Chief Butler of England facts for kids
The Chief Butler of England is a very old and special job connected to a specific piece of land called the Manor of Kenninghall in Norfolk, England. This job is part of something called Grand Sergeanty. This means that the owner of the land has to provide a special service to the King or Queen at their Coronation. For the Chief Butler, this service is to act as the main server of drinks, especially wine, at the Coronation banquet. This role is also known as Pincera Regis, which is Latin for "King's Butler."
The Manor of Kenninghall was first given by King Henry I to a person named William de Albini. Over many years, the land was passed down and later belonged to the powerful Dukes of Norfolk. In 1872, the manor was sold to John Oddin Taylor.
The last time a Coronation banquet was planned was in 1902 for King Edward VII. However, the plans for the banquet were cancelled because the King became ill. Before the coronation, a special court called the Court of Claims met. This court decides who has the right to perform traditional roles at a coronation. Three different people claimed they had the right to be the Chief Butler: the Duke of Norfolk, Mr. Taylor (who owned Kenninghall at the time), and a person who was a descendant of William de Albini. But because the banquet was cancelled, the court didn't need to make a decision about who was the rightful Chief Butler.
What is the Chief Butler's Job?
The Chief Butler of England has a very old and important role. They are meant to serve the King or Queen at their coronation banquet. This is a special tradition that has been part of English coronations for hundreds of years. It shows how important certain families and their lands were to the monarch.
Who Has Been Chief Butler?
Many people have held the title of Chief Butler over the centuries. Often, the right to be Chief Butler was passed down through families, like the d'Aubignys and later the FitzAlans (who became the Dukes of Arundel and then the Dukes of Norfolk).
Here are a few examples of people who held this role:
- Roger d'Ivry (around 1068–1079)
- William d'Aubigny, 1st Earl of Arundel (1120–1176)
- Thomas Chaucer (who held the role several times in the early 1400s)
- Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers (1473–1483)
- Sir William St Loe (during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I)
- More recently, various Dukes of Norfolk have claimed the right.
It's important to know that since before 1902, the exact right to act as Chief Butler has not been officially confirmed by the Court of Claims. This means that while some people claim the title, it hasn't been formally decided by the court in modern times.
