In Portugal, the woman charged with taking care of a noble person's body (cleanliness, clothes, etc) was called 'covilheira' (also spelt 'cuvilheira').
Her job (this was always a woman's job) included bathing children and ladies and handling their clothes (particularly the undergarments, such as the chemise and drawers). They were also responsible for washing and cleaning hair, cutting nails, dealing with depilation and other 'body services'.
Men also had their own 'covilheiras'. These women could be simple servants but could also be noblewomen (working for a noble of royal blood, for example). Nevertheless, it was not a position of prestige in the household.
What was the name given to this 'job' in the British households?
And if perchance these particular tasks weren't in the hands of a particular person, what would be the best way of translating the word into English without a job description?
I accepted Aaron Brick's answer because I assume there isn't an exact match between the two European cultures for the position in question and his answer seems to me as the closest.
Nevertheless, and since I require a word to translate 'covilheira' that sounds a bit more natural (and perhaps more obvious) in a sentence such as 'she noticed the woman of the bedchamber sleeping on a straw mattress', I am considering to pen an alternative to the proper designation: I shall go with 'grooming-maid' as 'maid' conveys the appropriate sense of servant (which the Portuguese word carries) and 'grooming' conveys an idea of her tasks.
Thank you all for your ideas and suggestions, for they were the ones that inspired the designation I 'created' to replace the factual one.
