Working and living in Buckingham Palace – the royals want to use this to attract new staff. The salary, on the other hand, is less attractive.
Who wouldn’t want to work for the Queen? To move in the orbit of the royals, magnificent palaces and estates as a place of work – that sounds tempting for many. And indeed there is this possibility: the royal family keeps posting vacancies. Among other things, a domestic help is currently being sought to do her work in the heart of the British monarchy: in Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.
However, no one gets rich with it, quite the opposite: the pay is meager, the royals are apparently stingy when it comes to paying their employees. According to the job description, the hourly wage is only £7.97, which corresponds to around EUR 9.35 and is even below the statutory minimum wage of £9.50 (approx. EUR 11.15).
Free room and board at Buckingham Palace
In order to be able to cover the cost of living in London, the organization “Living Wage Foundation” even estimates an hourly wage of 11.05 pounds. So do the royals let their employees starve? It’s not that bad. After all, the domestic help would live in the palace and be fed there too. The corresponding costs are deducted from the salary. The offer is still not generous.
Those who are not put off by the low salary should have a “proactive approach” and a willingness to “take on new challenges”. An eye for detail is also required. Applicants for the 40-hour position should also have good time management and be able to work efficiently. Previous experience in the hospitality industry is not a must, but an advantage.
Domestic help should take care of furniture and guests
Duties primarily include cleaning and maintaining furniture and objects in Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle to ensure the premises appear “in the best condition,” according to the job posting. In addition, the domestic help should greet guests at events and receptions and take care of them. Applications will be accepted until June 19th.
Sources: The Royal Household / UK Minimum Wage / Living Wage Foundation
