Prince William and Kate Middleton Are Quietly Bringing the Royal Family Into a ‘New Age’ With 1 Hiring Move
Prince William and Kate Middleton are hiring. The Prince and Princess of Wales are looking for a CEO to run their office, better known as their royal household. A seemingly everyday move — after all, CEO is a common position in the workplace — an expert says it’s revolutionary for the royal family.
William and Kate want a ‘low ego’ CEO to oversee their office
What does it take to be CEO to royalty? According to the job listing from Odgers Berndtson, a U.K.-based recruitment firm, it takes a slew of traits and extensive experience, as outlined in the four-page description.
“The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is the most senior and accountable leader for the Household of The Prince and Princess of Wales (the Household),” the summary read. “They report to TRHs The Prince and Princess of Wales, representing TRHs to the Household, leading the organization, and supporting its senior leaders to deliver the work and impact of TRH’s official and private offices.”
Qualities William and Kate want in a CEO include someone who is “emotionally intelligent,” has a “low ego,” as well as a “strong self-awareness and understanding of their impact on others.”
They also have to be able to work with William and Kate’s private secretaries and be “progressive and innovative in their approach.” Additionally, the CEO would be required to clock 37.5 hours a week, be based out of Kensington Palace, and make the occasional trip to Windsor Castle and abroad.
Hiring a CEO for their royal household shows William and Kate are ‘taking control of their working lives’
Move over, private secretaries. By bringing in a CEO, William and Kate are “taking control,” Jennie Bond, a royal expert, told OK! Magazine.
“I think this is a sleek and professional move,” she said. “It is ‘the Firm’ moving into a new age, with William and Catherine clearly taking control of their working lives.”
Bond, a former BBC royal correspondent, continued, recalling her own experience with some of the royal family’s private secretaries.
“Private secretaries are rather shadowy creatures, working closely with their principals, but rarely heard from publicly,” she said. “I occasionally wined and dined [with] the late queen’s private secretaries, but they are men (almost exclusively men) who prefer to stay in the background.”
Only recently, with the publication of Prince Harry’s Spare memoir in January 2023, did the public get an inside look at the role of courtiers with revealing passages about the so-called “Sandringham Summit,” among others.
Expert wants William and Kate’s office CEO to be ‘upfront’
Bond continued, saying private secretaries in the royal family “have always been unfailingly polite” and “astute at avoiding any direct questions.”
“You come away thinking you really haven’t gleaned any information,” she explained. “Which, of course, is their intention. They do, however, carry a great deal of power and influence.”
“I think it would be great if the new CEO (hopefully a woman) is upfront, accountable, and acts as [a] spokesperson in front of the cameras when needed,” Bond added. “It is definitely [a] further sign that the Waleses are looking to modernize the monarchy.”
The application deadline for William and Kate’s royal office CEO is Oct. 2, 2023.
