The queen consort's household is also in the department of the lord chamberlain of the household. It comprises a lord chamberlain, a vice-chamberlain and treasurer, equerry and the various ladies of the royal household, a groom and a clerk of the robes. The ladies of the household are the mistress of the robes, the ladies of the bedchamber, the bedchamber women and the maids of honour. The mistress of the robes in some measure occupies the position of the groom of the stole.[5] She is the only lady of the court who comes into office and goes out with the administration. She is always a duchess, and attends the queen consort at all state ceremonies and entertainments, but is never in permanent residence at the palace.[6] The ladies of the bedchamber share the personal attendance on the queen consort throughout the year. Of these there are eight, always peeresses, and each is in waiting for a fortnight or three weeks at a time. But the women of the bedchamber, of whom there are also eight, appear only at court ceremonies and entertainments according to a roster annually issued under the authority of the lord chamberlain of the queen consort. They are usually the daughters of peers or the wives of the sons of peers, and formerly, like the mistress of the robes and the ladies of the bedchamber, habitually assisted the queen at her daily toilette. But this has long ceased to be done by any of them. The eight maids of honour have the same terms of waiting as the ladies of the bedchamber. They are commonly if not always the daughters or granddaughters of peers, and when they have no superior title and precedence by birth are called "honourable" and placed next after the daughters of barons. FOOTNOTES: [1] The lord chamberlain of the household at one time discharged some important political functions, which are described by Sir Harris Nicolas (_Proceedings of the Privy Council_, vol. vi., Preface, p. xxiii). [2] The office of master of the ceremonies was created by James I. The master of the ceremonies wears a medal attached to a gold chain round his neck, on one side being an emblem of peace with the motto "Beati pacifici," and on the other an emblem of war with the motto "Dieu et mon droit" (see _Finetti Philoxensis_, by Sir John Finett, master of the ceremonies to James I. and Charles I., 1656; and D'Israeli's _Curiosities of Literature_, 10th ed., p. 242 seq.). [3] See May, _Parliamentary Practice_, pp. 236, 244. [4] The offices of master of the great wardrobe and master of the jewel house in the lord chamberlain's department were abolished in 1782. [5] In the reign of Queen Anne, Sarah duchess of Marlborough from 1704, and Elizabeth duchess of Somerset from 1710, held the combined offices of mistress of the robes and groom of the stole.