This is an E1 write-up that I plan to expound upon soon enough, viz. in the context of the Elizabethan court.
A courtier was a habitue of a sovereign's court. It was typically the stepping-stone position for a young man of an elite who had political or administrative ambitions. Courtiers were often rather masterly diplomats, and many were also statesmen. Well-known courtiers include M. de Talleyrand, Sir Philip Sidney (who was a cup-bearer), Sir Walter Ralegh, [Sir Thomas Wyatt and Calonne, who said in reply to his Queen's request: "Madame, if it is possible, it is done. If it is impossible; it shall be done."