Find out who the best and worst-paid staff at the palace are, from kitchen porters to private secretaries
Would you like to work for the royal family?
Ever dreamt of working for the Queen and her family? The Royal Household regularly advertises jobs in Buckingham Palace, St James’s Palace, Clarence House, Windsor Castle and more. And while some employees are paid just above the minimum wage, other roles come with six-figure salaries – not to mention an attractive package of live-in accommodation, long holidays and a good pension.
So what kind of jobs can you do at the palace? Considering the size of royal residences, it’s no wonder there are plenty of positions. The royal household are always looking for butlers, footmen, gardeners, housekeepers, retail assistants and property administrators.
Windsor Castle is currently hiring a furniture conservator, offering a starting salary of £25,500 per annum for the 37.5 hours per week role. According to the description, the employee will “care for and restore furniture to the highest standard” and can also live in the castle. The castle is also looking for a paintings conservator, with the salary advertised from £28,000 to £32,000 per annum, dependent on experience. And if you want to work in the gift shop, you can expect to be paid £8.90 per hour.
Meanwhile, Buckingham Palace is hiring a property administrator. Not an everyday administration role, this job involves liaising with external contractors, filing, invoicing and collating inventories as well as providing administrative assistance to the property team. The starting salary is £21,500 to £22,000 per annum, dependent on experience.
Events assistants are on a similar pay bracket. St James’s Palace are currently looking for an events assistant – someone who will plan and deliver the annual programme of events and receptions for the Royal Collection Trust. The starting salary is £21,000 per annum. Kitchen porters are paid a similar amount, earning nearly £20,000 per annum, with live-in accommodation and all meals provided. Chef de parties are also paid around £21,000 per annum; this unique job involves creating meals for the Queen’s state dinners and royal receptions.
Going up the pay ladder, a digital communications officer can expect to be paid around £30,000 per annum. Last year, Buckingham Palace advertised for the role to manage the Queen’s social media accounts. Meanwhile, a head of digital engagement is paid around £45,000 to £50,000.
The higher-paying jobs in the palace include the comptroller, who heads up the Lord Chamberlain’s Office which organises the Queen’s public appearances, events and garden parties. The current comptroller, Lieutenant Colonel Sir Andrew Ford, is on a six-figure salary and came under fire back in 2012 when his wage was increased to £116,000. Also on a similar six-figure salary is the master of the household, who coordinates official and private events at a royal residence and oversees its kitchen and housekeeping staff.
Those in close contact with senior royals are paid equally staggering amounts. The Queen’s private secretary is reported to take home around £146,000 a year. But the highest-paid palace role is the keeper of the privy purse. The keeper, who can be paid around £180,000 a year, is responsible for managing the royal family’s many expenses while also keeping costs down.
Source: HELLO MAGAZINE
