Queen Victoria’s Inner Circle Index

Credit – Wikipedia

Many of the people listed below were seen in the television series Victoria but their true-life story may be very different than the story depicted in the series. For issues with the first three seasons of Victoria, see:

This is a partial list of people who served Queen Victoria and some of her relatives who lived during her reign (1837 – 1901). Unless otherwise noted, years indicate the length of service.

ROYAL HOUSEHOLD

There were three departments in Queen Victoria’s Royal Household:

The Department of the Lord Steward included the below-stairs staff such as servants working in the kitchen, wine and beer cellars, and also porters, lamplighters, etc.
The Department of the Lord Chamberlain included all the ceremonial officers, those in personal attendance on the Queen, such as Ladies of the Bedchamber and Grooms in Waiting, housekeepers, and housemaids.
The Department of the Master of the Horse was responsible for the Royal Mews (stables and carriage house) and transportation arrangements for royal trips and visits.

Sir John Conroy, 1st Baronet – Equerry to The Duke of Kent 1817 – 1820, Comptroller and Private Secretary to The Duchess of Kent 1820 – 1839
Baroness Louise Lehzen – governess, advisor and companion 1824 – 1842
Dash – King Charles Spaniel owned by Queen Victoria 1833 – 1840
Lady Flora Rawdon-Hastings – Lady-in-Waiting to The Duchess of Kent 1834 – 1839
Christian Friedrich, Baron von Stockmar – advisor to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert 1837 – 1847
Sir James Clark, 1st Baronet – Physician-in-Ordinary 1837 – 1860
Marianne Skerrett – Head Dresser and Wardrobe Woman 1837 – 1862
Charles Elmé Francatelli – Maitre d’Hôtel and Chief Cook 1840 – 1842
Lord Alfred Paget – Chief Equerry and Clerk Marshal 1846 – 1858 and 1859 – 1874; Clerk Marshal 1874 – 1888
John Brown – Ghillie at Balmoral (Scottish servant) 1849 – 1861, personal attendant 1861 – 1883
Sir William Jenner, 1st Baronet – Physician-in-Ordinary 1861 – 1893
Sir James Reid, 1st Baronet – Physician-in-Ordinary 1881 – 1901 (also served King Edward VII and King George V in the same position)
Abdul Karim (The Munshi) – Indian attendant 1887 – 1901

MISTRESSES OF THE ROBES

The Mistress of the Robes was always a Duchess and attended Queen Victoria on every State occasion. She had precedence over every lady of the Court and when in residence, presided at the Household table. She looked over and passed on the Queen’s personal bills sent to her from the Robes Office. During Queen Victoria’s reign, the Mistress of the Robes was a political appointment and changed when the political party of the government changed.

Harriet Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland 1837–1841, 1846–1852, 1853–1858, and 1859–1861
Charlotte Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry 1841–1846
Anne Murray, Duchess of Atholl 1852–1853 and 1892–1895 (Acting Mistress of the Robes), also served 1854–1897 as Lady of the Bedchamber
Louisa Montagu, Duchess of Manchester 1858–1859
Elizabeth Wellesley, Duchess of Wellington 1861–1868, 1874–1880
Elizabeth Campbell, Duchess of Argyll 1868–1870
Anne Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland 1870–1874
Elizabeth Russell, Duchess of Bedford 1880–1883 and 1886 (Acting Mistress of the Robes)
Louisa McDonnell, Countess of Antrim Acting Mistress of the Robes 1894, also served 1890–1901 as Lady of the Bedchamber. She also served Queen Alexandra as Lady of the Bedchamber 1901-1910.
Anne Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe 1883–1885 and 1892–1895 (Acting Mistress of the Robes), also served 1897–1901 as Lady of the Bedchamber
Louisa Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry 1885–1886, 1885–1886, 1895–1901. She also served Queen Alexandra as Mistress of the Robes 1901-1912.

NOTABLE LADIES OF THE BEDCHAMBER

Ladies of the Bedchamber were always wives of peers. Only one Lady of the Bedchamber was in waiting at a time. She was always ready to attend to the Queen. The Lady-in-Waiting attended all State occasions and presided over the Household table when the Mistress of the Robes was not in residence. A Lady of the Bedchamber had two to three waits a year from twelve to thirty days at a time. The articles below are about some notable Ladies of the Bedchamber.

Anna Russell, Duchess of Bedford 1837–1841
Sarah Lyttelton, Baroness Lyttelton 1837–1841, also Governess of the Royal Children 1843 – 1850
Emma Portman, Baroness Portman 1837–1851
Charlotte Canning, Countess Canning 1842–1855
Jane Loftus, Marchioness of Ely 1851–1889
Jane Spencer, Baroness Churchill 1854–1900
Susanna Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe 1865–1895
Julia Abercromby, Baroness Abercromby 1874–1885
Louisa McDonnell, Countess of Antrim 1890 – 1901, also Acting Mistress of the Robes 1894, and Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Alexandra 1901 – 1910
Anne Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe Acting Mistress of the Robes 1883–1885 and 1892–1895, also served 1897–1901 as Lady of the Bedchamber

List of All Queen Victoria’s Ladies of the Bedchamber (with some biographical information)

Queen Victoria’s Ladies: List of All Queen Victoria’s Mistresses of the Robes, Acting Mistresses of the Robes, Ladies of the Bedchamber, Extra Ladies of the Bedchamber, Women of the Bedchamber, Extra Women of the Bedchamber, Maids of Honour, and Extra Maids of Honour

PRIME MINISTERS

The Prime Minister is the head of the government of the United Kingdom. By long-established practice, the monarch, who is the head of state, must appoint as Prime Minister the person most likely to command the confidence of the House of Commons. This person is usually the leader of the political party or coalition of political parties that holds the largest number of seats in the House of Commons.

A Short Guide to The Parliament of the United Kingdom

William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne 1835 – 1841
Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet 1841 – 1846
John Russell, 1st Earl Russell 1846 – 1852, 1865 – 1866
Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby Feb 1852 – Dec 1852, 1858 – 1859, 1866 – 1868
George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen 1852 – 1855
Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston 1855 – 1858, 1859 – 1865
Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield Feb 1868 – Dec 1858, 1874 – 1880
William Ewart Gladstone 1868 – 1874, 1880 – 1885, Feb 1886 – July 1886, 1892 – 1894
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury June 1885 – Jan 1886, 1886 – 1892, 1895 – 1902
Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery 1894 – 1895

PRIVATE SECRETARIES

Queen Victoria did not have an official Private Secretary until she appointed General Charles Grey to the office in 1861. Lord Melbourne informally served as Private Secretary while he was Prime Minister from 1837 – 1840. Prince Albert then informally served as Private Secretary from 1840 until his death in 1861. The official position of Private Secretary came about because it was realized that the monarch was in need of advice and support because the growth of the government had caused the government ministers to have insufficient time to provide daily advice and support. It was traditional for Queen Victoria’s Private Secretaries to be provided with homes at her various residences including apartments in the Norman Tower at Windsor Castle, apartments in St. James’s Palace in London, and Osborne Cottage on the grounds of Osborne House on the Isle of Wight.

General Sir Charles Grey 1861 – 1870
Colonel Sir Charles Phipps 1861 – 1866 (aided Charles Grey in his duties as Private Secretary to Queen Victoria after the death of Prince Albert in 1861)
Major-General Sir Henry Ponsonby 1870 – 1895
Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Arthur Bigge (later 1st Baron Stamfordham) 1895 – 1901 (also Private Secretary to King George V 1910 – 1931)

RELATIVES (selected relatives living during Queen Victoria’s reign)

Husband and Maternal First Cousin