The Camarera mayor de Palacio (First Lady of the Bedchamber) was the Official of the Royal Household and Heritage of the Crown of Spain, who was in charge of the person and the rooms of the Queen of Spain.
Historical precedents and regime during the 17th and 18th centuries
This Office was created in 1526 when, during the Habsburg dynasty, the Royal Court was shaped after that one that existed in the Court of Burgundy. Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, but also King of Spain, imported the etiquette styled in the Court of his paternal grandmother Mary of Burgundy and appointed the first “Camarera mayor de Palacio” for his wife, the Empress.
The principal responsibility of the “Camarera mayor de Palacio” was managing all that was related with the service to the Queen and she had authority over the different dignities and servants that composed her personnel. Her first obligation was the personal assistance to the Sovereign. She had to accompany her at all time, up to the point of sleeping in her chamber, when the King was not doing it. She was in charge of the clothes purveyors and directed the formal dressing of the Queen. In fact she had the high duty of delivering the Queen the water and the towel during morning toilette. All these functions gave the “Camarera mayor” a great intimacy with the Queen, as well as a big influence over her.
Regime during the 19th and 20th centuries
In the structure of the Royal Household, the Office “Camarera mayor de Palacio” had the same category as that of the Mayordomo mayor. Only a woman with the rank of Grandee of Spain could be nominated for this Office, and she was chosen between those of the class of “Dama de la Reina” (Lady of the Bedchamber) of major seniority. She was in charge of everything relative to the etiquette and organization of the Household of the Queen helped by the “Mayordomo mayor” (High Steward) to the Queen.
Between her duties there were signalling the dates for audiences to the Queen and accompanying her in every ceremony.
Under the “Camarera mayor de Palacio” they were the “Damas de la Reina” (Ladies of the Bedchamber) and the “Damas al servicio particular de la Reina” (Ladies-in-Waiting).
She had assigned an annual salary of 6.000 pesetas and had a private own office in the Royal Palace of Madrid.
She was styled “Excelentísima señora Camarera mayor de Palacio”.
This post was suppressed after the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic in 1931 and never re-created after the restoration of Monarchy in 1975.
List of “Camareras Mayores” (First Ladies of the Bedchamber) to the Queen of Spain between 1526 and 1931
“Camarera mayor” to Empress Isabella of Portugal, 1526-1539
1526-1546: Leonor de Castro y Meneses, Duchess of Gandía, Grandee of Spain
“Camareras mayores” to Queen Anna of Austria, 1570-1580
1570-1571: Aldonza de Bazán, Marchioness of Fromista, Grandee of Spain
1571-1576: María Ángela de Aragón y Guzmán, Marchioness of Berlanga, Grandee of Spain 1576-1580: Francisca de Rojas y Sandoval, Countess of Paredes de Nava, Grandee of Spain
“Camareras mayores” to Queen Margaret of Austria, 1601-1611
1601-1603: Catalina de la Cerda, Duchess of Lerma, Grandee of Spain
1603-1611: Catalina de Sandoval, Countess of Lemos, Grandee of Spain
“Camareras mayores” to Queen Elisabeth of France, 1615-1644
1615-1621: Catalina de Sandoval, Countess of Lemos, Grandee of Spain
1621-1627: Juana Enriquez de Velasco, Duchess of Gandía, Grandee of Spain
1627-1643: Inés de Zúñiga, Countess of Olivares, Grandee of Spain
“Camareras mayores” to Queen Mariana of Austria, 1649-1665
1649-1653: Ana de Cardona y Aragón, Countess of Medellín, Grandee of Spain
1654-1659: Elvira Ponce de León, Marchioness of Villanueva de Valdueza
1660-1665: Margarita Zapata de Mendoza, Countess of Priego, Grandee of Spain
“Camareras mayores” to Queen Marie Louise of Orléans, 1679-1689
1679-1680: Juana de Aragón y Cortés, Duchess of Terranova, Grandee of Spain
1680-1689: Juana de Armendáriz, Duchess dowager of Alburquerque, Grandee of Spain
“Camareras mayores” to Queen Maria Anna of Neuburg, 1689-1701
1689-1696: Juana de Armendáriz, Duchess dowager of Alburquerque, Grandee of Spain 1696-1701: María Teresa de Benavides, Duchess of Frías, Grandee of Spain