King Henry VIII had a high-ranking official called the Groom of the Stool whose job was to help him use the toilet.

The word stool refers to a close stool, which was a portable wooden toilet with a hole and a bowl inside. This office began under King Henry VII but became very important during the reign of Henry VIII. The Groom checked the King's health and helped him clean up after using the bathroom.Because the job was so private, the Groom was the King's closest companion. Men like Sir William Compton and Sir Henry Norris held this title. They were often the only people allowed to speak to the King without being invited to talk first. This gave them the power to share secrets or ask for favors when no one else was around.The Groom also looked after the Privy Purse, which was the King's private stash of cash. This made him a secret treasurer for the royal family. Only high-ranking noblemen were chosen for this job because it required total trust. The position lasted for hundreds of years until King Edward VII ended it in 1901.