The Sumiller de Corps was the Officer of the

Royal Household and Heritage of the Crown of Spain The Royal Household and Heritage of the Crown of Spain was the institution that governed the organization of the Royal Spanish Court from the time of the Habsburg dynasty, which introduced the so-called Burgundian etiquette, up to the reign of Alfon ...

in charge of the more intimate and inner rooms of the King of

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. He was responsible of the most immediate service to the Monarch. This Office was suppressed after the proclamation of 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 ...

in 1931 and never re-created after the restoration of the Monarchy in 1975.

Historical precedents

This Office was created when, during the Habsburg dynasty, the Spanish Royal Court was shaped after that one that existed in the Court of Burgundy where this Office “Sumiller” from the French “Sommelier”, literally “Wine steward” existed from the old past. Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, but also King of Spain, imported the etiquette styled in the Court of his paternal grandmother

Mary of Burgundy Mary (french: Marie; nl, Maria; 13 February 1457 – 27 March 1482), nicknamed the Rich, was a member of the House of Valois-Burgundy who ruled a collection of states that included the duchies of Limburg, Brabant, Luxembourg, the counties of ...

Regime during the 16th, the 17th and the 18th centuries

Diverse dispositions regulated the duties of the “Sumiller de Corps” distinguishing from those of the “

Mayordomo mayor {{short description, High Steward of Spain The Mayordomo mayor (High Steward) was the Officer of the Royal Household and Heritage of the Crown of Spain in charge of the person and rooms of the King of Spain. The Office of “Mayordomo mayor” w ...

” to the King. Although this latter Office was hierarchically higher, the Office of “Sumiller de Corps” was mostly coveted by the high ranks of the nobility, the Grandees of Spain, as it gave full access to the intimacy of the King. And, certainly, thanks to this intimacy with the King, he could influence the concession and distribution of all kinds of graces and mercies. In fact, the Validos of the Habsburg Kings were always their “Sumilleres de Corps” as it happened with the

Duke of Lerma Francisco Gómez de Sandoval y Rojas, 1st Duke of Lerma, 5th Marquess of Denia, 1st Count of Ampudia (1552/1553 – 17 May 1625), was a favourite of Philip III of Spain, the first of the ''validos'' ('most worthy') through whom the later H ...

and the Duke of Uceda with King Philip III or the Count-Duke of Olivares with King Philip IV. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the ceremonial laws regulating the Royal service confirmed the principal prerogatives that the traditional Burgundian etiquette granted to the “Sumiller de Corps”, in the measure in which they supposed a great intimacy and a physical daily contact with the Monarch. Those of the Royal Chamber of 1659 established that the organization of the closest service to the King corresponded to the “Sumiller de Corps” and, in this way, he might sleep in a bed in the same room of the Sovereign. If this was not possible, or the Monarch wanted to relieve him of this obligation, he had to sleep at least in the Royal Palace. He had, anyway, to deliver the King personally the towel, the shirt, the Golden Fleece, the clothes and the cap and, during meals and dinners, serve him the glass of wine. Only a peer who had the rank of

Grandee of Spain Grandee (; es, Grande de España, ) is an official aristocratic title conferred on some Spanish nobility. Holders of this dignity enjoyed similar privileges to those of the peerage of France during the , though in neither country did they ha ...

could be appointed for this Office.

Regime during the 19th and 20th centuries

With King

Ferdinand VII , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father = Charles IV of Spain , mother = Maria Luisa of Parma , birth_date = 14 October 1784 , birth_place = El Escorial, Spain , death_date = , death_place = Madrid, Spain , burial_plac ...

this Office was losing the more and more importance. In fact, it was suppressed by his grandson

Alfonso XII Alfonso XII (Alfonso Francisco de Asís Fernando Pío Juan María de la Concepción Gregorio Pelayo; 28 November 185725 November 1885), also known as El Pacificador or the Peacemaker, was King of Spain from 29 December 1874 to his death in 1885 ...

when monarchy was restored in 1875. It was not until 1906 that it was created again but with a pure symbolistic character and always attached to the Office of “Mayordomo mayor” as this was the highest office of the Royal Household. The sole exception to this rule was between 1925 and 1927 when the second one was exercised by the duke of Miranda and the first one by the Marquess of Viana,

Caballerizo mayor The Caballerizo mayor (Great Equerry) was the Officer of the Royal Household and Heritage of the Crown of Spain in charge of the trips, the mews and the hunt of the King of Spain. Regime during the 16th to 18th centuries The Office of “Cabal ...

