The Gentilhombres de cámara con ejercicio (Gentlemen of the Bedchamber) was a palatial class of honorary royal servants of the Royal Household and Heritage of the Crown of Spain, who acceded to that class as an honor awarded by the Monarch. The members of this class neither had specific functions inside the ceremonial scheme of the Court, nor exercised active service with a few exceptions, being their appointment a sign of the royal appreciation. This way, prominent men were nominated during the reign of the last King before the

Second Spanish Republic The Spanish Republic (), commonly known as the Second Spanish Republic (), was the form of government in Spain from 1931 to 1939. The Republic was proclaimed on 14 April 1931, after the deposition of King Alfonso XIII, and was dissolved on 1 ...

Alfonso XIII Alfonso XIII (17 May 1886 – 28 February 1941), also known as El Africano or the African, was King of Spain from 17 May 1886 to 14 April 1931, when the Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed. He was a monarch from birth as his father, Alf ...

. As said very few of them had specific functions at the service to the King and very few of them belonged to the nobility. In fact, at the moment of the suppression of this Office, they remained 521 “Gentilhombres de cámara con ejercicio y servidumbre”. Among them, only 155 belonged to the titled nobility. This Court class was just behind the category of “ Gentilhombres Grandes de España con ejercicio y servidumbre”. Their badge was a golden gilded key with bangs equally of gold. The key was placed horizontally in the waist to the right side in uniforms, dress-coat or frock coat. They were formally under the command of the “ Sumiller de Corps” and, for their condition, they had free entrance to the

Royal Palace of Madrid The Royal Palace of Madrid ( es, Palacio Real de Madrid) is the official residence of the Spanish royal family at the city of Madrid, although now used only for state ceremonies. The palace has of floor space and contains 3,418 rooms. It is the ...

up to the Chamber. They were styled “Ilustrísimos señores Gentilhombres de cámara con ejercicio”. This Office was suppressed after the

was declared on April 14, 1931, and it was never re-created after the restoration of Monarchy in 1975. Among the 520 “Gentilhombres de camara” at that time, there were famous Army officers like the, then successful during

Rif War The Rif War () was an armed conflict fought from 1921 to 1926 between Spain (joined by France in 1924) and the Berber tribes of the mountainous Rif region of northern Morocco. Led by Abd el-Krim, the Riffians at first inflicted several de ...

, General Francisco Franco, the General Francisco Gómez-Jordana, 1st Count of Jordana, the General Joaquín Milans del Bosch and the General

José Enrique Varela José Enrique Varela Iglesias, 1st Marquis of San Fernando de Varela (17 April 1891 – 24 March 1951) was a Spanish military officer noted for his role as a Nationalist commander in the Spanish Civil War. Early career Varela started his milita ...

or the Air Commanders of the

Plus Ultra ''Plus ultra'' (, , en, "Further beyond") is a Latin phrase and the national motto of Spain. A reversal of the original phrase ''non plus ultra'' ("Nothing further beyond"), said to have been inscribed as a warning on the Pillars of Herc ...

Ramón Franco Ramón Franco Bahamonde (2 February 1896 – 28 October 1938), was a Spanish pioneer of aviation, a political figure and brother of later caudillo Francisco Franco. Well before the Spanish Civil War, during the reign of Alfonso XIII, both br ...

and

Julio Ruiz de Alda Miqueleiz Julio Ruiz de Alda Miqueleiz (7 October 1897 in Estella, Navarre – 23 August 1936 in Madrid) was a Spanish aviator and founder of the Falange. He joined the Army at the age of 15 and developed an interest in planes. He was the co-pilot ( ...

, active politicians like Eugenio Espinosa de los Monteros y Bermejillo, José Luis Goyoaga Escario, Guillermo de Osma y Scull, Manuel González-Hontoria y Fernández-Ladreda and Juan Antonio Suanzes Fernández, physicians like the doctor Mariano Gómez Ulla, prominent businessmen like Fernando María de Ybarra, 1st Marquess of Arriluce de Ybarra and Carlos Godó Valls, prestigious engineers like Emilio Herrera,

José Ortiz-Echagüe José Ortiz-Echagüe (2 August 1886 in Province of Guadalajara, Guadalajara – 7 September 1980 in Madrid) was a Spanish entrepreneur, industrial and military engineer, pilot and photographer, founder of Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA, Construcc ...

, Eduardo Torroja or Jose Moreno Osorio, 4th

Count of Fontao The County of Fontao is a title of Spanish nobility granted on January 8, 1840, by the Queen Isabella II to Don José María Moscoso y Quiroga, first President of the Senate of Spain after the creation of this upper chamber in 1837. His name refer ...

, well-known writers like

José María Pemán José María Pemán y Pemartín (8 May 1897 in Cadiz – 19 July 1981, Ibid.) was a Spanish journalist, poet, playwright, novelist, essayist, and monarchist intellectual. Biography Originally a student of law, he entered the literary world with ...

, art curators like Manuel Escrivá de Romaní 10th Count of Casal or loyal employees of the Royal Household like Dámaso Berenguer, 1st Count of Xauen, former General Commander of the Halberdiers, Emilio de Torres, 1st Marquess of Torres de Mendoza private Secretary to the King and Miguel González de Castejón, 1st Count of Aybar, General Comptroller of the Royal Household.

Bibliography

* Enciclopedia universal ilustrada europeo-americana. Volume 49. Hijos de J. Espasa, Editores.1923 *Guia Oficial de España. Sucesores de Ribadeneyra. Madrid. 1930] {{DEFAULTSORT:Gentilhombres de camara con ejercicio Royal households Spanish monarchy Spanish courtiers

See also

Bibliography