With the death of Queen Elizabeth II comes the biggest period of institutional change for the British monarchy in over 70 years. It affects every system and hierarchy, from the titles bestowed on members of the royal family, to the job security of loyal members of staff.
Here, Newsweek answers a reader's query about what happens to the late queen's household staff now that she has died and what this means as King Charles III begins his reign.
What Is the Royal Household?
The royal household is the name given to the collective staff members employed by members of the royal family.
Each senior member of the royal family employs their own individual staff which are grouped under the employment structure of the royal household.
Household members range from equerries and private secretaries to maintenance staff at the royal palaces, chefs, chauffeurs and cleaners.
The largest of the households belonged to Queen Elizabeth II with 491 full-time equivalent staff members being paid from the sovereign grant (money allotted to the monarch for the running of their official business) in the financial year 2021-2022.
The second largest household belonged to the former Prince of Wales, now King Charles III, with 101 full-time equivalent staff members.
The primary base of the royal household is Buckingham Palace with satellite hubs based in the principal residences of individual members of the royal family. When King Charles was Prince of Wales, his staff were based at St. James's Palace and Clarence House. The staff of his son Prince William, now Prince of Wales, is based at Kensington Palace.
Who Were the Queen's Most Prominent Staff Members?
Of the 491 full-time equivalent staff members employed by Queen Elizabeth II's royal household in 2021-2022, the largest number were employed within the master of the household's department. This group of people oversees the private and official entertainment on behalf of the monarch within the royal residences and include caterers, florists, housekeepers, footmen etc.
The incumbent master of the household at the time of the queen's death was Vice Admiral Sir Tony Johnstone-Burt and he oversaw a number of the late monarch's closest staff members.
Among these members of staff were those included in "HMS Bubble", the name given to the small number of personal servants and officials who spent lockdown with the monarch during the COVID pandemic. The queen's personal footman and page of the backstairs, Paul "Tall Paul" Whybrew, was part of the bubble and walked behind her coffin on its journey from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall on Wednesday.
Perhaps the best known member of the queen's personal staff was her dresser and friend, Angela Kelly.
Kelly worked for the monarch for two decades, helping to design some of the most memorable outfits of her reign and even learning how to cut and style the queen's hair during the pandemic.
Another prominent staff member at the time of the queen's death was her private secretary Sir Edward Young who joined the royal household in 2004.
Young advised the queen during the most recent troubles faced by the royals including the scandals of Prince Andrew and setbacks of the pandemic. The aide became a figure of public interest in July 2022, during Prince Harry's security lawsuit against the U.K. government, when the royal's lawyer revealed that Harry had "significant tensions" with his grandmother's secretary.
With the death of the queen, this group of trusted aides and allies are expected to leave the royal household, though no confirmation on staff changes has yet been given by the palace.
Read more
- King Charles' Staff Redundancies Slammed by Trade Union: 'Heartless'
- Five Unexpected Things That Happened When Queen Elizabeth II Died
- Fact Check: Did Queen Elizabeth II Reign for 30 Percent of U.S. History?
What Happens to the Queen's Staff Now?
With the death of one monarch and the accession of another, the structure of the royal household faces an overhaul as two groups of staff amalgamate.
The 491 staff members working for the late queen and the 101 staff members working for King Charles at the time of his accession may find themselves overlapping at key points with redundancies expected in both camps.
Britain's The Daily Telegraph reported on Monday that while a service of thanksgiving for the life of the queen was taking place in Scotland, members of Charles' staff were issued with notices of possible redundancies—just four days into the new reign.
In a letter seen by the newspaper, senior palace courtier Sir Clive Alderton, who works with King Charles, wrote to staff:
"The change in role for our principals will also mean change for our household ...The portfolio of work previously undertaken in this household supporting the former Prince of Wales's personal interests, former activities and household operations will no longer be carried out, and the household ... at Clarence House will be closed down," the letter said.
"It is therefore expected that the need for the posts principally based at Clarence House, whose work supports these areas will no longer be needed."
While Charles therefore is expected to keep a large number of his late mother's staff, there will be many who find themselves without a position.
On Thursday, The Times of London reported that members of the queen's household have entered a six-month "grace period" where they will either be kept on and redeployed in other departments by the new king, or they will face redundancy. This, according to the newspaper, is owing to a special clause included in royal household contracts that specifically relates to the death of the head of the monarch.
While it is likely that secretaries, housekeepers, chefs, chauffeurs, gardeners etc. will be kept on, some of the queen's more personal staff may be made redundant or choose to leave the household voluntarily, such as her footmen and dressers.
Newsweek contacted Buckingham Palace for comment
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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