I have just learned a totally worthless (but fascinating) piece of information.
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1. Hundreds of years ago, when an English king had a bowel movement, he was attended by an assistant entitled "The Groom of the Stool."
2. The "stool" referred to a box upon which the regal buttocks sat. Inside the box was the chamber pot.
3. The duties of the Groom of the Stool was to help His Majesty undress for the occasion and to furnish water and towels.
4. As time went on, this intimate relationship evolved so that the Grooms of the Stool became more like private secretaries.
5. This position was abolished in 1901.
My main sources were Wikipedia and an article by Ben Johnson at historic uk.com.
*****
1. Hundreds of years ago, when an English king had a bowel movement, he was attended by an assistant entitled "The Groom of the Stool."
2. The "stool" referred to a box upon which the regal buttocks sat. Inside the box was the chamber pot.
3. The duties of the Groom of the Stool was to help His Majesty undress for the occasion and to furnish water and towels.
4. As time went on, this intimate relationship evolved so that the Grooms of the Stool became more like private secretaries.
5. This position was abolished in 1901.
My main sources were Wikipedia and an article by Ben Johnson at historic uk.com.
