SUPPORT OUR JOURNALISM: Please consider donating to keep our website running and free for all - thank you!

FeaturesHistoryInsight

The Royal Household: Pages of the Presence

<![CDATA[The Page of the Presence are three pages who are senior staff of the Master of the Household Department. Their role is as personal attendants to royal visitors.
Other duties include looking after Buckingham Palace’s Grand entrance, where they supervise the arrivals and departures of various individuals such as ambassadors and others that Her Majesty may receive.
The Pages are responsible for the Privy Purse Door where the infamous Red Boxes arrive daily as well as people who have business with members of the Royal Household.
The Pages also oversee the visitor’s book and those who sign it. They are responsible for meal service to the Royal Household and when The Britannia was still in commission, the Pages were in charge of meal service in the ship’s dining room.
The Pages of the Presence are usually promoted from the rank of footman.
The title is an early reference to the Presence Chamber. The Chamber was a room in the Royal Apartments where the King dined in State. It was also here the King received visitors and held Council meetings.
Initially there were four Pages who attended in pairs. Their duties included watching, cleaning and tending to the fires in the Presence Chamber.
During Queen Victoria’s reign, two additional Pages were added. There were three first class and three-second class Pages. It was their duty to attend to the Queen’s guests, light fires and arrange seating.
Three of the Pages also attended when Her Majesty held Council. Back then the Pages were under the Order of the Groom of the Chamber. Presently, the Pages of the Presence are under the Page of the Chamber.
As of 2010, there are three Pages of the Presence.
Featured photo credit: Edwin.11 via photopin cc]]>