Grand Master of France

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The Grand Master of France or Grand Maître de France was, during the Ancien Régime and Bourbon Restoration in France, one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France and head of the "Maison du Roi", the king's royal household. The position was called Souverain Maître d'hôtel du Roi until 1380 and Grand Maître d'hôtel du Roi until 1463. The position is roughly equivalent to the positions of Lord Steward and Master of the Household in the United Kingdom.

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[edit] Duties

The position was a successor to the earlier positions of Mayor of the Palace and Seneschal of France. One of the highest posts in the French court, the "Grand maître" directed the Maison du Roi, appointed new officers to the "Maison" (who would swear an oath of service in his hands) and managed the budget of the "Maison". He was also responsible for policing the court and he managed the king's lands (which made him a sort of Minister of the Interior). In practice however, the military branch of the Maison du Roi was frequently run by the Constable of France or the Secretary of State for War.

The symbol of the "Grand maître" was his golden baton, given to him by the king, and his coat of arms featured two crossed batons behind the shield.

He had numerous ceremonial duties. At the death of the king he would lead the funeral procession and, at the king's tomb, he would break his baton, throw it into the tomb and intone "Gentlemen, the King is dead; you are free from his service"; he would then take a new baton and intone "Gentlemen, the King is alive and gives you your positions."

The position was frequently given to the highest of the nobility and the king's close friends. François I gave the position to his former teacher Artus Gouffier, then to his uncle René de Savoie, the "grand bâtard de Savoie", then to his friend Anne de Montmorency. In 1559, with the forced demission of Montmorency, the position fell into the hands of the Dukes of Lorraine, who used the positions to increase their influence in the court, to such a point that Henri III forced Henry I, Duke of Guise to cut-back on his responsibilities. In 1594, the position passed into the control of the House of Bourbon and the Princes of Condé, who maintained control until the French Revolution (except for the period 1654–1656).

In the Early Modern period, most of the real work of the Grand maître was accomplished by his secretaries, and not by himself personally. His role was thus generally symbolic, although he often took personal charge of his ceremonial duties. Furthermore, with the creation of the Secretary of State of the Maison du Roi in the 16th century, the Grand maître was forced to share some of his duties: in general the Secretary's oversight was purely formal, as the officers of the "Maison du Roi" were under the direct authority of the Grand Maître of France; yet, the "Secrétaire d'État à la Maison du Roi" was in charge of recruiting officers for the "Maison du Roi", and would receive prospective applications for posts and submit them to the king for his approval.

[edit] Grand Masters of France

[edit] References

  • Bernard Barbiche, Les Institutions de la monarchie française à l’époque moderne, XVIIe–XVIIIe siècles, Presses universitaires de France, coll. « Premier cycle », 2001 (2nd edition). ISBN 2-13-051940-7
  • Jean-François Solnon, La Cour de France, Livre de Poche, coll. « Références », 1996 (1st edition 1987). ISBN 2-253-90439-2

[edit] External links

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