Grand Chamberlain of France

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The Great Chamberlain of France (French. Grand chambellan de France ) was one of the oldest Großkronämter of monarchical France in the Middle Ages . During the 16th century it took on the additional functions of the abolished office of Grand Chamberlain of France ( Grand chambrier de France ) and was one of the most powerful offices in the Ancien Régime . It was also a crown office, the office holder of which received a hereditary title of nobility of the first degree (nobility through a state office) upon inauguration.

The Grand Chamberlain initially oversaw the royal apartments (the monarch's bedchamber and cloakroom ). He had unrestricted and permanent access to the king and was confidant of the royal councils. With the assumption of the additional functions of the office of grand chamberlain, he signed important documents and letters of the king and was keeper of the secret state seal ( keeper of the seal of France ( Garde des sceaux de France )) and the chamber seal . He was judge at the court assemblies set up by the peers of France and sat at the king's feet when a judicial bed was called up. When receiving the ambassadors, he was in second highest rank . He was the king's personal valet and served him personally at the royal table. As a sign of his office, he carried a golden key. His coat of arms had two keys in gold as the insignia of the great chamberlain . He played a special role in the celebration of the coronation day, on which he celebrated the reception of the Pairs of France in the king's apartments.

From the second half of the 16th century, the office was initially held by members of the Orléans-Longueville family , until 1664 by the House of Guise and later by a member of the La Tour d'Auvergne- Bouillon family until the French Revolution . Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord was the last to hold this post during the Restoration .

List of Grand Chamberlains

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Nicolas Viton de Saint-Allais : Nobiliaire universel de France, ou Recueil général des généalogies historiques des maisons nobles de ce royaume. tape 1 . Bachelin-Deflorenne, Paris 1872, p. 265 ( on Gallica ). (French)
  2. ↑ Anselme de Sainte-Marie : Histoire généalogique et chronologique de la maison royale de France,… Paris 1733, p. 452 online at gallica