Some kings kept their close stool in ?more private? rooms than others, but even private rooms would allow a handful of people, with the Groom of the Stool always among them.

Historically, kings and queens used a variety of "royal" facilities that evolved from the communal to the highly private. In medieval castles, royals used garderobes—small rooms with a stone or wooden seat that protruded over the castle walls, allowing waste to fall into the moat or a cesspit. In the Tudor and Stuart eras, the "Close Stool" (a padded box with a pewter or ceramic pot inside) was the standard; it was so prestigious that a high-ranking noble, the "Groom of the Stool," was appointed specifically to assist the monarch. By the 18th century, early water closets (WCs) began appearing, such as the one installed for Queen Elizabeth I by her godson. Today, modern royalty like King Charles III use standard, albeit high-end, modern bathrooms in palaces like Buckingham or Windsor. When traveling, "royal suites" in hotels or private aircraft are equipped with state-of-the-art plumbing, though they still maintain a level of discretion and security traditional for a head of state.