“The Queen is Hiring” announcements for variousjobs at Queen Elizabeth II's castles and palaces seem to be popping with unusual frequency these days. Practically every week the British press features fresh articles announcing royal openings and tempting potential candidates with the possibility of living “for free” in a royal household and learning “first-hand” about the daily lives of the most famous royal family in the world.
Members of the Royal family and guests on Buckingham Palace. Hundreds of staff members are needed to... [+] ensure a smooth running of that royal household. Photo: Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images
Just bear in mind: “servants” of all levelsare those whomake things happen in a royal household and the best of them are neitherseen norheard. Discretion is paramount, especially because scandal usually follows when royal servants decide to “spill the beans” - hence the requirement that every new hire sign a document binding him or herto secrecy.
'A Royal Duty' by the former butler to Princess Diana, Paul Burrell, included extracts of private... [+] letters written to and from Diana, as well as claims about her marriage, break-up, subsequent relationships and death. Photo: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images
The most famous traitor - if you will -was Paul Burrell, author of the book “A Royal Duty” about the years he worked as a butler first for Prince Charles and Princess Diana, before their divorce and then went to serve the tragic princess. The book became a best-seller and one of the biggest headaches for the British monarchy.
More recently was the young journalist from The Mirror who infiltrated Buckingham Palace as a butler and reported back to the newspaper in a series of articles about palace life, including a famous photo of plastic containers that he said were part of the queen’s daily dinner routine.
There are over 1,000“servants” working for the queen and, according to numerous reports, being hired to work in one of her palaces is not as difficult as it may seem, although it's well documented that they are generally poorly paid, work long hours, live in small quarters and many times deal with jealousy and resentment from fellowstaff.
The footmen accompanying the queen are among the positions that get posted via the Royal Household... [+] website Photo: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images
Buckingham Palace, for example, features 188 “modest” staff bedrooms on site.
At the same time “this is no standard housekeeping role” according to the ad for a live-in housekeeping assistant by the Royal Household. As Time wrote “That means you actually eat and sleep, full-time, at Buckingham Palace. You know, the sprawling London abode where Queen Elizabeth II, Prince William,Kate Middleton and the rest of the royal crew are known to hang out regularly.”
There are other rewards, apart from the opportunity to eyewitnessthe world of luxury and glamour of the British Monarchy and even the chance of stumbling upon Prince Harry or duch*ess Kate. Some of the jobs offer perks and packages like phones and bikes, discretionary car leasing and free staff lunches. All meals are free, of course, for thoseliving in.
“They are privy to the secrets of some of the country's wealthiest members of the Royal Family and ensure their every need is tended to,” The Express recently explained.
But the announcement that “the queen is hiring” should not be taken literally. In reality, the queen has nothing to do with the signingof a new butler or a ladies maid. It's all handledby secretaries, the Royal Household office and employment agencies that count onthe favor of the crown.
One of the organizations in charge of the employment of staff specifically to care for the royal collections, from conservators, curators and publishers to press officers, general workers and interns is the Royal Collection Trust: “We are one of the five departments of the Royal Household and employ approximately 600 staff to care for the Royal Collection, one of the world's greatest art collections of the official residences of Her Majesty TheQueen – Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.”
In case you're interested, take a look atsome current openings.
A recent scheme offersmembers of the public a new opportunity to improve their chances to be hired as royal butlers if they're able to pay £7,000 for a four-week training course (etiquette lessons included) at the Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire.
The announcement onthe website explains that the month-long course “gives the candidates the perfect opportunity to kick start a career in this unique profession.”
Blenheim, which is included in the list of World Heritage sites, is a 300-year-old palace built in the early 18th Century to celebrate Britain'svictory over the French during the War of the Spanish Succession. It's home to the Dukes of Marlborough and has managed training courses for service staff for three centuries, according to itssite.
Blenheim Palace, where royal butlers get their training Photo: Victor Boyko/Getty Images
The currentoffer representsa partnership with a well-known butler training company, the Royal Butler Academyand among the instructors appear Her Royal Highness Princess Katarina of Yugoslavia & Serbia, herself a member of the British royal family and the Serbian royal family, and former royal butler Grant Harrold, who worked for Prince Charles and the duch*ess of Cornwall.
But the most direct way to find a job with the queen is through the British Monarchy website,where the Royal Household dedicates a page listingnew vacanciesat Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, St. James Palace, and the palace of Holyroodhouse, among others.
Here are a couple of examples of recent vacancies that have triggeredattention fromthe British press:
A $10,500 dollar-a-year job polishing the queen's “historic vases and irreplaceable paintings” at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, which requires 20 hours over a five-day week.
The royal website describes the job as "delivering extraordinary service in incredible surroundings” and “admiring a spotless room before thousands do the same" and clarifies that experience is "by no means essential.”
Nor isexperience required for a Buckingham Palace job as telephone operator to help with the more than 7,000 calls a week it fields,and with an annual salary starting at £23,000, plus benefits and a 15% employer contribution pension scheme. "After extensive training, you will be responsible for handling each call appropriately, and you will quickly become familiar with this unique and varied organization.”
InJanuary, there will be new announcements for summer jobs in August and September, when Buckingham Palace opens its doors to the public. “The summer also brings many more visitors to Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse,” the Royal Collection Trust explains. “We recruit a large team of summer Wardens, Retail Assistants and Ticket Sales Assistants in London, Windsor and Edinburgh.”
