Grand Squire of France
The Grand Master of France ( Grand Ecuyer de France) was one of the great officers of the crown of France under the Ancien Régime.
The Grand Écuyer was designated initially as Maitre de l' Ecurie ( equerry ) collected in 1470 Grand Officer of the Crown. The first incumbent was Alain Goyon, lord of Villiers, Thieuville and Mesnil Garnier.
The Grand Écuyer, general Monsieur Le Grand called, was responsible for the royal stables. He personally was under the Grande Ecurie in Versailles, while his representative, the Premier Écuyer de France ( Monsieur Le Premier) had the Petite Ecurie among themselves. At the Grande Ecurie was especially the royal stud farm, the Petite Ecurie was chiefly responsible for the fleet. The jurisdiction of the Grand Master also extended to the training of the nobility in the military arts throughout the Kingdom. Consequently, he was allowed to carry the sword of the king in the royal ceremonies outside the palace.
From 1643 to the French Revolution, the Grand Master was consistently out of the house of Lorraine and the French line, the Guises.