Queen Elizabeth II’s Private Secretary Gets Paid Less Than Person Who Handles the British Royal Family’s Finances
The British royal family employs more than 1,000 people but only one has the distinction of being the highest-paid individual on their payroll. Ahead, find out which job working for the royal family draws the biggest paycheck.
Being employed by the royal family might sound like a dream job but in reality, it’s very demanding. Those who manage to land a job inside the walls of Buckingham Palace, a distinction many miss out on because of fierce competition, must adhere to strict rules and are often required to be available at all hours of the day. That is after they complete an intense training process where they learn the ins and outs of their particular job.
Lowest salary at Buckingham Palace has been below London’s living wage
Queen Elizabeth II and the rest of the royal family are notorious for not paying their employees well. When positions as housekeeping assistants became available in 2018, the job description stated those got the gig would be paid £8.17, which at the time equated to about $10 USD. That amount of money had been below London’s living wage of £10.20 or $13.02 USD in 2018.
Other jobs working for the royal family including telephone operator, horse groomer, live-in dishwasher, and assistant gardener have had salaries ranging anywhere from $19,000 – $22,000 USD
Keeper of the Privy Purse is British royal family’s highest-paying job
Want to make the big bucks working for the royal family? Become Keeper of the Privy Purse. The job title is the royal way of saying treasurer, or the person who manages the Royal Household’s finances, according to Reader’s Digest. What is the Privy Purse? An allowance from the public revenue to cover the monarch’s private expenses.
Sir Alan Reid, who previously held the position, reportedly earned £180,000 or $237,675 USD in 2012, making him the highest-paid employee working for the royal family.
The person who is responsible for managing the royal family’s finances is required to release an annual report on finances. It’s certainly a big job considering the royal family’s net expenditures cost £67 million in 2019, according to the royal family’s financial reports from 2018 and 2019.
Today, the Keeper of the Privy Purse is Sir Michael Stevens. While Reid made a hefty salary in 2012, it’s not far-fetched to think Stevens currently makes more as the Keeper of the Privy Purse given the ever-increasing cost of living.
Queen Elizabeth II’s private secretary makes nearly $200,000
The fact that the leader of the monarchy’s personal secretary is said to make less money than the Keeper of the Privy Purse shows just how important the position is within the royal family.
Being the private secretary to Queen Elizabeth II has to be one of the most demanding — if not the most demanding — job within the walls of Buckingham Palace. However, with the hefty dose of responsibility comes a sizable paycheck. Queen Elizabeth II’s private secretary, Sir Christopher Geidt (pictured above), reportedly earns £146,000 or $192,771 USD taking the No. 2 spot among the highest-paid jobs working for the royal family.
