lord Lynn
1723–?: James Waldegrave, 1st Earl Waldegrave
1725–?: John West, 7th Baron De La Warr
1726–1727: Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond
1727: James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton