110-616: The Knight Marshal is a former office in the British Royal Household established by King Henry III in 1236. The position later became a Deputy to the Earl Marshal from the reign of King Henry VIII until the office was abolished in 1846. The Knight Marshal and his men were responsible for maintaining order within the King's Court ( Court of Marshalsea or Palace Court ) which was abolished in 1849. According to The Present State of
220-466: A Danegeld amounting to the colossal sum of £72,000 levied nationwide, with an additional £10,500 extracted from London, Cnut paid off his army and sent most of them home. He retained 40 ships and their crews as a standing force in England. An annual tax called heregeld (army payment) was collected through the same system Æthelred had instituted in 1012 to reward Scandinavians in his service. Cnut built on
330-495: A Christian king, Cnut says he went to Rome to repent for his sins, to pray for redemption and the security of his subjects, and to negotiate with the Pope for a reduction in the costs of the pallium for English archbishops, and for a resolution to the competition between the archdioceses of Canterbury and Hamburg-Bremen for superiority over the Danish dioceses. He also sought to improve
440-517: A Northumbrian rival, Thurbrand the Hold , to massacre Uhtred and his retinue. Eiríkr Hákonarson , most likely with another force of Scandinavians, came to support Cnut at this point, and the veteran Norwegian jarl was put in charge of Northumbria. Prince Edmund remained in London, still unsubdued behind its walls , and was elected king after the death of Æthelred on 23 April 1016. Cnut returned southward, and
550-535: A Polish princess as Cnut's mother, whom they call Gunhild , a daughter of Burislav , the king of Vindland . Since in the Norse sagas the king of Vindland is always Burislav , this is reconcilable with the assumption that her father was Mieszko (not his son Bolesław ). Adam of Bremen in Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum is unique in equating Cnut's mother (for whom he also produces no name) with
660-454: A Wendish encampment. His hold on the Danish throne presumably stable, Cnut was back in England in 1020. He appointed Ulf Jarl , the husband of his sister Estrid Svendsdatter , as regent of Denmark, further entrusting him with his young son by Queen Emma, Harthacnut , whom he had designated the heir of his kingdom. The banishment of Thorkell the Tall in 1021 may be seen in relation to the attack on
770-702: A banquet in Roskilde when an argument arose between them, and the next day, Christmas 1026, one of Cnut's housecarls killed the jarl with his blessing, in Trinity Church, the predecessor to Roskilde Cathedral . His enemies in Scandinavia subdued, and apparently at his leisure, Cnut was able to accept an invitation to witness the accession in Rome of the Holy Roman Emperor Conrad II . He left his affairs in
880-551: A battle known as the Battle of the Helgeå , Cnut and his men fought the Norwegians and Swedes at the mouth of the river Helgeå, probably in 1026, and the apparent victory left Cnut as the dominant leader in Scandinavia. Ulf the usurper's realignment and participation in the battle did not, in the end, earn him Cnut's forgiveness. Some sources state that the brothers-in-law were playing chess at
990-460: A campaign of an intensity not seen since the days of Alfred the Great . A passage from Queen Emma's Encomium provides a picture of Cnut's fleet: [T]here were there so many kinds of shields, that you could have believed that troops of all nations were present. ... Gold shone on the prows, silver also flashed on the variously shaped ships. ... For who could look upon the lions of the foe, terrible with
1100-621: A claim laid upon it by the Holy Roman Empire 's Archdiocese of Hamburg-Bremen – was a source of great prestige and leverage within the Catholic Church and among the magnates of Christendom (gaining notable concessions such as one on the price of the pallium of his bishops, though they still had to travel to obtain the pallium, as well as on the tolls his people had to pay on the way to Rome ). After his 1026 victory against Norway and Sweden, and on his way back from Rome where he attended
1210-416: A comparatively late period, their original duties were transferred to the master of the horse . In these circumstances, the holders of the original great offices of state and the household ceased to attend court except on occasions of extraordinary ceremony, and their representatives either by inheritance or by special appointment continued to appear at coronations and some other public solemnities, such as
SECTION 10
#17328523824331320-484: A gracious lord and a faithfull observer of God's rights and just secular law. (He exhorts his ealdormen to assist the bishops in the maintenance of) God's rights ... and the benefit of the people. If anyone, ecclesiastic or layman, Dane or Englishman, is so presumptuous as to defy God's law and my royal authority or the secular laws, and he will not make amends and desist according to the direction of my bishops, I then pray, and also command, Earl Thurkil, if he can, to cause
1430-430: A large staff of domestic servants, military personnel, priests, and clerks. Household members included noble thegns for whom such service could lead to promotion to higher office. The highest ranking officers were: Cnut the Great ( r. 1016–1035 ) introduced officers known as stallers , who were close to the king and very wealthy. There could be as many as eight stallers at once, and they probably supervised
1540-480: A number of English noblemen whom he considered suspect. Æthelred 's son Eadwig Ætheling fled from England but was killed on Cnut's orders. Edmund Ironside's sons likewise fled abroad. Æthelred's sons by Emma of Normandy went under the protection of their relatives in the Duchy of Normandy . In July 1017, Cnut wed Queen Emma, the widow of Æthelred and daughter of Richard I, Duke of Normandy . In 1018, having collected
1650-717: A number of honorary military appointments: the aides-de-camp to the King (who are usually very high-ranking officers of the three armed services), the two Gold Sticks and the Vice Admiral and Rear Admiral of the United Kingdom . In addition, the two corps of royal bodyguards (the Gentlemen at Arms and the Yeomen of the Guard ) are part of the Household. Gentlemen ushers are unpaid members of
1760-622: A pledge of allegiance to the English in 1012 – some explanation for this shift of allegiance may be found in a stanza of the Jómsvíkinga saga that mentions two attacks against Jomsborg's mercenaries while they were in England, with a man known as Henninge, a brother of Thorkell, among their casualties. If the Flateyjarbók is correct that this man was Cnut's childhood mentor, it explains his acceptance of his allegiance – with Jomvikings ultimately in
1870-667: A visor), and carried a baton engraved with the Royal Arms at one end, and at the other the coat of arms of the City of Westminster . Royal Households of the United Kingdom The Royal Households of the United Kingdom are the collective departments that support members of the British royal family . Many members of the royal family who undertake public duties have separate households. They vary considerably in size, from
1980-627: Is Tim Knox . The Royal Almonry , Ecclesiastical Household , and Medical Household are functionally separate. For accounting purposes they are the responsibility of the Keeper of the Privy Purse and Treasurer to the King. The Crown Equerry has day-to-day operation of the Royal Mews , and is part of the Lord Chamberlain's Office. The other equerries have a different role: attending and assisting
2090-454: Is known for sure of Cnut's life until the year he was part of a Scandinavian force under his father, King Sweyn, in his invasion of England in summer 1013. Cnut was likely part of his father's 1003 and 1004 campaigns in England, although the evidence is not firm. The 1013 invasion was the climax to a succession of Viking raids spread over a number of decades. Following their landing in the Humber ,
2200-553: Is the fact that Cnut and the King of Burgundy went alongside the emperor in the imperial procession and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him on the same pedestal. Cnut and the emperor, in accord with various sources, took to one another's company like brothers, for they were of a similar age. Conrad gave Cnut lands in the Mark of Schleswig – the land-bridge between the Scandinavian kingdoms and
2310-576: Is unknown. Contemporary works such as the Chronicon and the Encomium Emmae , do not mention this. Even so, in a Knútsdrápa by the skald Óttarr svarti , there is a statement that Cnut was "of no great age" when he first went to war. It also mentions a battle identifiable with Sweyn Forkbeard's invasion of England and attack on the city of Norwich , in 1003–04, after the St. Brice's Day massacre of Danes by
SECTION 20
#17328523824332420-507: The Battle of Assandun , fought at either Ashingdon , in south-east, or Ashdon , in north-west Essex . In the ensuing struggle, Eadric Streona, whose return to the English side had perhaps only been a ruse, withdrew his forces from the fray, bringing about a decisive English defeat. Edmund fled westwards, and Cnut pursued him into Gloucestershire , with another battle probably fought near the Forest of Dean , for Edmund had an alliance with some of
2530-438: The Battle of Svolder , in 999. Eiríkr's participation in the invasion left his son Hakon to rule Norway, with Sweyn. In the summer of 1015, Cnut's fleet set sail for England with a Danish army of perhaps 10,000 in 200 longships. Cnut was at the head of an array of Vikings from all over Scandinavia . The invading army was composed primarily of mercenaries. The invasion force was to engage in often close and grisly warfare with
2640-515: The Hwicce under Æthelred, but certainly soon to his son Leofric . In 1021, Thorkel also fell from favour and was outlawed. Following his death in the 1020s, Erik of Hlathir was succeeded as Earl of Northumbria by Siward , whose grandmother, Estrid (married to Úlfr Thorgilsson ), was Cnut's sister. Bernicia , the northern part of Northumbria, was theoretically part of Erik and Siward's earldom, but throughout Cnut's reign it effectively remained under
2750-556: The Regalia : Officers of the Order of the Thistle : The Household Division, Sovereign's Body Guard, King's Guard, and ceremonial military posts and bodies: Other hereditary and non-hereditary offices and Court appointments : A part-time Private Secretary to Prince William and Prince Harry ( James Lowther-Pinkerton MVO MBE Irish Guards (Rtd.) ) was appointed in the Household of
2860-717: The State Opening of Parliament or trials by the House of Lords . In its main outlines the existing organisation of the royal household is essentially the same as it was under the Tudors or the Plantagenets . It is divided into three principal departments, at the head of which are the lord steward, the lord chamberlain and the master of the horse, and the respective provinces of which may be generally described as "below stairs", "above stairs" and "out of doors". The duties of these officials, and
2970-824: The Union of the Crown with England ; or due to lack of a clear office holder. The Great Officers of the Royal Household (not to be confused with the Great Officers of State of Scotland which are political and judicial appointments, or the Great Officers of the Crown of Scotland though some officers are shared) are: Ecclesiastical officers of the Ecclesiastical Household of Scotland : Officers of Administration and Legal Officers: Governors, Captains and Keepers of Palaces and Castles: Heraldic Officers and Keepers of
3080-750: The Wends . With the death of Olof Skötkonung in 1022, and the succession to the Swedish throne of his son Anund Jacob bringing Sweden into alliance with Norway, there was cause for a demonstration of Danish strength in the Baltic. Jomsborg , the legendary stronghold of the Jomsvikings (thought to be on an island off the coast of Pomerania ), was probably the target of Cnut's expedition. Successful, after this clear display of Cnut's intentions to dominate Scandinavian affairs, it seems that Thorkell reconciled with Cnut in 1023. When
3190-563: The coronation of the Holy Roman Emperor , Cnut deemed himself "King of all England and Denmark and the Norwegians and of some of the Swedes" in a letter written for the benefit of his subjects. Medieval historian Norman Cantor called him "the most effective king in Anglo-Saxon history". He is popularly invoked in the context of the legend of King Canute and the tide . Cnut was a son of
3300-466: The duke of Poland (later crowned king) and a relative to the Danish royal house. He lent some Polish troops, likely to have been a pledge made to Cnut and his brother Harald when, in the winter, they "went amongst the Wends " to fetch their mother back to the Danish court. She had been sent away by their father after the death of the Swedish king Eric the Victorious in 995, and his marriage to Sigrid
3410-587: The green cloth and other inferior officers both of the household and chamber , it is thought that he will employ his own and dismiss his father's, because he hath caused the latter all to be removed to Denmark House to attend the body, and lodged the former about himself at Whitehall '. As consort of the British sovereign, Queen Camilla will receive a household of her own. Traditionally, queens consort have appointed their own Lord Chamberlain and various ladies-in-waiting as part of their household. This tradition
Knight Marshal - Misplaced Pages Continue
3520-418: The housecarls (royal bodyguards). Other officers included the stewards ( stigweardas ) and the marshals ( horsethegns ) in charge of the royal stables and household travel. The household also included priests, who also probably had noble backgrounds. Priests in the royal chapel performed religious duties and acted as royal secretaries—writing letters, charters , and other official documents. By
3630-786: The British Court , published in 1720, "The Knight Marshal is an Officer employ'd in the King's Court or Marshalsea, and the Marshal's Men under him are properly the King's Bailiffs. They arrest in the Verge of the Court {i.e. within a 12 mile radius of the Sovereign's palace} when a Warrant is back'd by the Board of Green-cloth . The Knight Marshal and his Men have place in all publick Cavalcades, at Declaring of War, Proclaiming Peace, publick Entries and Processions made by
3740-633: The Danes again brought London under siege, but after another unsuccessful assault they withdrew into Kent under attack by the English, with a battle fought at Otford . At this point Eadric Streona went over to King Edmund, and Cnut set sail northwards across the Thames estuary to Essex , and went from the landing of the ships up the River Orwell to ravage Mercia. On 18 October 1016, the Danes were engaged by Edmund's army as they retired towards their ships, leading to
3850-525: The Danish army evidently divided, some dealing with Edmund, who had broken out of London before Cnut's encirclement of the city was complete, and had gone to gather an army in Wessex , the traditional heartland of the English monarchy. Part of the Danish army besieged London, constructing dikes on the northern and southern flanks and a channel dug across the banks of the Thames to the south of the city, enabling their longships to cut off communications up-river. There
3960-399: The Danish crown, stating his intention to avert attacks against England in a letter in 1019 ( see above ). It seems there were Danes in opposition to him, and an attack he carried out on the Wends of Pomerania may have had something to do with this. In this expedition, at least one of Cnut's Englishmen, Godwin, apparently won the king's trust after a night-time raid he personally led against
4070-549: The Danish prince Sweyn Forkbeard , who was the son and heir to King Harald Bluetooth and thus came from a line of Scandinavian rulers central to the unification of Denmark. Neither the place nor the date of his birth are known. Harthacnut I was the semi-legendary founder of the Danish royal house at the beginning of the 10th century, and his son, Gorm the Old , became the first in the official line (the "Old" in his name indicates this). Harald Bluetooth, Gorm's son and Cnut's grandfather,
4180-510: The Danish throne in 1018 brought the crowns of England and Denmark together. Cnut sought to keep this power base by uniting Danes and English under cultural bonds of wealth and custom. After a decade of conflict with opponents in Scandinavia , Cnut claimed the crown of Norway in Trondheim in 1028. In 1031, Malcolm II of Scotland also submitted to him, though Anglo-Norse influence over Scotland
4290-500: The Emperor agreed and likewise King Robert who governs most of these same toll gates. And all the magnates confirmed by edict that my people, both merchants, and the others who travel to make their devotions, might go to Rome and return without being afflicted by barriers and toll collectors, in firm peace and secure in a just law. "Robert" in Cnut's text is probably a clerical error for Rudolph ,
4400-741: The English for the next fourteen months. Practically all of the battles were fought against the eldest son of Æthelred, Edmund Ironside . According to the Peterborough Chronicle manuscript, one of the major witnesses of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , early in September 1015 "[Cnut] came into Sandwich, and straightway sailed around Kent to Wessex , until he came to the mouth of the Frome , and harried in Dorset and Wiltshire and Somerset ", beginning
4510-571: The English, in 1002. If Cnut indeed accompanied this expedition, his birthdate may be near 990, or even 980. If not, and if the skald's poetic verse references another assault, such as Sweyn's conquest of England in 1013–14, it may even suggest a birth date nearer 1000. There is a passage of the Encomiast (as the author of the Encomium Emmae is known) with a reference to the force Cnut led in his English conquest of 1015–16. Here ( see below ) it says all
Knight Marshal - Misplaced Pages Continue
4620-479: The English, turning the prows of the longships towards Scandinavia. He reinstated the Laws of King Edgar to allow for the constitution of a Danelaw , and for the activity of Scandinavians at large. Cnut reinstituted the extant laws with a series of proclamations to assuage common grievances brought to his attention, including: On Inheritance in case of Intestacy , and On Heriots and Reliefs . He also strengthened
4730-501: The Haughty , the Swedish queen mother . This wedlock formed a strong alliance between the successor to the throne of Sweden, Olof Skötkonung , and the rulers of Denmark, his in-laws. Swedes were certainly among the allies in the English conquest. Another in-law to the Danish royal house, Eiríkr Hákonarson , was the earl of Lade and the co-ruler of Norway with his brother Sweyn Haakonsson – Norway having been under Danish sovereignty since
4840-735: The House of Commons. In the House of Lords, the Government Chief Whip is usually appointed Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms and the Deputy Chief Whip as Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard , with junior whips appointed as lords-in-waiting and baronesses-in-waiting. Occasionally these officers are called upon to undertake Household duties, especially the Vice-Chamberlain, who is responsible for writing regular parliamentary reports for
4950-415: The Household , since 2013, has been Vice Admiral Sir Tony Johnstone-Burt KCVO CB OBE and has overall responsibility for the domestic workings of the Household. The Lord Chamberlain's Office , led by its Comptroller current Lt-Colonel Michael Vernon, is responsible for official royal occasions. The Royal Collection Department is overseen by its Director who since February 2018
5060-571: The King in his official duties from day to day. (Historically, they too were part of the mews, but today they are entirely separate.) The Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood is also under the Lord Chamberlain's Office, as is the office of the Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps . The College of Arms has been a branch of the Royal Household since its incorporation in 1484 by King Richard III it
5170-408: The King's Music , Piper to the Sovereign , Poet Laureate , and Astronomer Royal . The King's Bargemaster , the Keeper of the Jewel House , the Serjeants-at-Arms , and the Warden and Marker of the Swans , perform less celebrated functions. The offices of Treasurer of the Household , Comptroller of the Household , and Vice-Chamberlain of the Household are held by senior government whips in
5280-426: The King. If the monarch is female she has ladies-in-waiting (formally styled either ladies of the bedchamber or women of the bedchamber ), some of whom are in personal attendance on a daily basis. They are overseen by the Mistress of the Robes , who traditionally was head of the female household. If the monarch is male these roles are instead attached to the Household of the Queen consort. The Household includes
5390-410: The Norwegian king Olaf Haraldsson and Anund Jakob took advantage of Cnut's commitment to England and began to launch attacks against Denmark, Ulf gave the Danish freemen cause to accept Harthacnut , still a child, as king. This ruse resulted in Ulf ruling the kingdom as regent . Upon news of these events, Cnut set sail for Denmark to restore himself and to deal with Ulf, who then got back in line. In
5500-524: The Prince of Wales and the Princess of Wales in May 2005. In January 2009, a separate Household of Prince William and Prince Harry was established (formally "The Household of His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales and His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales"), headed by Lowther-Pinkerton. Following their marriages, the Household also additionally served their wives. The Household's offices are currently based in Kensington Palace , having formerly been based in St James's Palace . The Household, as of 2011, had
5610-440: The Queen's equerry. Queen Elizabeth II's ladies-in-waiting will be given new roles as "ladies of the household". The Household is for the time being configured as follows (according to the arrangements inherited from Elizabeth II): The Great Officers of the Household are, in order of seniority, the Lord Steward , the Lord Chamberlain and the Master of the Horse . Only the Lord Chamberlain fulfils an executive function; while
SECTION 50
#17328523824335720-567: The Royal Household Property Section directly from the grant-in-aid provided by Parliament , whereas Balmoral Castle and Sandringham House are privately owned and maintained. The unoccupied royal residences (including the Tower of London) are run by the Historic Royal Palaces Agency, which is self-funding. The Royal Household in Scotland includes offices of personal, honorary and state appointments. Many appointments are vacant having fallen into abeyance ; been abolished or returned to The Crown ; merged with other positions both before and after
5830-433: The Royal Household, often retired military officers, who provide occasional assistance as marshals at royal events. The Lady Usher of the Black Rod is an important official in the Houses of Parliament; but technically she too is a member of the Royal Household (and acts as the King's messenger at the State Opening ). The royal residences (see list of British royal residences ) in current use are cared for and maintained by
5940-412: The Royal Household. In this way, the Royal Household may be seen as having a symbolic, as well as a practical, function: exemplifying the monarchy's close relationship with other parts of the constitution and of national life. The royal household has roots in the comitatus that provided military support to early Anglo-Saxon kings . In addition to the royal family, the household would have included
6050-502: The Soveraign." The Knight Marshal was appointed by the Crown for life by letters patent under the great seal frequently in the form of grants in reversion . Board wages were fixed at £21 5s 10d in 1662. In 1685, a salary of £26 was provided. This was raised to £500 in 1790 but reduced to £271 in 1816. The separate office of Knight Marischal exists in the Royal Household of Scotland , but has not been filled since 1863. A token number of Marshalmen continued to be appointed even after
6160-538: The Sovereign and serves as the principal channel of communication between the Sovereign and his or her governments. Besides these, he also manages the Sovereign's official programme and correspondence. The Keeper of the Privy Purse has responsibility for the Sovereign's personal finances and those to do with semi-private concerns, along with, as Treasurer to the King oversight of the civil list . The two positions are held together and, since 2018, they have both been held by Sir Michael Stevens KCVO . The Master of
6270-438: The Vikings and the people of the Danelaw immediately elected Cnut as king in England. However, the English nobility took a different view, and the Witenagemot recalled Æthelred from Normandy . The restored king swiftly led an army against Cnut, who fled with his army to Denmark, along the way mutilating the hostages they had taken and abandoning them on the beach at Sandwich in Kent . Cnut went to Harald and supposedly made
6380-440: The Vikings were of "mature age" under Cnut "the king". A description of Cnut appears in the 13th century Icelandic Knýtlinga saga : Knut was exceptionally tall and strong, and the handsomest of men, all except for his nose, that was thin, high-set, and rather hooked. He had a fair complexion and a fine, thick head of hair. His eyes were better than those of other men, being both more handsome and keener-sighted. Hardly anything
6490-417: The Welsh. On an island near Deerhurst , Cnut and Edmund, who had been wounded, met to negotiate terms of peace. It was agreed that all of England north of the Thames was to be the domain of the Danish prince, while all to the south was kept by the English king, along with London. Accession to the reign of the entire realm was set to pass to Cnut upon Edmund's death. Edmund died on 30 November, within weeks of
6600-509: The army brought the Englishmen together, and they were met this time by the king, although "it came to nothing as so often before", and Æthelred returned to London with fears of betrayal. Edmund then went north to join Uhtred the Earl of Northumbria and together they harried Staffordshire , Shropshire and Cheshire in western Mercia, possibly targeting the estates of Eadric Streona. Cnut's occupation of Northumbria meant Uhtred returned home to submit himself to Cnut, who seems to have sent
6710-444: The arrangement. Some sources claim Edmund was murdered, although the circumstances of his death are unknown. The West Saxons now accepted Cnut as king of all of England, and he was crowned by Lyfing, Archbishop of Canterbury , in London in 1017. Cnut ruled England for nearly two decades. The protection he lent against Viking raiders – many of them under his command – restored the prosperity that had been increasingly impaired since
SECTION 60
#17328523824336820-508: The brightness of gold, who upon the men of metal, menacing with golden face, ... who upon the bulls on the ships threatening death, their horns shining with gold, without feeling any fear for the king of such a force? Furthermore, in this great expedition, there was present no slave, no man freed from slavery, no low-born man, no man weakened by age; for all were noble, all strong with the might of mature age, all sufficiently fit for any type of fighting, all of such great fleetness, that they scorned
6930-428: The chamber divided into two sub-departments: the great chamber and the privy chamber . The privy chamber was overseen by grooms of the chamber , led by the groom of the stool . The groom of the stool was one of the most powerful officials in the household until the office was abolished in 1837. He or she (when the monarch was female) acted as a royal gatekeeper , allowing or denying other household officials access to
7040-432: The conditions for pilgrims, as well as merchants, on the road to Rome. In his own words: ... I spoke with the Emperor himself and the Lord Pope and the princes there about the needs of all people of my entire realm, both English and Danes, that a juster law and securer peace might be granted to them on the road to Rome and that they should not be straitened by so many barriers along the road, and harassed by unjust tolls; and
7150-420: The continent – as a token of their treaty of friendship. Centuries of conflict in this area between the Danes and the Germans led to the construction of the Danevirke , from Schleswig, on the Schlei , an inlet of the Baltic Sea , to the North Sea . Cnut's visit to Rome was a triumph. In the verse of Knútsdrápa , Sigvatr Þórðarson praises Cnut, his king, as being "dear to the Emperor, close to Peter". In
7260-459: The control of the English dynasty based at Bamburgh , which had dominated the area at least since the early 10th century. They served as junior Earls of Bernicia under the titular authority of the Earl of Northumbria. By the 1030s Cnut's direct administration of Wessex had come to an end, with the establishment of an earldom under Godwin , an Englishman from a powerful Sussex family. In general, after initial reliance on his Scandinavian followers in
7370-411: The currency, initiating a series of coins of equal weight to those being used in Denmark and other parts of Scandinavia. He issued the Law codes of Cnut known now as I Cnut and II Cnut, though these seem primarily to have been produced by Wulfstan of York . In his royal court, there were both Englishmen and Scandinavians. Harald II died in 1018, and Cnut went to Denmark to affirm his succession to
7480-409: The days of Christendom, a king seen to be in favour with God could expect to be ruler over a happy kingdom. He was surely in a stronger position, not only with the Church and the people, but also in the alliance with his southern rivals he was able to conclude his conflicts with his rivals in the north. His letter not only tells his countrymen of his achievements in Rome, but also of his ambitions within
7590-435: The demise of the Marshalsea Court; they became honorary appointments within the Royal Household and were in attendance on the Sovereign on ceremonial occasions. Six King's Marshalmen took part in the 1937 Coronation procession of King George VI ; since when appointments to this office have ceased. The Marshalmen wore a distinctive uniform, consisting of a scarlet coat, blue trousers and a shako (a tall, cylindrical cap with
7700-412: The epithet the Great , was King of England from 1016, King of Denmark from 1018, and King of Norway from 1028 until his death in 1035. The three kingdoms united under Cnut's rule are referred to together as the North Sea Empire by historians. As a Danish prince, Cnut won the throne of England in 1016 in the wake of centuries of Viking activity in northwestern Europe . His later accession to
7810-529: The equivalent of 7.8 full-time staff. It was announced in June 2011 that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge would temporarily move their official London residence to an apartment in Kensington Palace , a move that was completed in August of that year. The Duke and Duchess' primary residence continued to be the island of Anglesey in Wales, where the Duke served as an RAF search and rescue pilot. The couple previously shared an apartment at Clarence House with Prince Harry, which he retained. On 6 November 2011, it
7920-467: The evil-doer to do right. And if he cannot, then it is my will that with the power of us both he shall destroy him in the land or drive him out of the land, whether he be of high or low rank. And it is my will that all the nation, ecclesiastical and lay, shall steadfastly observe Edgar's laws, which all men have chosen and sworn at Oxford. Since I did not spare my money, as long as hostility was threatening you, I with God's help have put an end to it. Then I
8030-496: The existing English trend for multiple shires to be grouped together under a single ealdorman , thus dividing the country into four large administrative units whose geographical extent was based on the largest and most durable of the separate kingdoms that had preceded the unification of England. The officials responsible for these provinces were designated earls , a title of Scandinavian origin already in localised use in England, which now everywhere replaced that of ealdorman. Wessex
8140-532: The fact that he was in an arguably sinful relationship, with two wives, and the harsh treatment he dealt his fellow Christian opponents. Under his reign, Cnut brought together the English and Danish kingdoms, and the Scandinavic and Saxon peoples saw a period of dominance across Scandinavia , as well as within the British Isles . His campaigns abroad meant the tables of Viking supremacy were stacked in favour of
8250-620: The first years of his reign, Cnut allowed those Anglo-Saxon families of the existing English nobility who had earned his trust to assume rulership of his Earldoms. At the Battle of Nesjar , in 1016, Olaf Haraldsson won the kingdom of Norway from the Danes. It was at some time after Erik left for England, and on the death of Svein while retreating to Sweden, maybe intent on returning to Norway with reinforcements, that Erik's son Hakon went to join his father and support Cnut in England, too. Cnut's brother Harald may have been at Cnut's coronation, in 1016, returning to Denmark as its king, with part of
8360-448: The fleet, at some point thereafter. It is only certain, though, that there was an entry of his name, alongside Cnut's, in confraternity with Christ Church, Canterbury , in 1018. This is not conclusive, though, for the entry may have been made in Harald's absence, perhaps by the hand of Cnut himself, which means that, while it is usually thought that Harald died in 1018, it is unsure whether he
8470-456: The former queen of Sweden , wife of Eric the Victorious and by this marriage mother of Olof Skötkonung . To complicate the matter, Heimskringla and other sagas also have Sweyn marrying Eric's widow, but she is distinctly another person in these texts, named Sigrid the Haughty , whom Sweyn only marries after Gunhild , the Slavic princess who bore Cnut, has died. Different theories regarding
8580-458: The great dangers which were approaching us that we need fear no danger to us from there; but we may reckon on full help and deliverance if we need it. Cnut was generally remembered as a wise and successful king of England, although this view may in part be attributable to his good treatment of the Church, keeper of the historic record. Accordingly, he is considered, even today, as a religious man despite
8690-620: The household of Edward IV ) written between 1467 and 1477, the household was divided into the Domus Providencie (the Hall) and the Domus Regie Magnificencie (the Chamber). The Domus Providencie was led by the lord steward . The Domus Regie Magnificencie was led by the lord chamberlain . (kitchens, bakehouse, buttery, laundry, woodyard, etc) Sometime in the 15th century,
8800-401: The king's administrative and judicial responsibilities expanded, public duties were delegated to household officers, making them state officers as well. Typically, each office had two or three holders who most likely served on a rotating basis. The Merovingian and Carolingian royal households had similar offices, and there is evidence that it influenced its English counterpart. However, there
8910-581: The kingdom fell to the Vikings quickly, and near the end of the year King Æthelred fled to Normandy , leaving Sweyn Forkbeard in possession of England. In the winter, Sweyn was in the process of consolidating his kingship, with Cnut left in charge of the fleet and the base of the army at Gainsborough in Lincolnshire . On the death of Sweyn Forkbeard after a few months as king, on Candlemas (Sunday 3 February 1014), Harald succeeded him as King of Denmark, while
9020-657: The ladies of the court from the Mistress of the Robes to the Maids of Honour are in her service. At the commencement of the reign of Queen Victoria, the two establishments were combined, and considerably reduced. On the accession of Edward VII , the civil list was again reconstituted; while the household of the king and his consort became larger than during the previous reign, redundant or unnecessary offices were merged or abolished. The household of Elizabeth II included 1,200 employees. This
9130-515: The large household that supports the sovereign to the household of the Prince and Princess of Wales , with fewer members. In addition to the royal officials and support staff, the sovereign's own household incorporates representatives of other estates of the realm, including the government, the military, and the church. Government whips , defence chiefs , several clerics , scientists , musicians , poets , and artists hold honorary positions within
