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Women and the Politics of Access at the Court of Brussels. The 'Camareras Mayores' of the Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia (1598-1633)
| In 1598, the Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia, daughter of Philip II of Spain, and her husband Archduke Albert of Austria became the new sovereigns of the Habsburg Netherlands. As a princess of the blood royal, Isabella had an extensive household at her disposal at the Court of Brussels. The only household officials who could speak with Isabella on a daily basis, who accompanied her on her every move, and who served and entertained her in her most private apartments, were the ladies-in-waiting. Because of their unrestricted access to (and their intimate relationship with) the Infanta, some of these noblewomen were able to gain a huge political advantage by exerting influence on her decisions. This was certainly true for the camarera mayor, the principal lady-in-waiting who stood at the head of Isabella’s Bedchamber service. Starting from correspondence that has never been studied before with this purpose, this paper aims to explore the lives and careers of Jeanne de Chassincourt, the Infanta’s first camarera mayor, and her successor Antonia Wilhelmina d’Arenberg, countess of Isenburg. It will explain how these women entered the service of the Infanta and, over time, managed to gain her utmost trust and confidence. As a result, Jeanne and Antonia Wilhelmina became some of the most influential women at the Court of Brussels.
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