And you thought your job was crappy —- The Royal Bum WiperThe Groom of the stool was a position with

And you thought your job was crappy —- The Royal Bum WiperThe Groom of the stool was a position withing the English court and one of the most intimate.  Simply put the Groom of the Stool’s duty was to manage the king’s doody.  Derived from the word “stol” meaning chair, the Groom of the Stools job was to manage the bodily functions of the king.  This was incredibly important, since at the time there was no running water or plumbing.  Tasks included disposing of the waste and keeping equipment clean.  Since in Tudor times nobles often wore heavy cumbersome clothing, the Groom of the Stool would occasionally be called upon to wipe the royal posterior.  The Groom of the Stool would also have to keep tabs on the Kings diet and the expected times of the king’s movements, so that he would always be on hand when needed. While it may seem a crappy job, the office was well respected and had an aura of decorum.  The Groom would was one of the few people who had private access to the king and many royal secrets were shared when managing His Highness’ poopies.  The Groom would also help in managing the kings finances, having private access to the kings accounts.Henry the VIII had four Grooms throughout his reign, but in 1558 was transformed into the position of “The Lady of the Bedchamber”, a post dominated by women.  The reason for this was simple, the rise of Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth I to power.  With the accession of James I the post was revived, but under King Charles I the position was completely changed.  Instead of wiping the kings posterior, the new “Groom of the Stole” became a completely administrative one, with duties including managing the kings accounts, setting fiscal policy, and managing the kings schedule.  The office was finally abolished by King Edward the VII in 1901. -- source link

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