9240-599: The last ruler of an independent Kingdom of Burgundy . Hence, the solemn word of the Pope, the Emperor and Rudolph was given with the witness of four archbishops, twenty bishops, and "innumerable multitudes of dukes and nobles", suggesting it was before the ceremonies were completed. Cnut without doubt threw himself into his role with zest. His image as a just Christian king, statesman and diplomat and crusader against unjustness, seems rooted in reality, as well as one he sought to project. A good illustration of his status within Europe
9350-567: The monarch. Over time, the offices of Lord High Steward and Lord Great Chamberlain lost both their political functions, which were taken over by the Chief Justiciar and Lord High Treasurer , and their domestic functions, which were taken over by the lord steward and lord chamberlain. The marshalship and the constableship became hereditary, and, although the Lord High Constable and Earl Marshal retained their military authority until
9460-484: The north and went from Denmark to the coronation at Easter 1027, which would have been of considerable prestige for rulers of Europe in the Middle Ages . On the return journey he wrote his letter of 1027, like his letter of 1019, informing his subjects in England of his intentions from abroad and proclaiming himself "king of all England and Denmark and the Norwegians and of some of the Swedes". Consistent with his role as
9570-408: The number and ancestry of Sweyn's wives (or wife) have been advanced (see Sigrid the Haughty and Gunhild ). But since Adam is the only source to equate the identity of Cnut's and Olof Skötkonung's mother, this is often seen as an error on Adam's part, and it is often assumed that Sweyn had two wives, the first being Cnut's mother, and the second being the former Queen of Sweden. Cnut's brother Harald
9680-754: The other two continue to have a ceremonial role, and are to be seen particularly on State occasions. The Royal Household is coordinated by the part-time Lord Chamberlain ( The Lord Benyon ). The Private Secretary to the Sovereign ( the Rt Hon. Sir Clive Alderton KCVO since 2022), manages the Private Secretary's Office, and controls the Press Office, the Royal Archives , and the Defence Services Secretary 's Office, serves as principal advisor to
9790-607: The reign of Edward the Confessor ( r. 1042–1066 ), the chapel's writing office had custody of the great seal used to authenticate writs . Service in the royal chapel could be a stepping stone towards becoming a bishop . Even though it traveled constantly with the king as an itinerant court , the royal household was the center of the Anglo-Saxon government . Initially, household officers performed domestic tasks (such as overseeing food, clothing, royal stables, or travel). As
9900-404: The resumption of Viking attacks in the 980s . In turn, the English helped him to establish control over the majority of Scandinavia , too. Under his rule, England did not experience serious external attacks. As Danish King of England, Cnut was quick to eliminate any prospective challenge from the survivors of the mighty Wessex dynasty. The first year of his reign was marked by the executions of
10010-592: The service of Jomsborg . The 40 ships Eadric came with, often thought to be of the Danelaw , were probably Thorkell's. Early in 1016, the Vikings crossed the Thames and harried Warwickshire , while Edmund Ironside's attempts at opposition seem to have come to nothing – the chronicler says the English army disbanded because the king and the citizenry of London were not present. The mid-winter assault by Cnut devastated its way northwards across eastern Mercia . Another summons of
10120-538: The speed of horsemen. Wessex , long ruled by the dynasty of Alfred and Æthelred, submitted to Cnut late in 1015, as it had to his father two years earlier. At this point Eadric Streona , the Ealdorman of Mercia , deserted Æthelred together with 40 ships and their crews and joined forces with Cnut. Another defector was Thorkell the Tall , a Jomsviking chief who had fought against the Viking invasion of Sweyn Forkbeard , with
10230-451: The suggestion they might have a joint kingship, although this found no favour with his brother. Harald is thought to have offered Cnut command of his forces for another invasion of England, on the condition he did not continue to press his claim. In any case, Cnut succeeded in assembling a large fleet with which to launch another invasion. Among the allies of Denmark was Bolesław I the Brave ,
10340-434: The various officers under their charge are dealt with in the articles under those headings. When the reigning sovereign is a queen, the royal household is in some other respects rather differently arranged from that of a king and a queen consort. Under a king and a queen consort, a separate establishment "above stairs" and "out of doors" works for the queen consort. She has a Lord Chamberlain 's department of her own, and all
10450-542: Was Prince of Wales were notified of potential redundancies. This reflects the uncertain situation of members of the Royal Households at the start of each new reign: in the days following the death of King James I in 1625, the Countess of Bedford remarked 'What the King's resolution is yet for his own and his father's servants, he hath not declared (farther than the white staves , which are to remain as they were); but for
10560-597: Was a battle fought at Penselwood in Somerset – with a hill in Selwood Forest as the likely location – and a subsequent battle at Sherston , in Wiltshire , which was fought over two days but left neither side victorious. Edmund was able to temporarily relieve London, driving the enemy away and defeating them after crossing the Thames at Brentford . Suffering heavy losses, he withdrew to Wessex to gather fresh troops, and
10670-694: Was announced that the Duke, Duchess and Prince Harry, along with Elizabeth II and the Prince of Wales (later King Charles) had approved a plan that would have the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge permanently move to a larger apartment in Kensington Palace in 2013, after it is renovated. This apartment was previously occupied by the Queen's sister, Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon and her husband Antony Armstrong-Jones, Earl of Snowdon after their marriage in 1960. The apartment
