Groom in waiting

A member of the Royal Household attending upon the Sovereign in social and ceremonial duties. Under Queen Victoria, Grooms in Waiting assumed some functions formerly associated with Grooms of the Bedchamber. From about 1859, one was normally an MP supporting the Government and designated Parliamentary Groom in Waiting; this office fell into disuse in 1892. The court appointment continued into the twentieth century but is no longer used.