Queen Elizabeth’s Former Staffer Reveals How She Treats Her Employees: ‘You Feel At Ease’
Queen Elizabeth has over 1,000 employees, some of whom have come forward to describe how Her Majesty treats her staff members. Here’s what the Queen’s former staffers said about what it was like working for the royal family.
Former staff members described working for Queen Elizabeth and the royal family
A couple of Queen Elizabeth’s former employees shared their experiences working with the royal family. One said the family makes staff feel “recognized” for their “hard work.”
“One of the best things about working for the royal family is when you are recognized for your hard work,” Grant Harrold, former butler to Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla, told Town & Country. “The family would show this by inviting staff to Christmas parties, tea parties, and balls. A fond memory of mine is getting to dance with the Queen at the Gillies Ball in the Balmoral ballroom.”
Another staff member, Simon Morgan, who served as a Royal Protection Officer from 2006 to 2013, described the perks of working with royalty.
“You find yourself in places you wouldn’t normally have access to,” Morgan said. “You are very fortunate to be in these positions, to travel by private charter, or travel first class, or to be on super-yachts, or to eat in some of the nicest restaurants the world can offer.”
A former royal staff member said his first meeting with Queen Elizabeth was ‘really lovely’
Another former staffer, Steven Kaye, worked as Queen Elizabeth’s royal footman for three and a half years. He opened up about how Her Majesty treated him when he first met her.
“She said welcome to the Royal household, I’m looking forward to seeing you next week and she had obviously been briefed about my mother who is a machinist for a company based in Long Eaton where I’m from,” Kaye told Slingo. “They have the Royal warrant of appointment for providing soft furniture to the Royal household and the Queen spoke about how she knew my mother was working for a Royal warranted company.”
Kaye added, “She’s obviously briefed to make you feel at ease and like she knows something about you. It was really lovely.”
Her Majesty gives her employees the same Christmas gift every year
Working for the royal family has many perks, and one is the annual Christmas gift Queen Elizabeth gives all of her staff members.
Each December, the Queen gives each staffer a Christmas pudding, a greeting card, and a gift or book voucher loaded with a dollar amount that varies depending on how long the employee has worked for her (per Reader’s Digest).
Queen Elizabeth also gives the presents to each staff member directly. A senior officer calls out each employee’s name in order of their rank, starting with the most senior. Her Majesty then hands each gift to the staff members personally. It’s a tradition the Queen has upheld since she took the throne in 1952.
