Buzz
The Royal Family of England is hiring for specialized positions, ranging from watch adjusters (over 1000 pieces) to individuals dedicated to carving meat for raw banquets.
You might not be aware, but within the Royal Family of England, there are over 1000 staff members. Surprisingly, considering the immense workload within the royal household each day.
However, amidst the usual tasks, there are some remarkably peculiar professions that guarantee nobody knows they exist.
1. Furniture Curator - £770,000/year
The Royal Palaces of England boast numerous rooms, each with different and highly unique furnishings. Therefore, they need someone to take charge of preserving, maintaining the quality, and overall appearance of the entire residence.
Furniture preservation is an ideal role for those passionate about restoring historical values and identifying new decor trends. In 2019, Windsor Castle posted a job opening for this position with a salary of approximately £25,500 per year (equivalent to over 770 million VND).
2. Master of Music - £465,000/year
This position first appeared in 1625 and has a tenure of 10 years. Currently, renowned composer Judith Weir holds the position of the Royal Master of Music, also the first female master in history.
In reality, the responsibilities of the Master of Music are not clearly defined. It is known, however, that this figure is responsible for composing the music for royal events and ceremonies.
The salary for this position falls around £15,000 per year (equivalent to over 465 million VND).
3. Royal Treasurer - £5.5 billion VND/year
Indeed, the British Royal Family also requires a treasurer. With an estimated fortune in the hundreds of millions of pounds, they need a professional to manage the finances for the family.
Currently held by Sir Michael Stevens, the salary for this position is around £180,000 per year (over 5.5 billion VND).
4. Royal Astronomer - 3 million VND/year
Established in 1675, the longest-standing position in the British Royal Family, tasked with advising the family on matters related to astronomy and the universe. Currently, the position is held by the Earl Martin Rees.
In reality, this position has brought many achievements to the royal family, such as the famous Halley's Comet named after Edmond Halley - the Royal Astronomer since 1720. However, the salary for this position is purely symbolic: only £100 (approximately over 3 million VND) per year.
5. Royal Linen Keeper - 550 million VND/year
This is a highly important role. No royal banquet is arranged without the approval of this individual. According to the job description, the linen keeper is responsible for 'ensuring that the tablecloths match the splendor of the banquet' and 'always maintaining the fabric quality to the highest standards' for future generations.
The salary for this position falls around £17,778 per year (approximately over 550 million VND), including meals.
6. Queen's Stamp Guardian
Queen Elizabeth II inherited a stamp collection from her father, intending to preserve it for future generations. However, being a busy person, she needs someone to assist with this task. Hence, the position of 'stamp guardian' was created.
From 2003 - 2018, Michael Sefi undertook the role of preserving the stamp collection for the Queen, traveling worldwide to find the rarest stamps to add to it. After his retirement, the position remains vacant, and the salary is undisclosed.
7. Art Frame Conservator - 850 million VND/year
Buckingham Palace boasts 775 rooms, and nearly every room is adorned with paintings. This is mentioned to highlight the extensive number of paintings in the palace, not to mention their invaluable worth.
The art frame conservator's role is to prevent any painting in the palace from deteriorating. This individual has an office right within the palace to be not only consistently present but also to make decisions regarding necessary changes to the paintings.
The job, which comes with a decent salary, involves around £27,000 per year (850 million VND).
8. Buckingham Palace Phone Operator - 713 million VND/year
The palace might receive up to 7,000 calls per week, mainly from fans and the media. With such volume, they need a switchboard operator with excellent skills - adept at handling phone lines smoothly and resolving conflicts if they arise.
The salary for this position (as per the 2016 recruitment announcement) is around £23,000 - equivalent to over 713 million VND per year.
9. Royal Pot Washer - 600 million VND/year
This position is ideal for those without experience in the Royal Family. Their task is to keep the kitchen clean and assist chefs in food preparation.
That's it. In addition, they have the privilege of accompanying the Queen to other royal-owned areas.
The 2018 recruitment notice for this position set the salary at £19,935, equivalent to over 600 million VND per year.
10. Meat Cutter
Given the scale and number of events hosted at Buckingham Palace, the British Royal Family needs someone dedicated to meat cutting at each occasion, in the most perfect way possible.
However, this is not a position for ordinary individuals to apply. It is an 'inherited' role, meaning it is passed down from one generation to another. Currently, Alexander Fielding - Earl of Denbigh and Desmond, holds this position.
11. Royal Watchmaster
Also known as the watch custodian. The duty of this individual is to adjust every clock in the royal family during Daylight Saving Time. Queen Elizabeth II requires the entire team to dedicate their weekends to ensure all family clocks are set an hour ahead.
Meaning, twice a year, they spend a total of about 40 hours adjusting clocks in the British Royal Family. The time spent is understandable as the royal family has over a thousand clocks waiting for them to handle.
Source: SCMP, Business Insider
