{{other uses, Almoner
The Grand Almoner of France (french: Grand aumônier de France) was an officer of the French monarchy and a member of the ''
Maison du Roi
The Maison du Roi (, "King's Household") was the royal household of the King of France. It comprised the military, domestic, and religious entourage of the French royal family during the Ancien Régime and Bourbon Restoration.
Organisation ...
'' ("King's Household") during the ''
Ancien Régime
''Ancien'' may refer to
* the French word for "ancient, old"
** Société des anciens textes français
* the French for "former, senior"
** Virelai ancien
** Ancien Régime
** Ancien Régime in France
''Ancien'' may refer to
* the French word for ...
''. He directed the religious branch of the royal household (the
Ecclesiastical Household The Ecclesiastical Household is a part of the Royal Household of the sovereign of the United Kingdom. Reflecting the different constitutions of the churches of England and Scotland, there are separate households in each nation.
England
The Church ...
, french: Maison ecclésiastique du roi de France) also known as the Royal Chapel.
The title "Grand Almoner" was created by King Francis I. The office was not included in the official list of
Great Officers of the Crown of France
The Great Officers of the Crown of France (french: Grands officiers de la couronne de France) were the most important officers of state in the French royal court during the ''Ancien Régime'' and Bourbon Restoration. They were appointed by the K ...
established by
Henri III
Henry III (french: Henri III, né Alexandre Édouard; pl, Henryk Walezy; lt, Henrikas Valua; 19 September 1551 – 2 August 1589) was King of France from 1574 until his assassination in 1589, as well as King of Poland and Grand Duke of L ...
in 1582, but some specialists of the French monarchy place the position among the Great Offices.
The Grand Almoner played above all a symbolic role as the most important member of the church in the royal court. Often having a church rank of
bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...
, more rarely that of cardinal, the Grand Almoner had a number of important privileges, including oversight of charity organizations in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
and the right to the silver service of the royal chapel at the death of the king. The Grand Almoner also gave communion to the King and performed baptisms and princely marriages. The position was largely dominated by a few aristocratic families, such as by the House of Rohan.
The position was roughly equivalent to the position of
Lord High Almoner
The Royal Almonry is a small office within the Royal Households of the United Kingdom, headed by the Lord High Almoner, an office dating from 1103. The almoner is responsible for distributing alms to the poor.
The Lord High Almoner is usually a ...
in the United Kingdom, who oversees the U.K.
Ecclesiastical Household The Ecclesiastical Household is a part of the Royal Household of the sovereign of the United Kingdom. Reflecting the different constitutions of the churches of England and Scotland, there are separate households in each nation.
England
The Church ...
Great Officers of the Crown of France
The Great Officers of the Crown of France (french: Grands officiers de la couronne de France) were the most important officers of state in the French royal court during the ''Ancien Régime'' and Bourbon Restoration. They were appointed by the K ...
*
Maison du Roi
The Maison du Roi (, "King's Household") was the royal household of the King of France. It comprised the military, domestic, and religious entourage of the French royal family during the Ancien Régime and Bourbon Restoration.
Organisation ...
References
:''This article is based on the article
Grand aumônier de France {{other uses, Almoner
The Grand Almoner of France (french: Grand aumônier de France) was an officer of the French monarchy and a member of the '' Maison du Roi'' ("King's Household") during the ''Ancien Régime''. He directed the religious branch o ...
from the
French Wikipedia
The French Wikipedia (french: Wikipédia en français) is the French-language edition of Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia. This edition was started on 23 March 2001, two months after the official creation of Wikipedia. It has articl ...