Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, Mistress of Robes

Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, is best known as an ambitious political climber who rose through the ranks of late-17th-century England to become the favourite of Queen Anne. Her role as confident, possible lover and political power player has been well documented, but her position as Mistress of the Robes in the Office of the Robes, responsible for managing some of the queen’s clothing and accessories, is less well studied.

Dr Sarah A Bendall is a Senior Lecturer at the Gender and Women’s History Research Centre in the Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University.