Legal Definitions - familiares regis

Familiares regis

This Latin term refers primarily to individuals who were part of the king's personal household or immediate retinue. These were people directly serving the monarch in various capacities, from personal attendants to administrative staff. Historically, it also served as a specific, ancient title for the six clerks of chancery in England, who were crucial officials responsible for drafting, authenticating, and issuing royal documents and legal instruments.

• Imagine a medieval English king traveling across his kingdom. His entourage would include not just soldiers, but also personal advisors, chamberlains managing his private quarters, and scribes handling his correspondence. These individuals, who lived and worked in close proximity to the monarch and directly served his personal and administrative needs, would all be considered part of the familiares regis.

  This illustrates the general meaning of the term, encompassing those who formed the king's immediate domestic and administrative circle.

• Consider a situation in 14th-century England where a new royal charter needed to be drafted, officially sealed, and recorded for posterity. The intricate legal and administrative work involved in creating such a document would be overseen by one of the senior clerks of the Chancery.

  In this specific historical context, that clerk would hold the ancient title of a familiares regis, highlighting the term's specialized application to these key legal and administrative officials who ensured the proper functioning of the crown's legal machinery.