The Royal Household in the Medieval Period

Managing the finances

The royal clerks 

Clerks were an essential part of the royal household machine. They were trained in the Church, great with numbers, and often skilled writers. These expert administrators ran the household departments, wrote letters, and kept track of royal spending.

The documents these clerks created survive in large numbers. It’s thanks largely to these documents that we know about medieval royal life today.

Clothing the household

The Great Wardrobe 

The Great Wardrobe bought cloth and other precious goods. Everyone in the royal households received new robes twice a year in addition to their wages. Clothing was an indicator of status: the higher up you rose in the household, the more expensive your robes. The finest cloths and furs were usually reserved for the king and queen.

Acquiring goods was a challenge and the Great Wardrobe’s staff frequently travelled to fairs and markets. They also employed tailors to make clothing for the king, furnishings for domestic spaces, vestments for use in royal chapels, and even flags and banners. Storing so many bulky goods was tricky and the Great Wardrobe had a permanent store at the Tower of London. 

Decoration and display

Medieval Palaces were richly decorated with colourful wall paintings, rich wall hangings, and expensive furniture. In 1238, for example, Eleanor of Provence’s chamber at the Tower was painted with false pointing (that looked like masonry) and flowers.

Just two years later it was redecorated with roses. Decoration wasn’t just for comfort; these lavishly adorned spaces provided an important projection of royal power.

Queen Eleanor of Castile was particularly influential in the decoration of English Royal Interiors. In 1255, when Eleanor first arrived in England after marrying the future Edward I, chronicler Matthew Paris commented the English were suspicious of the ‘Spanish style’ of hanging interiors with fine fabrics.

A household on the move

Royal travel

The royal household was rarely in one location for very long. Kings had to keep moving to visit their diverse lands, distribute justice, hear complaints, and keep an eye on unruly subjects. Travel was slow, and the royal household could move just 15 miles each day. 

Moving the people and equipment required for medieval royal life was a major challenge. Much of the furniture was cleverly designed so it could be dismantled and transported.

By the end of Edward I’s reign, his household required six long carts, seven short carts, and 41 packhorses to transport all the furniture, equipment and supplies needed for his household.

Majestic materials

Clothing and laundry in the medieval royal court

Fashion was an important part of medieval royal life; the king and queen’s clothing, and that of their household staff, projected their royal power and authority.

Clothing had to be carefully washed to maintain its appearance – especially tricky because natural dyes would fade more quickly over time. This skilled work was usually done by laundresses.

Although primarily a female profession, some men did do this work – some even claiming it was inappropriate for women to wash linen used in religious ceremonies.

Edward I employed two laundresses. One was responsible for the napery, which predominantly included table linen, the other responsible for the king’s clothing.

Edward I’s long-serving laundress was called Matilda de Wautham, who was responsible for washing the king’s robes. Although laundresses were generally of low status, Matilda’s wages and robes allowance show that she held an important role within the household. When Matilda retired, Edward I organised a pension for the remainder of her life.

Food and feasting

Feeding the royal court in the medieval period

The royal household consumed great quantities of food prepared in departments including the kitchens, pantry (which provided bread), saucery (which provided sauces), and buttlery (which provided wine).

The king and queen usually ate in the privacy of their chambers, but on special occasions ate with the rest of their household and guests in the great hall. 

On special occasions, the great hall was the setting for huge feasts requiring vast quantities of food. On Christmas Day 1286 the King's household consumed 13 tuns of wine – over 3,000 gallons! The Christmas day menu of 1304 included 1,742 chickens, 204 partridge, and 192 ducks. 

Royal food was flavoured with spices from all over the world, including ginger, mace and saffron – purchased by the Great Wardrobe. Records show that Queen Eleanor seems to have missed food from her Spanish homeland. In 1289, she purchased lemons, oranges, pomegranates, and figs from a Spanish ship. 

The royal nurseries

Childhood and education 

Royal children had their own households from a young age and did not usually travel with their parents until they were older. While this seems strange to us today, medieval childhood was dangerous, and this precaution would have been for their own safety. In the 1200s several palaces acted as royal nurseries including Windsor, Langley, Woodstock.

Royal children were educated for later duties and responsibilities. Although Anglo-Norman (a type of French) was the main language of the court, they would have been taught some Latin, and in likelihood some English too. Royal children were often taught by members of the church, particularly Dominican friars in the 1200s. 

Royal children would have been taught to ride and hunt from a young age, learning essential skills for the battlefield. Play was also important and helped develop skills for the future.

Edward I and Eleanor of Castile provided their children a toy castle, and siege engines – perhaps hoping Prince Edward would one day be a great warrior. They also had a little cart, perhaps for pulling each other along.

How did medieval kings practice religion?

Religion was an essential part of royal life. Kings like Henry III and Edward I employed large teams of chaplains who helped organise their religious activities. They heard Mass every day, richly decorated their private chapels, and often visited nearby churches on their travels.

Charity was important and royal almoners fed hundreds of poor people each day, and distributed leftover food and old clothing to the needy.

Saints were an important part of royal religion. King Henry III was particularly dedicated to Saint Edward the Confessor and spent a fortune rebuilding Westminster Abbey in his honour.

Medieval kings often had large collections of relics (fragments of saint’s and objects associated with them) which they travelled with and used in daily devotions. Edward I’s most prized relic was the Cross of Gneth which he took from the Princes of Wales in 1283. 

Entertainment and games

Entertainments were an important part of medieval court life. Hunting and hawking was particularly important among the elite – and birds of prey were often sent as diplomatic gifts. Edward I once sent a wax image of a sick falcon to the shrine of St Thomas of Canterbury, hoping for a cure. Music was also very popular and minstrels often accompanied great feasts.

Games were also very popular particularly among the elite, including dice and chess. Edward I once gave Eleanor of Castile a chess set made of crystal and ivory.

Gambling often accompanied these games, and royal debts sometimes appear in royal household accounts. Edward I once lost a warhorse in a bet with his laundress Matilda de Wautham, and had to buy it back from her.

Working up the career ladder in the royal household

Life in the Medieval Palace was exhausting, but it provided great opportunities for those who were hardworking and capable.

For example, Walter Langton began as a humble household clerk in 1281 but by 1290 was Keeper of the Wardrobe – the most senior household clerk. In 1295 he was made Treasurer of the Exchequer, and in 1296, bishop of Coventry and Lichfield.

Langton was a controversial figure who made many enemies but is a fascinating example of the opportunities the royal household could provide.