Camarera mayor de Palacio


The Camarera mayor de Palacio was a court 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 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” to his wife, the Empress.
The principal responsibility of the “Camarera mayor de Palacio” was managing all that was related with service to the Queen; 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 times, to the point of sleeping in her chamber, when the King was not. 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 water and a 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” 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” 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” and the “Damas al servicio particular de la Reina”.
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'' to the queen of Spain, 1526–1931

[Isabella of Portugal], 1526–1539

Anna of Austria">Anna of Austria (1549–1580)">Anna of Austria, 1570–1580

Margaret of Austria">Margaret of Austria, Queen of Spain">Margaret of Austria, 1601–1611

Elisabeth of France">Elisabeth of France (1602–1644)">Elisabeth of France, 1615–1644

[Mariana of Austria], 1649–1665

[Marie [Louise of Orléans (1662–1689)|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

[Maria Anna of Neuburg], 1689–1701

[Maria Luisa of Savoy], 1700–1714

[Elisabeth Farnese], 1714–1724

  • 1714–1724: Ángela Foch de Aragón, Countess dowager of Altamira, Grandee of Spain

Louise Élisabeth of Orléans">Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans">Louise Élisabeth of Orléans, 1724

[Elisabeth Farnese], 1724–1746

  • 1724–1737: Ángela Foch de Aragón, Dowager Countess of Altamira, Grandee of Spain
  • 1737–1746: Laura Castelví y Coloma, Marchioness dowager of Torrecuso

[Barbara of Portugal], 1746–1758

[Maria Amalia of Saxony], 1759–1760

[Maria Luisa of Parma], 1788–1808

  • 1788–1793: Florentina de Pizarro Picolomino, Marchioness dowager of Bélgida, Grandee of Spain
  • 1792–1808: María Isidra de la Cerda y Guzmán, Duchess of Nájera, Grandee of Spain

[Maria Isabel of Portugal], 1814–1818

[Maria Josepha Amalia of Saxony], 1818-1829

  • 1819–1823: Maria Josefa Contreras y Vargas Machuca, Countess of Alcudia, Grandee of Spain
  • 1823–1829: María Cayetana Acuña y Dewitte, Marchioness of Bedmar, Grandee of Spain

Maria Cristina of the Two Sicilies">Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies">Maria Cristina of the Two Sicilies, 1829–1833

  • 1829–1834: María Cayetana Acuña y Dewitte, Marchioness of Bedmar, Grandee of Spain

Isabella II">Isabella II of Spain">Isabella II, 1833–1868

[Mercedes of Orléans] and Maria Cristina of Austria">Maria Christina of Austria">Maria Cristina of Austria, 1875–1884

Maria Cristina of Austria">Maria Christina of Austria">Maria Cristina of Austria

1884–1906

1906–1929

During the reign of King Alfonso XIII, and after his marriage, the separate Household of his mother the Queen Maria Cristina of Austria was created, with her own “Camarera mayor de la Reina Madre”. This office was successively held by:

[Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg], 1906–1931

  • 1906–1931: María Luisa Cárvajal y Dávalos, Duchess of San Carlos, Marchioness widower of Santa Cruz de Mudela, Grandee of Spain