s/o royals: the Queen is MM

[womet]

She's offering 12,000 pounds as the starting salary. That's $18,540. I hope there are other benefits included.

~~~~
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/queen-elizabeth-II/10237911/Wanted-a-maid-for-the-Queen.html


The job advertisement, which has an application closing date of 21 August, insists that enjoying “working as part of a team” is a mandatory requirement for the future housekeeping assistant.

The permanent housekeeper would work 37 and a half hours a week as part of the household office at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official Scotland residence of Her Majesty the Queen.

The option of staying in accommodation provided by the Royal Household is also available.

As part of the role, her majesty’s maid would take care of “antiques and specialist cleaning” and also be adept at “meeting, greeting and guiding guests at functions and events”.

The housekeeping assistant must also “be meticulous, with a close attention to detail”, be “enthusiastic” and “thrive in a busy, team focused environment”, as well as having a passion for the hospitality industry.

Applicants are asked to provide full details of their academic and employment history, together with contact details for academic, employment and character referees.

The job description on the Royal website reads: “The Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official residence in Scotland of Her Majesty The Queen. It is also one of Scotland's premier visitor attractions, open throughout the year and drawing 250,000 visitors annually.”

The Queen is to receive a five per cent ‘pay rise’ next year, giving her an annual income of £37.9million.

[CallingAllAngels]

The Queen:

[leshoequeen]

Who pays the Queen's salary?

[Deleted]

Salaries are generally significantly lower in the UK than US even with the exchange rate.

[mbcdefg]

Oh man, $18k/year? That's crazy. And the U.K. isn't exactly a LCOL area, right?

I wonder if it's just a seasonal or temporary thing ... the queen isn't at Holyroodhouse all that often, and they don't host any state dinners there.

It always makes me laugh when the media calls the queen, or Kate, "thrifty" when they re-wear a certain piece of clothing to another event. I wouldn't really label it as MM when Kate's re-wearing a coat or hat that originally cost her around $3k, but I guess it's all relative in this case

[zarapipe]

I bet the royals have set wages for particular positions. I would assume this would be what was set for all of the housekeepers. She must have a slew of them.

[mbcdefg]

Aug 13, 2013 13:38:01 GMT -5 leshoequeen said:

Who pays the Queen's salary?

I think taxes from British citizens help support the monarchy. I also think that Parliament contributes?

The monarch also gets revenue from being the Duke of Lancaster: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duchy_of_Lancaster

Wikipedia article on the topic, so take it with a grain of salt: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finances_of_the_British_Royal_Family

[Deleted]

Is be interested to know what it includes. I could totally live on $1500/month if someone paid for housing, food, healthcare, etc.

[womet]

Aug 13, 2013 13:52:26 GMT -5 papiercherri said:

Is be interested to know what it includes. I could totally live on $1500/month if someone paid for housing, food, healthcare, etc.

Healthcare is covered by the NHS, but I'd hope that the starting salary reflected that housing was included.

[halfpint]

Yeah, doesn't seem like that bad of a deal to me.

Wages are definitely lower, but that free healthcare/social welfare deal really helps. It's a hell of a lot more than I made as a PR assistant when living over there, and I had to pay for housing.

[niq]

I assume 37.5 hours/week is "an eight hour workday with half an hour for lunch", and not some sort of game to keep the maid from counting as "full time"?

[womet]

Aug 13, 2013 14:20:40 GMT -5 niq said:

I assume 37.5 hours/week is "an eight hour workday with half an hour for lunch", and not some sort of game to keep the maid from counting as "full time"?

Yes. I think that's a typical work week there.

[halfpint]

Aug 13, 2013 14:20:40 GMT -5 niq said:

I assume 37.5 hours/week is "an eight hour workday with half an hour for lunch", and not some sort of game to keep the maid from counting as "full time"?

There's no real impetus to do so.  37.5 hours/week is probably taking lunch off, but there aren't really games to keep people from getting healthcare or benefits.  You know, damn socialists and all.  37.5 hours/week is most definitely considered full time there (and actually, would be here, too).

[mrshabious]

Aug 13, 2013 13:40:05 GMT -5 mbcdefg said:

Oh man, $18k/year? That's crazy. And the U.K. isn't exactly a LCOL area, right?

