Grand Butler of France

Most cupbearer of France (French Grand Bouteiller de France) was one of the four oldest Großkronämter France in the Middle Ages and during the Ancien Régime. The incumbent received from the day of the inauguration a hereditary title of nobility of the first degree ( Adelung by a government office ). The origins go back to the Merovingian era.

Had the majority cupbearer to the basement, di wine and later also the liquor cellar of the monarch as an area, which is why he also Butler was dubbed in German-speaking ( title of the kingdom Butler, butler or butigler ), to the overall supervision of the vineyards and the wine trade. He always had to provide for full barrels and sufficient supply of the desired beverage, also supervised the serving and credenzas at the royal table. Later he was also keeper of the State Treasury ( Trésor Royal), so Kronschatzmeister and chief financial officer, along with the Grand Chamberlain of France. The office was not represented consistently in the list of major offices of the crown at the French royal court. This meant that the king indeed had a butler, but his powers reduced to the original work, and the office was not hereditary. Bouteiller From the French term dt = (literally ) " plumbers " of neulat. " buticularius " = Schenk and buticula = bottle of the Carolingian period is derived the modern English word " butler" from across the Irish family le Botiler that there the office of cupbearer generations exercised ( Theobald Le Botiler or Butler, United cupbearer of Ireland ( eng. Chief Butler of lreland ) under King Henry II in 1177, name variations: " Botelere ", " Butelere ", " Buteller ", " Botyler ", " Bottler " ).