A Closer Look At: The Lady of Honour & Mistress of the Queen's Wardrobe

Next in rank to the Superintendent was the Lady of Honour (dame d'honneur) and the Mistress of the Queen's Wardrobe (dame d'atour). During the period when there was no Superintendent it was these two who were responsible for all the duties that would usually befall the Superintendent. However, the Lady of Honour had duties of her own as well; these included sending out invitations in the Queen's name, managing the Queen's trips to Marly, Fontainebleau, Petit Trianon etc. They were also accountable for the changes of furniture as well as for the lace and linen for the Queen's bed and public toilette. The Mistress of the Queen's Wardrobe was responsible for not only the Queen's clothing but also her napkins, chemises and lace. During the absence of the Superintendent these objects had been replaced every third year but Louis XV was advised to change it into every fifth year for financial reasons. Basically, the Lady of Honour and the Mistress of the Queen's wardrobe would amount to a manager in our days.

Duchesse de Crequy, Lady of Honour to Marie Thérèse