, who in addition, had the privy seal of the King. In spite of the latter circumstance, under the “Sumiller de Corps”, at least organically, and in agreement with his former function which t has been mentioned before, they were the royal servants who accompanied at all time the Monarch, the “ Gentilhombres Grandes de España con ejercicio y servidumbre” (Gentlemen of the bedchamber Grandees of Spain) and those called “ Gentilhombres de camara con ejercicio” (Gentlemen of the bedchamber). Equally until their suppression in 1918, there existed under his command the ranks of “Gentilhombres de Casa y Boca” (literally the Gentlemen of House and Mouth), and “Gentilhombres de Entrada” (literally Gentlemen of Entry). All this classes of royal servants were chosen between gentlemen, mostly from the nobility, and in the latter times of the reign of

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 ...

from people with prestigious professional background as famous officers of the Army, well-known physicians or businessmen, etc. Only the first one of these classes, the Gentlemen Grandees of Spain, had real functions close to the King and they had a weekly shift to stay with the Monarch in all sorts of activities.

List of "Sumilleres de Corps" to the King of Spain between 1515 and 1931

“Sumilleres de Corps” to Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, 1516-1556

* 1515-1521: Paule de Amersdorf * 1528-1528: Charles de Poupet, Lord of La Chaulx * 1531-1556: Joaquín de Rye, Lord of Balanchon

“Sumilleres de Corps” to King
Philip II Philip II may refer to: * Philip II of Macedon (382–336 BC) * Philip II (emperor) (238–249), Roman emperor * Philip II, Prince of Taranto (1329–1374) * Philip II, Duke of Burgundy (1342–1404) * Philip II, Duke of Savoy (1438-1497) * Philip ...
, 1556-1598

* 1556-1557: Antonio de Rojas y de Velasco * 1557-1573:

Ruy Gómez de Silva Ruy may refer to: Arts and Entertainment * Ruy, the Little Cid, Spanish animated television series * Ruy Blas, a character in the eponymous tragic drama by Victor Hugo People *another form of Rui, a Portuguese male given name *another form of the ...

, Duke of Pastrana,

* 1585-1592: Juan de Acuña, Count of Buendía,

* 1592-1598: Cristóbal de Moura, Count of Castel Rodrigo,

“Sumilleres de Corps” to King Philip III, 1598-1621

* 1598-1599: Cristóbal de Moura, Marquess of Castel Rodrigo,

* 1599-1618: Francisco de Sandoval y Rojas, Duke of Lerma,

* 1618-1621: Cristóbal Gómez de Sandoval y de la Cerda, Duke of Uceda,

“Sumilleres de Corps” to King Philip IV, 1621-1665

* 1621-1622: Baltasar de Zúñiga * 1622-1626: Gaspar de Guzmán, Count and Duke of Olivares,

* 1626-1636:

Ramiro Núñez de Guzmán Ramiro Núñez de Guzmán (León, Spain, c. 1600 – Madrid, 1668) was a Spanish nobleman. Biography He served as viceroy of Naples 1637-44 under King Philip IV of Spain. He was the son-in-law of Gaspar de Guzmán, Count-Duke of Olivares. He he ...

, Duke of Medina de las Torres,

* 1636-1643: Gaspar de Guzmán, Count and Duke of Olivares,

* 1643-1665:

, Duke of Medina de las Torres,

“Sumilleres de Corps” to King Charles II, 1665-1701

* 1665-1668:

, Duke of Medina de las Torres,

* 1674-1687:

Juan Francisco de la Cerda ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronounced differently) in the Isle of Man. In Spanish, t ...

Duke of Medinaceli Duke of Medinaceli () is an hereditary title in the peerage of Spain, accompanied by the dignity of Grandee. The Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, created the title and awarded it on 31 October 1479 to Lui ...

* 1687-1693:

Gregorio María de Silva y Mendoza, 9th Duke of the Infantado Gregorio de Silva y Mendoza (1649 in Pastrana – 1693 in Madrid) was a Spanish noble from the House of Mendoza. He was the 5th Duke of Pastrana, 9th Duke of the Infantado, 7th Duke of Lerma, 6th Duke of Francavilla, 5th Duke of Estremera, a ...

* 1693-1701: Francisco Pimentel Vigil y Quiñones,

Duke of Benavente Duke of Benavente ( es, Duque de Benavente) is a hereditary title in the Peerage of Spain, accompanied by the dignity of Grandee and granted in 1473 by Henry IV to Rodrigo Alonso Pimentel, 4th Count of Benavente. Since the Countship of Ben ...

“Sumilleres de Corps” to King
Philip V Philip V may refer to: * Philip V of Macedon (221–179 BC) * Philip V of France (1293–1322) * Philip II of Spain, also Philip V, Duke of Burgundy (1526–1598) * Philip V of Spain Philip V ( es, Felipe; 19 December 1683 – 9 July 1746) was ...
, 1701-1724

* 1701-1709: Francisco Pimentel Vigil y Quiñones,

* 1711: Antonio Álvarez de Toledo y Guzmán,

Duke of Alba Duke of Alba de Tormes ( es, Duque de Alba de Tormes), commonly known as Duke of Alba, is a title of Spanish nobility that is accompanied by the dignity of Grandee of Spain. In 1472, the title of ''Count of Alba de Tormes'', inherited by ...

