Historiographer Royal, as a court appointment in England, existed between 1661 and 1837; it was bestowed upon an historian, antiquary or writer who was under the official patronage of the royal court.
In England the office of Historiographer Royal was created by King Charles II to honour the prolific writer James Howell. It came with an annual salary of £200 and a butt of sack. Earlier, Bernard Andreas had fulfilled a similar role in the court of King Henry VII. [1]
Howell was followed in the office first by John Dryden and then Thomas Shadwell, both of whom were concurrently appointed Poet Laureate; as a result the salary was increased to £300 a year. When Shadwell died in 1692, the appointments were split: the Historiographer's salary reverted to £200, while the butt of sack went to the Poet Laureate (along with the remaining £100). [2]
At first, the Historiographer was appointed by Letters Patent; but from 1692 the appointment was made by warrant of the Lord Chamberlain. [3]
Jonathan Swift, who was angling for the appointment at the time, wrote in 1714 that "it is necessary, for the honour of the Queen, and in justice to her servants, that some able hand should be immediately employed to write the history of her majesty's reign, that the truth of things may be transmitted to future ages, and bear down the falsehood of malicious pens". [4] In reality, however, there were few duties or responsibilities attached to the appointment, and it mostly served as a mark of patronage. In 1782, in common with other sinecures, the post of Historiographer in England was suppressed; however it was revived in the early 19th century. [3] It lapsed on the accession of Queen Victoria; however G. P. R. James (the last holder) was not deprived of the office and continued to be referred to as Historiographer Royal in later years. [4]
Holders of the office included: [3]
John Dryden was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who in 1668 was appointed England's first Poet Laureate.
The Secretary of State for the Southern Department was a position in the cabinet of the government of the Kingdom of Great Britain up to 1782, when the Southern Department became the Home Office.
This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1692.
This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1689.
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Thomas Shadwell was an English poet and playwright who was appointed Poet Laureate in 1689.
Susanna Verbruggen, aka Susanna Mountfort, was an English actress working in London.
Thomas Rymer was an English poet, literary critic, antiquary and historiographer.
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Groom of the Chamber was a position in the Household of the monarch in early modern England. Other Ancien Régime royal establishments in Europe had comparable officers, often with similar titles. In France, the Duchy of Burgundy, and in England while French was still the language of the court, the title was varlet or valet de chambre. In German, Danish and Russian the term was "Kammerjunker" and in Swedish the similar "Kammarjunkare".
Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature.
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The British Poet Laureate is an honorary position appointed by the monarch of the United Kingdom, currently on the advice of the prime minister. The role does not entail any specific duties, but there is an expectation that the holder will write verse for significant national occasions. The origins of the laureateship date back to 1616 when a pension was provided to Ben Jonson, but the first official holder of the position was John Dryden, appointed in 1668 by Charles II. On the death of Alfred, Lord Tennyson, who held the post between November 1850 and October 1892, there was a break of four years as a mark of respect; Tennyson's laureate poems "Ode on the Death of the Duke of Wellington" and "The Charge of the Light Brigade" were particularly cherished by the Victorian public. Three poets, Thomas Gray, Samuel Rogers and Walter Scott, turned down the laureateship. Historically appointed for an unfixed term and typically held for life, since 1999 the position has been for a term of ten years. The holder of the position as at 2024 is Simon Armitage who succeeded Carol Ann Duffy in May 2019 after 10 years in office.
Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature.
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