Lady in waiting

The role of a lady in waiting:

Although other people were involved in selecting ladies in waiting, Elizabeth had the last word. These women were selected from high ranking families, as well as her closest and dearest friends that came from a range of backgrounds. Elizabeth was extremely loyal and always remembered those who had been genuine and kind. She chose her closest ladies in waiting based on their loyalty and kindness rather than their status. As well as helping her with everyday tasks, they were expected to know how to play instruments, dance and read to keep the queen entertained.

Ladies in waiting were expected to accompany Elizabeth on her processions and state functions all over England. They weren’t expected to complete trivial and mundane tasks- these were left to the servants. As well as attending high profile events, the ladies completed more intimate tasks such as dressing Elizabeth, helping her get ready for bed and share a room with her, and eating with her.

There were different levels of ladies in waiting, depending on their status and how trusted they were by Elizabeth. These were:

The highest level: these ladies were chosen from the highest ranking families in England. They were ladies of the privy chamber and rather than being paid they gained social status and political power. They were only expected to keep Elizabeth company and had little duties in comparison to other ladies in waiting.

Ladies of the bed chamber: often referred to as ‘gentlewomen of the bedchamber’. These were the most trusted ladies in waiting as they helped Elizabeth with all her intimate needs.

Ladies of the privy chamber: These women would accompany Elizabeth in the ‘privy chamber’- these were rooms where Elizabeth would go to relax when she wasn’t out attending state functions.

Maids of honour: This was a term used to describe any ladies in waiting that weren’t married.

I have chosen to focus on Elizabeth Brydges. She was a maid of honour but also a gentlewoman of the bedchamber. She stood out to me as she was actually in the room when Elizabeth died and was one of the most trusted ladies in waiting. Although she was from a noble family, she was one of Elizabeth’s oldest friends and seemed to be more genuine than other ladies in waiting. She wasn’t there to gain status.

I found her  interesting as she wasn’t married when Elizabeth died, therefore she was left with nothing. She was no longer important after Elizabeth’s death, which could have left her pretty screwed up.

She wasn’t paid as a lady in waiting, but she lived in the palace and was fed every day. She had a taste for beautiful and luxurious things, which left her in a lot of debt when Elizabeth died.

Her whole world sort of fell apart when Elizabeth died- she no longer had any importance and wasn’t married off when she died, which did not help her debt situation. All this change at once would mess with anyone’s head, which is why I think it would be fun to create a make up look based on her.. 

https://elizabethbrydgesblog1600.wordpress.com/

 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth_Brydges_1589.jpg

 http://www.victimsvoice.co.uk/Millard_Web_Site/fam188.html

all visited on 3/11/15