Anne de Courcy

The hazards of attending a queen

Ladies in waiting had to be highly skilled in diplomacy — and prepared to succumb to the advances of the monarch and his own courtiers

Barbara, Countess of Castlemaine, lady in waiting to Catherine of Braganza, and mistress of Charles II. Credit: Alamy

  • Ladies in Waiting: From the Tudors to the Present Day

    Anne Somerset

    riverrun, pp. 496, £12

Already a subscriber? Log in

This article is for subscribers only

Subscribe today to get 3 months' delivery of the magazine, as well as online and app access, for only £3.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

  • Weekly delivery of the magazine
  • Unlimited access to our website and app
  • Enjoy Spectator newsletters and podcasts
  • Explore our online archive, going back to 1828

Read next

Trending

Iain Macwhirter

Peter Murrell’s re-arrest has plunged the SNP into crisis

There is what can only be described as a mood of despair in SNP circles following the news that the former party chief executive Peter Murrell, husband of Nicola Sturgeon, has been re-arrested and charged with ’embezzlement of funds from the Scottish National party’. It is the latest shocking twist in the long-running investigation into

Because you read about english history

Also by Anne de Courcy

Latest

Comments

A blooming good offer

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting the next 3 months for £3.

Already a subscriber? Log in