* 1711-1722: Martín Domingo de Guzmán, Marquess of Quintana del Marco,

“Sumiller de Corps” to King
Louis I Louis I may refer to: * Louis the Pious, Louis I of France, "the Pious" (778–840), king of France and Holy Roman Emperor * Louis I, Landgrave of Thuringia (ruled 1123–1140) * Ludwig I, Count of Württemberg (c. 1098–1158) * Louis I of Blois ...
, 1724

* 1724: Antonio Osorio y Moscoso, Duke of Sanlúcar la Mayor,

“Sumilleres de Corps” to King
Philip V Philip V may refer to: * Philip V of Macedon (221–179 BC) * Philip V of France (1293–1322) * Philip II of Spain, also Philip V, Duke of Burgundy (1526–1598) * Philip V of Spain Philip V ( es, Felipe; 19 December 1683 – 9 July 1746) was ...
, 1724-1746

* 1724-1725: Antonio Osorio y Moscoso, Duke of Sanlúcar la Mayor,

* 1725-1727: Baltasar de Zuñiga, Duke of Arión,

* 1728-1741: Agustín Fernández de Velasco y Bracamonte,

Duke of Frías Duke of Frías ( es, Duque de Frías) is a hereditary title in the peerage of Spain accompanied by the dignity of Grandee, created in 1492 by King Ferdinand II of Aragon and conferred to his son-in-law Don Bernardino Fernández de Velasco, 2 ...

* 1741-1746: Juan Pizarro de Aragón, Marquess of San Juan de Piedras Albas,

“Sumilleres de Corps” to King
Ferdinand VI , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father = Philip V of Spain , mother = Maria Luisa of Savoy , birth_date = 23 September 1713 , birth_place = Royal Alcazar of Madrid, Madrid, Spain , death_date = , death_place = Villavic ...
, 1746-1759

* 1746-1748: Juan Pizarro de Aragón, Marquess of San Juan de Piedras Albas,

* 1748-1757: Sebastián Guzmán de Spínola, Marquess of Montealegre,

* 1757-1758: José María Guzmán Vélez y Ladrón de Guevara, Count of Oñate,

* 1758-1759: Joaquín López de Zúñiga y Castro, Duke of Béjar,

“Sumilleres de Corps” to King
Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person t ...
, 1759-1788

* 1759-1783: José Fernández de Miranda Ponce de León, Duke of Losada,

* 1783-1788: Judas Tadeo Fernández de Miranda Ponce de León y Villacís, Marquess of Valdecarzana,

“Sumilleres de Corps” to King Charles IV, 1788-1808

* 1788-1792: Judas Tadeo Fernández de Miranda Ponce de León y Villacís, Marquess of Valdecarzana, * 1792-1802: Diego Pacheco y Téllez-Girón,

* 1802-1808: Vicente María Palafox Rebolledo Mexia Silva, Marquess of Ariza,

“Sumilleres de Corps” to King
Ferdinand VII , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father = Charles IV of Spain , mother = Maria Luisa of Parma , birth_date = 14 October 1784 , birth_place = El Escorial, Spain , death_date = , death_place = Madrid, Spain , burial_plac ...
, 1808 and 1814-1833

* 1808-1809: Ignacio de Arteaga e Idiáquez, Marquess of Valmediano,

, , * 1809-1812: Juan de la Cruz Belbis de Moncada y Pizarro, Marquess of Bélgida,

, , (1) * 1812-1814: Ignacio de Arteaga e Idiáquez, Marquess of Valmediano,

, , (1) * 1814-1820: Vicente María Palafox Rebolledo Mexia Silva, Marquess of Ariza,

* 1820-1822: Francisco de Paula Fernández de Córdoba Lasso de la Vega, Count of la Puebla del Maestre,

* 1822-1823: José Gabriel de Silva-Bazán y Waldstein, Marquess of Santa Cruz de Mudela,

* 1823-1824: Francisco de Paula Fernández de Córdoba Lasso de la Vega, Count of la Puebla del Maestre,

* 1824-1833: José Rafael de Silva Fernández de Híjar, Duke of Híjar,

“Sumilleres de Corps” to Queen
Isabella II Isabella II ( es, Isabel II; 10 October 1830 – 9 April 1904), was Queen of Spain from 29 September 1833 until 30 September 1868. Shortly before her birth, the King Ferdinand VII of Spain issued a Pragmatic Sanction to ensure the successi ...
, 1833-1868

