Marianne Skerrett (20 June 1793 – 29 July 1887) was a British courtier. She was a ''Dresser'' ( lady's maid) to

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

between 1837 and 1862.

Helen Rappaport Helen F. Rappaport (née Ware; born June 1947), is a British author and former actress. She specialises in the Victorian era and revolutionary Russia. Early life and education Rappaport was born Helen Ware in Bromley, grew up near the River Med ...

:
Queen Victoria: A Biographical Companion
', 2003

Biography

She was born in London to Walter Frye Skerrett and Albinia Mathias Skerrett. She was employed by the queen after her accession to the throne in 1837. She was the Principal Dresser and, as such, overranked and supervised the Second and Third Dresser and the Wardrobe Maids, all part of the Department of the

Mistress of the Robes The mistress of the robes was the senior lady in the Royal Household of the United Kingdom. Formerly responsible for the queen consort's/regnant's clothes and jewellery (as the name implies), the post had the responsibility for arranging the rota o ...

. She was responsible for the organization of the queen's chamber staff, handling the contacts with tradespeople and artists, making orders and paying them and answering beggar letters. She was a personal friend of Queen Victoria and replaced

Louise Lehzen Johanna Clara Louise Lehzen (3 October 17849 September 1870), also known as Baroness Louise Lehzen, was the governess and later companion to Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. Born to a Lutheran pastor, in 1819 Lehzen entered the household of ...

as the queen's confidante when Lehzen left Britain in 1842. As such, she had an important position in the royal household, as the queen was generally closer to her chamber staff than to her

ladies-in-waiting A lady-in-waiting or court lady is a female personal assistant at a court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman but of lower rank than the woman to whom sh ...

, to whom she normally had a less personal attitude. Skerrett retired with a pension in 1862 and settled with her sister in London. She was replaced by

Annie MacDonald Annie MacDonald née Mitchell (1832–1897), was a British courtier. She was a ''Dresser'' ( lady's maid) to Queen Victoria between 1862 and 1897.Helen Rappaport: Queen Victoria: A Biographical Companion', 2003 Life She was born near Balmoral ...

(1832–1897). Skerrett died on 29 July 1887, at the age of 94. Upon hearing of her former dresser's passing, Queen Victoria wrote in her journal:

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Skerrett, Marianne Queen Victoria 1793 births 1887 deaths Women of the Victorian era Court of Queen Victoria