The mistress of the robes was the senior lady in the Royal Household of the United Kingdom,[1] who would, by appointment, attend on the Queen (whether queen regnant or a queen consort). Queens dowager retained their own mistresses of the robes. In the 18th century Princesses of Wales had one, too.
Initially responsible for the queen's clothes and jewellery (as the name implies), the post-holder latterly had the responsibility for arranging the rota of attendance of the ladies-in-waiting on the queen, being in attendance herself on more formal occasions, and undertaking duties at state ceremonies. During the 17th and 18th centuries, this role often overlapped with or was replaced as first lady of the bedchamber. In modern times, the mistress of the robes was almost always a duchess.
In the past, whenever the Queen was a queen regnant, the mistress of the robes was a political appointment, changing with the government; however, this has not been the case since the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, and Queen Elizabeth II had only had two mistresses of the robes in more than seventy years' reign.
Since the accession of King Charles III no appointment of a Mistress of the Robes has been announced. In November 2022, it was announced that Queen Camilla would end the tradition of having ladies-in-waiting. Instead, she will be helped by "Queen's companions"; their role will be informal and they will not be involved in tasks such as replying to letters or developing schedules.[2]