History glossary
Retinue
a group of attendants, servants, officials, or followers attached to an important person.
- Category
- Social structure
What it means
A retinue is the group of people who accompany or serve a ruler, noble, official, or other high-status figure. In royal contexts it could include servants, guards, musicians, administrators, and close attendants who helped display and support elite status.
Related terms
Stories using this term
The Mali Empire
From Sundiata's victory at Kirina to Mansa Musa's pilgrimage and Timbuktu's rise, Mali turned gold, trade and political alliance into one of medieval Africa's great empires.
The Meiji Restoration
From Tokugawa order to imperial restoration, conscription, industrialisation and military victory, the Meiji era transformed Japan into a modern imperial power.
The Hundred Years War
From Edward III's claim to Joan of Arc, Agincourt and Castillon, the Hundred Years War reshaped England, France and medieval warfare.
The Anglo-Saxons
The Anglo-Saxons were the peoples and kingdoms that shaped Anglo-Saxon England after the end of Roman rule in Britain. From migration and settlement in Anglo-Saxon Britain to Christian conversion, Viking attacks, Alfred the Great, and the road to 1066, Anglo-Saxon history explains how early medieval England took form. Their language, laws, kingdoms, monasteries, and political traditions left a lasting mark on English identity before the Norman Conquest transformed the realm.
The Elizabethan Age
Elizabeth I’s reign brought stability, cultural flourishing, exploration, and victory over the Spanish Armada.
Kievan Rus
The founding of the Rus’ state in the north.
The Norman Conquest of England
From Viking settlers to conquerors, the Normans reshaped England, Italy, and the medieval Mediterranean.
The Tudor Dynasty
The Tudors strengthened royal power, drove religious change, and shaped early modern England.
