Valet de chambre , or
varlet de chambre, was a
court appointment introduced in the late
Middle Ages, common from the 14th century onwards.
Royal Households had many persons appointed at any time. While some
valets simply waited on the patron, or looked after his clothes and other personal needs, itself potentially a powerful and lucrative position, others had more specialized functions. At the most prestigious level it could be akin to a monarch or ruler's personal secretary, as was the case of
Anne de Montmorency at the court of
Francis I of France. For noblemen pursuing a career as
courtiers, like
Étienne de Vesc, it was a common early step on the ladder to higher offices.