The Queen is currently experiencing a staffing crisis at Buckingham Palace, having advertised five times already to fill servant vacancies without success. Courtiers blame a combination of long hours and poor pay for lack of interest in the posts. In addition staff are expected to travel with the Royal family wherever they go in the country, whether it’s Sandringham, Balmoral or Windsor. Former staff have likened working at the palace to the tv series, “Upstairs Downstairs”. Oh dear!
One would think that the esteem of working for the Queen of England would be enough to attract lots of potential job applicants. After all there is a certain status to being a British butler. But it seems this is not the case. Certainly British jobhunters have no interest in working for her Majesty. As an equal opportunities employer, the Queen has offered the vacancies as being open to all nationalities. Applications are currently flooding in from Polish applicants eager to work as Palace butlers for a £20,000 a year salary. Certainly for somebody who has just arrived in the country and needs a job with accommodation, it is a good opportunity. According to recent figures, more than a million East Europeans have made Britain their home.
It’s not surprising there is a lack of British applicants. British butlers are in great demand abroad at the moment, particularly in the States, where ex-palace staff or super butlers can earn £100,000 salaries. Many have left Britain tempted by lucrative job offers from millionaire employers across the pond. The palace has recently ditched tradition by employing its first female butler.
2 comments:
You would think justing working for the Queen for a little while would be interesting. I'm looking for a job but my family might miss me a bit.
I'll put a good word in for you with Her Majesty! Only joking Sheila. I was quite surprised to hear that the Queen was having problems finding staff. Good luck with your job search.
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