Bedchamber Question

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

In May, 1839, Lord Melbourne's Whig ministry resigned, and when Sir Robert Peel formed a government he

Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)

Sources & notes

Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.

Common questions

What does “Bedchamber Question” mean?

In May, 1839, Lord Melbourne's Whig ministry resigned, and when Sir Robert Peel formed a government he

Is “Bedchamber Question” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.