Queen Elizabeth II 's ladies in waiting were trusted members of her household who held different roles in supporting the Queen ’s everyday activities. Their roles included helping the Queen dress, bathe, pick outfits, respond to letters, and accompanying Her Majesty on Royal duties.
Ladies in waiting are not paid a salary but performed their honoured role out of personal loyalty to the Queen, Hello! Reports . Traditionally ladies in waiting are noblewomen in their own right and come from wealthy aristocratic families, meaning they are able to take the unpaid role as a lifelong position.
Ladies in waiting are unable to quit or retire from the position as they commit to serving the Queen for her lifetime. It is believed that the Queen’s ladies in waiting worked on a flexible two-week rota, Hello! Reports .
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The Queen is thought to have had seven ladies in waiting at the time of her death. They include Lady Elizabeth Leeming, Dame Annabel Whitehead, The Honourable Mary Morrison, Susan Rhodes, and Lady Susan Hussey, Mirror reports .
In December 2021 two of the Queen's closest ladies in waiting passed away, Fortune FitzRoy, the duch*ess of Grafton, 101, and Lady Farnham, 90. The duch*ess of Grafton served as Mistress of the Robes from 1967 until her death. Lady Farnham acted as the Queen's Lady of the Bedchamber from 1987 until her death.
The most recently appointed lady in waiting was Susan Rhodes. She began serving the Queen in 2017.
The ladies in waiting did not live at the Royal residences on a permanent basis. However, if their duties required they would stay in Royal apartments in London or within Buckingham Palace to be near the Queen, The National reports.
Ladies in waiting have been a part of Royal life since the 15th century. There is a set hierarchy within the group, with Mistress of the Robes the most senior role usually held by a duch*ess.
The Mistress of the Robes is responsible for keeping track of the Queen’s jewellery, outfits, and overseeing the duties of the other ladies in waiting. Women of the Bedchamber are also ranked among themselves, and are responsible for helping with day-to-day tasks including helping the monarch bathe, dress, and assisting with personal matters.
One of the most notable ladies in waiting to have served Queen Elizabeth II is Lady Susan Hussey, 83, who was appointed in 1960 to help answer the Royal Household’s correspondence. Lady Susan, who is the daughter of the 12th Earl of Waldegrave, soon became known as ‘Number One Head Girl’ in the Queen’s office, according to Tatler .
The Queen reportedly asked Lady Susan to accompany her on the day of Prince Philip’s funeral, as she said goodbye to her husband of 73 years. Lady Susan is also godmother to Prince William.
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