I wonder if it's just a seasonal or temporary thing ... the queen isn't at Holyroodhouse all that often, and they don't host any state dinners there.

It always makes me laugh when the media calls the queen, or Kate, "thrifty" when they re-wear a certain piece of clothing to another event. I wouldn't really label it as MM when Kate's re-wearing a coat or hat that originally cost her around $3k, but I guess it's all relative in this case

The palace is open year round, except when the royal family is in residence.  So, I would imagine the staff is there year round too.

[Deleted]

I should hope this is a live in position for that amount of money. If I was the Queen I would be willing to pay an arm and a leg to get someone good/trustworthy and make them jump threw hoops a little to get the job (I am assuming she does anyway with extensive background check and such).

[Heisenberg]

Aug 13, 2013 13:52:26 GMT -5 papiercherri said:

Is be interested to know what it includes. I could totally live on $1500/month if someone paid for housing, food, healthcare, etc.

definitely. I'm packing my bag now. LOL

[Deleted]

Aug 13, 2013 13:40:05 GMT -5 mbcdefg said:

Oh man, $18k/year? That's crazy. And the U.K. isn't exactly a LCOL area, right?

I wonder if it's just a seasonal or temporary thing ... the queen isn't at Holyroodhouse all that often, and they don't host any state dinners there.

It always makes me laugh when the media calls the queen, or Kate, "thrifty" when they re-wear a certain piece of clothing to another event. I wouldn't really label it as MM when Kate's re-wearing a coat or hat that originally cost her around $3k, but I guess it's all relative in this case

This always makes me laugh too.  I mean yes Kate buys some things at Zara and the like that are much more affordable for the average person, but a good deal of her clothing - probably the majority - is very expensive - and now obviously more and more is being custom-made. 


anyway, I don't think 18k a year is that bad for 37 hours a week, if housing is included, and I'm assuming this is a relatively low-level position? It's probably not someone who is going to have a ton of contact with the royal family.

Isn't Balmoral in Scotland? That's where the queen vacations, right?  but holyroodhouse is her official residence?

I would like to have several castles at my disposal, TYVM. 

[mbcdefg]

Aug 14, 2013 7:52:10 GMT -5 @mrsbecky07 said:

Aug 13, 2013 13:40:05 GMT -5 mbcdefg said:

Oh man, $18k/year? That's crazy. And the U.K. isn't exactly a LCOL area, right?

I wonder if it's just a seasonal or temporary thing ... the queen isn't at Holyroodhouse all that often, and they don't host any state dinners there.

It always makes me laugh when the media calls the queen, or Kate, "thrifty" when they re-wear a certain piece of clothing to another event. I wouldn't really label it as MM when Kate's re-wearing a coat or hat that originally cost her around $3k, but I guess it's all relative in this case

This always makes me laugh too.  I mean yes Kate buys some things at Zara and the like that are much more affordable for the average person, but a good deal of her clothing - probably the majority - is very expensive - and now obviously more and more is being custom-made. 


anyway, I don't think 18k a year is that bad for 37 hours a week, if housing is included, and I'm assuming this is a relatively low-level position? It's probably not someone who is going to have a ton of contact with the royal family.

Isn't Balmoral in Scotland? That's where the queen vacations, right?  but holyroodhouse is her official residence?

I would like to have several castles at my disposal, TYVM. 

Yes and yes.

I made the mistake of vacationing in London BEFORE I got into all of this. I went to Windsor Castle as part of a bus tour (also went to Stonehenge and Bath), and looking back I missed out on a lot of things that I now know about. I'm REALLY kicking myself for choosing not to go see Queen Mary's Doll House.

[LoveTrains]

Aug 13, 2013 14:20:40 GMT -5 niq said:

I assume 37.5 hours/week is "an eight hour workday with half an hour for lunch", and not some sort of game to keep the maid from counting as "full time"?

I know lots of people that theoretically only work 35 hours/week as "full time", including at my job and my H's. That is an 8 hour work day with a one hour lunch.

Now of course we are salaried so we really do work longer than that, I am just posting that 35 hours can be considered full time.

In fact, at my first job out of college, I was an hourly assistant at a university with a 35 work week. I actually gleefully worked through lunch every day for the additional $$$.