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” was introduced with the accession of Charles V to the throne in 1516, and suppressed after the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic in 1931 and never re-created after the restoration of the Monarchy in 1975, but it can be said that it is the historical precedent of the modern Head of the Royal Household of Spain.
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Historical precedents
Being a historical precedent the Office of “Mayordomo mayor del Rey” of the Kingdom of Castile (1149-1516), the “Mayordomo mayor” of the King of Spain was in charge of the entire organization of the Royal Palace and of its government, having civil and even criminal jurisdiction within its walls through the so-called “Bureo” tribunal.
Regime during the 19th and 20th centuries
Diverse dispositions regulated in the 19th and 20th centuries his functions, but they must be outlined the Royal decrees of October 28 of 1847 and September 4 of 1885.
During the reigns of the last three Kings before the Second Spanish Republic, Isabel II, Alfonso XII and Alfonso XIII, the “Mayordomo mayor” coordinated the whole palatial organization being, from 1840, the highest Office of the Royal Court and such denominated “Jefe Superior de Palacio” (High Chief of the Palace). Only a peer that had the rank of Grandee of Spain could be nominated for this Office.
Also, traditionally, the “Mayordomo mayor” was higher hierarchically than the “Sumiller de Corps”. During the reign of Alfonso XII and part of the reign of Alfonso XIII (until 1907) this latter Office was suppressed.
The “Mayordomo mayor” was equally the holder of the privy seal, or “Guardasellos” as he was called. In that position he assured the signature of all sort of documents by the King and the link between him and the Government.
He did not have jurisdiction as in former times but the Prosecution Law required his official permission for every police inspection within the walls of all the Royal palaces.
In that which concerned to his role in the activities of official nature, the “Mayordomo” intervened, between others:
In royal births and baptisms where the invitations were dispatched by him, occupying the immediate site behind the Monarch.
In Public Chapels where he delivered the prayer-book to the King and was placed, also, immediately behind.
In the Lavatory of Poor, during Easter, in which he helped the Monarch to serve the plates in the later lunch that was offered.
List of mayordomos mayores (high stewards) to the Spanish monarch
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, 1516–1556
1512–1518: Ferry de Croy, Lord of Roeulx
1518-1518: Diego de Guevara, Lord of Jouvel
1518–1522: Ferry de Croy, Lord of Roeulx
1522–1526: Laurent de Gorrevod, Count of Pont-de-Vaux
1526–1527: Charles de Lannoy, Lord of Sanzeilles, Grandee of Spain
1527–1529: Laurent de Gorrevod, Count of Pont-de-Vaux
1529–1540: Adrien de Croy, Count of Roeulx, Grandee of Spain
1541–1556: Fernando Álvarez de Toledo y Pimentel, Duke of Alba de Tormes, Grandee of Spain
Philip II, 1556–1598
1556–1582: Fernando Álvarez de Toledo y Pimentel, Duke of Alba de Tormes, Grandee of Spain
1582–1598: Pedro López de Ayala, Count of Fuensalida, Grandee of Spain
Philip III, 1598–1621
1598–1599: Gómez Dávila y Toledo, Marquess of Velada, Grandee of Spain
1599–1621: Juán Hurtado de Mendoza de la Vega y Luna, Consort-Duke of the Infantado, Grandee of Spain
Philip IV, 1621–1665
1621–1624: Juán Hurtado de Mendoza de la Vega y Luna, Consort-Duke of the Infantado, Grandee of Spain
1629–1639: Antonio Álvarez de Toledo y Beaumont, Duke of Alba de Tormes, Grandee of Spain
1640–1642: Gómez de Mendoza y Manrique, Count of Castrogeriz, Grandee of Spain
1643–1647: Juan Alfonso Enríquez de Cabrera, Duke of Medina de Rioseco, Admiral of Castile, Grandee of Spain
1649–1651: Manuel de Moura y Corte-Real, Marquess of Castel-Rodrigo, Grandee of Spain
1651–1658: Juan Gabriel Pacheco Téllez Girón, Count of la Puebla de Montalbán, Grandee of Spain
1658–1660: García de Avellaneda y Haro, Count of Castrillo, Grandee of Spain
1660–1664: Juan Gaspar Enríquez de Cabrera y Sandoval, Duke of Medina de Rioseco, Admiral of Castile, Grandee of Spain
Charles II, 1665–1701
1665–1667: Bernardo Manrique de Silva y Mendoza, Marquess of Aguilar de Campoo, Grandee of Spain
1667–1671: Antonio Álvarez de Toledo y Enríquez de Ribera, Duke of Alba de Tormes, Grandee of Spain
1671–1674: Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar de Silva y Mendoza, Duke of Pastrana and of the Infantado, Grandee of Spain
1674–1676: Francisco Fernández de la Cueva, Duke of Alburquerque, Grandee of Spain
1676–1696: Íñigo Melchor Fernández de Velasco, Duke of Frías, Grandee of Spain
1699–1701: Juan Clarós Pérez de Guzmán y Fernández de Córdoba, Duke of Medina Sidonia, Grandee of Spain
Philip V, 1701–1724
1701–1705: Fadrique Alvarez de Toledo y Ponce de León, Marquess of Villafranca del Bierzo, Grandee of Spain
1705–1713: José Fernández de Velasco, Duke of Frías, Grandee of Spain
1713–1724: Juan Manuel Fernández Pacheco, Marquess of Villena, Grandee of Spain
Louis I, 1724
1724: Juan Manuel Fernández Pacheco, Marquess of Villena, Grandee of Spain
Philip V, 1724–1746
1724–1725: Juan Manuel Fernández Pacheco, Marquess of Villena, Grandee of Spain
1725–1738: Mercurio Antonio López Pacheco, Marquess of Villena, Grandee of Spain
1738–1746: Francesco María Pico, Duke of la Mirandola, Grandee of Spain
Ferdinand VI, 1746–1759
1746–1747: Francesco María Pico, Duke of la Mirandola, Grandee of Spain
1747: Juan Manuel López de Zúñiga y Castro, Duke of Béjar, Grandee of Spain
1747–1753: Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo y Moncada, Marquess of Villafranca del Bierzo, Grandee of Spain
1753–1759: Fernando de Silva y Álvarez de Toledo, Duke of Huéscar, Grandee of Spain
Charles III, 1759–1788
1759–1760: Fernando de Silva y Álvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alba, Grandee of Spain
1760–1781: José María de Guzmán Guevara, Marquess of Montealegre, Grandee of Spain, Grandee of Spain
1781–1787: Pedro de Alcántara Fernández de Córdoba y Montcada, Duke of Medinaceli, Grandee of Spain
1787–1788: José Joaquín de Silva-Bazán, Marquess of Santa Cruz, Grandee of Spain
Charles IV, 1788–1808
1788–1802: José Joaquín de Silva-Bazán, Marquess of Santa Cruz, Grandee of Spain
1802–1805: Diego Ventura de Guzmán, Marquess of Montealegre, Grandee of Spain, Grandee of Spain
1805–1807: José Miguel de Carvajal y Manrique, Duke of San Carlos, Grandee of Spain
1807–1808: Benito Fernández Correa y Sotomayor, Marquess of Mos, Grandee of Spain
Ferdinand VII, 1808 and 1814–1833
1808: José Miguel de Carvajal y Manrique, Duke of San Carlos, Grandee of Spain
1809–1810: Pedro María Jordán de Urríes y Fuembuena, Marquess of Ayerbe, Grandee of Spain (1)
1814–1815: José Miguel de Carvajal y Manrique, Duke of San Carlos, Grandee of Spain
1815–1820: Francisco de Borja Álvarez de Toledo y Gonzaga, Count of Miranda de Castañar, Grandee of Spain
1820–1822: Antonio María Ponce de León Dávila, Duke of Montemar, Grandee of Spain
1822–1823: José Gabriel de Silva-Bazán, Marquess of Santa Cruz de Mudela, Grandee of Spain
1823–1824: Francisco de Borja Álvarez de Toledo y Gonzaga, Count of Miranda de Castañar, Grandee of Spain
1824–1833: Joaquín Félix de Samaniego Urbina Pizarro y Velandia, Marquess of Valverde de la Sierra, Grandee of Spain
Isabella II, 1833–1868
1833–1838: Joaquín Félix de Samaniego Urbina Pizarro y Velandia, Marquess of Valverde de la Sierra, Grandee of Spain
1838–1847: Juan Bautista Queralt y Silva, Count of Santa Coloma, Grandee of Spain
1848–1855: Juan Nepomuceno Roca de Togores y Carrasco, Count of Pinohermoso, Grandee of Spain
1855-1855: Carlos Martínez de Irujo y McKean, Duke of Sotomayor, Grandee of Spain
1856–1866: Luis Carondelet Castaños, Duke of Bailén, Grandee of Spain
1866–1868: Francisco Javier Arias Dávila y Matheu, Count of Puñonrostro, Grandee of Spain
1868: Antonio María Marcilla de Teruel-Moctezuma y Navarro, Duke of Moctezuma de Tultengo, Grandee of Spain
Amadeo I, 1871–1873
1871: Carlos O'Donnell, Duke of Tetuan, Grandee of Spain
1871–1873: Mariano Rius y Montaner, Count of Rius
Alfonso XII, 1875–1885
1875–1885: José Isidro Osorio y Silva-Bazán, Marquess of Alcañices, Grandee of Spain
Alfonso XIII, 1885–1931
1885–1890: José Joaquín Álvarez de Toledo y Silva, Duke of Medina Sidonia, Grandee of Spain
1890–1906: Carlos Martínez de Irujo y del Alcázar, Duke of Sotomayor, Grandee of Spain
1906–1907: Manuel Felipe Falcó, Marquess of la Mina, Grandee of Spain
1907–1925: Andrés Avelino de Salabert y Arteaga, Marquess of la Torrecilla, Grandee of Spain
1925–1931: Luis María de Silva y Carvajal, Duke of Miranda, Grandee of Spain
(1) Mayordomo mayor in exile at Valençay