10780-570: Was directly appointed by the Sovereign on the recommendation of Earl Marshal. The college is a corporation of thirteen royal heralds , overseen by the Earl Marshal , a hereditary office held by the Duke of Norfolk . The college is self-supporting and receives no funds from the Crown. The college holds jurisdiction over all matters pertaining to heraldry , genealogy , and pedigrees in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and in some Commonwealth realms . Certain independent and honorific posts include Master of
10890-452: Was followed by his Private Secretary, Principal Private Secretary, Master of the Household and two Equerries; however, since the King's new household had yet to be appointed they were gazetted, not as 'His Majesty's Household', but as the 'Household of the former Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall'. On 13 September, five days after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II , 100 staff who had been working for King Charles III while he
11000-410: Was informed that greater danger was approaching us than we liked at all; and then I went myself with the men who accompanied me to Denmark, from where the greatest injury had come to us, and with God's help I have made it so that never henceforth shall hostility reach you from there as long as you support me rightly and my life lasts. Now I thank Almighty God for his help and his mercy, that I have settled
11110-428: Was initially kept under Cnut's personal control, while Northumbria went to Erik of Hlathir , East Anglia to Thorkell the Tall , and Mercia remained in the hands of Eadric Streona . This initial distribution of power was short-lived. The chronically treacherous Eadric was executed within a year of Cnut's accession. Mercia passed to one of the leading families of the region, probably first to Leofwine , ealdorman of
11220-599: Was no English equivalent to the powerful office of major domus (Latin for " mayor of the palace "), and English kings maintained ultimate authority over their households. By the time of Henry I ( r. 1100–1135 ), the royal household was divided into five departments as described in the Constitutio Domus Regis : According to the Liber Niger Domus Regis Angliae (the Black Book of
11330-507: Was off the English or Danish shores. He himself mentions troubles in his 1019 letter (to England, from Denmark), written as the King of England and Denmark. These events can be seen, with plausibility, to be in connection with the death of Harald. Cnut says he dealt with dissenters to ensure Denmark was free to assist England: King Cnut greets in friendship his archbishop and his diocesan bishops and Earl Thurkil and all his earls ... ecclesiastic and lay, in England ... I inform you that I will be
11440-758: Was retained by Princess Margaret after her divorce in 1978 and was her London residence until her death in 2002. Prince Harry then moved his official residence from Clarence House to the apartment vacated by the Cambridges. In addition, once the move was complete, their official household was also moved to Kensington Palace from St James's Palace, although the household remained shared. Until the moves were complete, their Household remained based at St James's Palace and continued to be shared. Cnut Cnut ( / k ə ˈ nj uː t / ; Old Norse : Knútr Old Norse pronunciation: [ˈknuːtr] ; c. 990 – 12 November 1035), also known as Canute and with
11550-411: Was roughly the same size as Charles II's household but larger than Victoria 's, whose staff numbered 921. Appointing a new monarch's household can take some time; in 1952 the full list of appointments to the new Queen's household was not published until almost six months after her accession to the throne. In 2022, walking in the state procession for the state funeral of Elizabeth II , the new King
11660-583: Was scrapped in accordance with the King's view of having a slimmed-down monarchy, and instead of ladies-in-waiting, Queen Camilla will be served by "Queen's companions", a group of six ladies that will occupy the new occasional and informal position and will not be involved in tasks such as replying to letters or developing schedules. The Queen's companions are the Marchioness of Lansdowne , Jane von Westenholz, Lady Brooke, Sarah Troughton , Lady Sarah Keswick and Baroness Chisholm . Major Ollie Plunket will serve as
11770-455: Was still alive at this point. Entry of his brother's name in the Canterbury codex may have been Cnut's attempt to make his vengeance for Harald's murder good with the Church. This may have been just a gesture for a soul to be under the protection of God. There is evidence Cnut was in battle with "pirates" in 1018, with his destruction of the crews of thirty ships, although it is unknown if this
11880-530: Was the Danish king at the time of the Christianization of Denmark ; he became one of the first Scandinavian kings to accept Christianity . The Chronicon of Thietmar of Merseburg and the Encomium Emmae report Cnut's mother as having been Świętosława , a daughter of Mieszko I of Poland . Norse sources of the High Middle Ages , most prominently Heimskringla by Snorri Sturluson , also give
11990-492: Was the younger of the two brothers according to Encomium Emmae . Some hint of Cnut's childhood can be found in the Flateyjarbók , a 13th-century Icelandic source that says he was taught his soldiery by the chieftain Thorkell the Tall , brother to Sigurd , Jarl of Jomsborg , and the legendary Jomsvikings , at their stronghold on the island of Wollin , off the coast of Pomerania . His date of birth, like his mother's name,
12100-502: Was weak and ultimately did not last by the time of Cnut's death. Dominion of England lent the Danes an important link to the maritime zone between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland , where Cnut, like his father before him, had a strong interest and wielded much influence among the Norse–Gaels . Cnut's possession of England's dioceses and the continental Diocese of Denmark – with
#432567