The Royal Household

• How did Henry VII manage the Privy Chamber?

  • the yeomen of the guard in 1485 to guard rooms personally and act as bodyguards
  • Used his privy council to limit access to the monarch, out of fear of betrayal
  • Henry VII personally managed finance within his privy chamber and collected and stored royal income.
• How did Henry VIII change the Privy Chamber?

  • Chamber had it’s own staff from 1518 named the Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber -> sent on diplomatic missions to france and military expeditions against scotland between 1520-25
  • Groom of the Stool, filled by most trusted nobility or gentry
  • Dry stamp was controlled by gentlemen of the chamber, allowed alterations to the king’s will in their favour eg: Edmund Seymour, John Dudley.
• Why was the dry stamp significant?

  • Allowed for members of the gentlemen of the chamber/privy council to sign and stamp documents on behalf of the monarch
  • led to changes in Henry VII’s Will
  • overpowered Edward’s reign, due to age.
• How did the Royal Chamber change under Mary and Elizabeth?

  • Mary filled positions with female attendants such as Frances Waldegrave, who were married to male members of Mary’s Household
  • Mary filled positions with female attendants such as Frances Waldegrave, who were married to male members of Mary’s Household
  • Mary kept her Dry stamp under lock and kept and never allowed it to be used by administrators
  • Elizabeth appointed wives of councillors to Privy chamber eg; wife of the Earl of Leicester
  • 1559 Reforms made members of her household members of her council.
• What was the role of the Council?

  • Formal body used to advise the monarch
  • Monarch chose who should be on their council
  • acted as a judicial court in high profile legal cases which couldn’t be solved through usual law courts eg: trying nobility