* 1833-1854: José Rafael de Silva Fernández de Híjar, Duke of Híjar,

* 1854: Joaquín Fernández de Córdoba y Pacheco, Marquess of Malpica,

* 1854-1856: Luis Carondelet Castaños, Duke of Bailén,

* 1856-1865: Vicente Pío Osorio de Moscoso y Ponce de León, Count of Altamira,

* 1865-1868: Joaquín Fernández de Córdoba y Pacheco, Marquess of Malpica,

“Sumilleres de Corps” to King
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 ...
, 1885-1931

* 1906-1909: Carlos Martínez de Irujo y del Alcazar, Duke of Sotomayor,

* 1909-1925: Andrés Avelino de Salabert y Arteaga, Marquess of la Torrecilla,

* 1925-1927: José Saavedra y Salamanca, Marquess of Viana,

* 1927-1931: Luis María de Silva y Carvajal, Duke of Miranda,

(1) “Sumilleres de Corps” in exile at

Valençay Valençay () is a commune in the Indre department in the administrative region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. Geography Valençay is situated in the Loire Valley. It sits at the end of a plateau. on a hillside overlooking the River Nahon. Va ...

References

* Enciclopedia universal ilustrada europeo-americana. Volume 49. Hijos de J. Espasa, Editores.1923 * Gómez-Centurión Carlos. Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Ministering the King,s body: The sumiller de corps in the 18th century. 2003 * Martínez Millán José. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Departamento de Historia Moderna. La Corte de Carlos V. 2000 * Martinéz Millán (dir). José. La Corte de Felipe II. Madrid. Alianza 1994 * Martínez Millán, José y Visceglia, Maria Antonietta (Dirs.). La Monarquía de Felipe III. Madrid, Fundación Mapfre, 2008/2009 *

Archivo General de Palacio The Archivo General de Palacio was created by Ferdinand VII in 1808 with more than 120 millions of documents from the 13th century until now. It collects, classifies and preserves all the documents from the Patrimonio de la Corona and the Spanish ...

(AGP

Patrimonio Nacional Patrimonio Nacional ( en, National Heritage) is a Spanish autonomous agency, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Presidency, that administers the sites owned by the Spanish State and used by the Monarch and the Spanish Royal F ...

. Sección Personal Royal households Spanish monarchy Spanish courtiers

Historical precedents

Regime during the 16th, the 17th and the 18th centuries

Regime during the 19th and 20th centuries

List of "Sumilleres de Corps" to the King of Spain between 1515 and 1931

“Sumilleres de Corps” to Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, 1516-1556

“Sumilleres de Corps” to King Philip III, 1598-1621

“Sumilleres de Corps” to King Philip IV, 1621-1665

“Sumilleres de Corps” to King Charles II, 1665-1701

“Sumiller de Corps” to King Louis I Louis I may refer to: * Louis the Pious, Louis I of France, "the Pious" (778–840), king of France and Holy Roman Emperor * Louis I, Landgrave of Thuringia (ruled 1123–1140) * Ludwig I, Count of Württemberg (c. 1098–1158) * Louis I of Blois ..., 1724

“Sumilleres de Corps” to King Ferdinand VI , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father = Philip V of Spain , mother = Maria Luisa of Savoy , birth_date = 23 September 1713 , birth_place = Royal Alcazar of Madrid, Madrid, Spain , death_date = , death_place = Villavic ..., 1746-1759

“Sumilleres de Corps” to King Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person t ..., 1759-1788

“Sumilleres de Corps” to King Charles IV, 1788-1808

“Sumilleres de Corps” to King Ferdinand VII , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father = Charles IV of Spain , mother = Maria Luisa of Parma , birth_date = 14 October 1784 , birth_place = El Escorial, Spain , death_date = , death_place = Madrid, Spain , burial_plac ..., 1808 and 1814-1833

References

“Sumiller de Corps” to King
Louis I Louis I may refer to: * Louis the Pious, Louis I of France, "the Pious" (778–840), king of France and Holy Roman Emperor * Louis I, Landgrave of Thuringia (ruled 1123–1140) * Ludwig I, Count of Württemberg (c. 1098–1158) * Louis I of Blois ...
, 1724

“Sumilleres de Corps” to King
Ferdinand VI , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father = Philip V of Spain , mother = Maria Luisa of Savoy , birth_date = 23 September 1713 , birth_place = Royal Alcazar of Madrid, Madrid, Spain , death_date = , death_place = Villavic ...
, 1746-1759

“Sumilleres de Corps” to King
Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person t ...
, 1759-1788

“Sumilleres de Corps” to King
Ferdinand VII , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father = Charles IV of Spain , mother = Maria Luisa of Parma , birth_date = 14 October 1784 , birth_place = El Escorial, Spain , death_date = , death_place = Madrid, Spain , burial_plac ...
, 1808 and 1814-1833