Charles was gloriously crowned the King of England in 2023 on May 6. The Coronation day saw King Charles wear two crowns including one worth £5 billion. On top of that, many renowned artists performed to mark day including American pop-star Katy Perry.
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As the Royal Family marks one year since the historic day, King Charles decided to reward his staff members and workers with a little pay boost. Here’s how much of a boost he is actually giving.
King Charles' ‘thank you’ pay boost to staff
With the year the Royals have had since the coronation, their working staff has had to be hands-on in all aspects. For instance, staffers have had to handle a lot of misinformation and rumours that have been circulating around in the media regarding the monarch's health and possible return to work. It was indeed reported earlier in 2024 that Buckingham Palace was investigating false books sold on Amazon about the monarch’s health.
Moreover, as the family battles through various health challenges the Royal Family staff has been on their toes the past few months. Amidst this, the monarch has decided to give a ‘thank you’ pay boost to the Royal staff members. The news came 2 days ahead of his coronation ceremony anniversary.
According to an insider, all the staff members earning less than £35,000 a year will get 6% extra, while those who get over £35,000 a year will receive 5.5% extra. The insider told The Sun:
It’s easy to forget how hard people work behind the scenes at the Palace but the King’s not done so.
He and Camilla have had a lot to be worried about with his cancer diagnosis but clearly, he’s thinking about others too. This is a real morale boost for staff.
In 2022, the Royal staff also received up to £600. The pay rise came after King Charles gave the staff a cost of living, heating and mortgage grant from his reserves. A gesture that is sure to be appreciated especially it was reported that the British Royal Family’s net worth is at number 5 with a net worth of $88 billion (around £69 billion).
How much do you get paid for working for the British Royal Family?
The British Royal Family might be one of the wealthiest families in the world, however, the alleged pay of their staff doesn't reflect that and reportedly brings the entire Firm shame. Earlier in 2024, it was revealed that the Royal Household was hiring a new housekeeper at Holyroodhouse with a salary of £12 an hour. Like most institutions, the salaries of the Royal staff members vary depending on their position and experience. However, if you think that working with them will get you a six-figure salary, you might be wrong!
In 2023,Cosmopolitan reported that the highest paying salary on the Royal Family’s vacancies site was Senior Project Manager which paid the ideal candidate £55,000 to £60,000 (depending on experience) as they worked out of Buckingham Palace. As of today (May 6, 2024), there are a total of 11 open vacancies on the job site and all the salaries listed are below £60,000 per annum. Here are the open vacancies and how much their starting salaries are:
- Housekeeping Assistant - £12 per hour
- Property Project Manager (Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle) - £50,000 - £60,000 per annum
- Programme Co-ordinator to The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh - circa £27,000
- Recruitment Advisor - Circa £35,000
- Pastry Sous Chef - Competitive plus benefits
- Digital Content Officer - Circa £30,000
- Administrator (Pictures) - £25,500
- Head of Decorative Arts Conservation - £53,000
- Assistant Project Manager - £40,000 - £45,000 per annum
- Operations and Moves Manager (FTC) - Circa £46,000 per annum
- Security Officer - £26,208
To say the least, Royals have been labelled as ‘not the most generous paymasters.’ Back in 2022, Insider analysed the Royal Jobs page and found that out of 503 jobs advertised between 2015 and 2021, 10 positions advertised salaries starting below the living wage recommended by the Living Wage Foundation and 247 positions 'advertised pay within pennies of that rate.’ In 2023, one of the most shocking listings was for the role of Senior Attendant at Windsor Castle. The full-time, live-in role listed an annual salary of a little over $28,600.
The Royal Family responded to the Insider’s reporting at that time and issued a statement, confirms Robb Report. The statement read:
It is disappointing to find glaring inaccuracies and outdated information being relied on for a series of ill-informed and baseless claims about the operations of The Royal Household.
However, the Firm - which has 28 Royal residences - failed to respond to Insider’s request for further clarification on where these inaccuracies lay.
To be fair, many roles also don’t list salaries on the website and may pay higher than what is described here. But in totality, working for the Royal Family simply doesn’t imply you’ll get Royal paychecks.
How much do royals get paid?
As expected, the Firm also pays for the salary of working Royals. While there are not many of them left, the group still includes names that are a popular face on many fronts. Their job roles can be best described as ‘Influencer,’ reports Cosmopolitan. In May 2023, the publication reported that the Firm is worth $28 Billion and even boosts the UK economy with its income.
The Royals get paid through the Sovereign Grant. Whatever revenue the Royal Family makes 75% goes to the British Treasury and 25% of it goes to the Sovereign Grant.
The process of getting a job with the Royal Family
If, in case, you’re still interested in getting a position with the Royal Family you have to undergo a strict security process. Cosmopolitan confirmed that every selected candidate has to go through rigorous security and background checks. The Firm doesn’t require any additional information when you apply for a job, but once you’re selected for a position, you will have to provide additional information and a security questionnaire. The entire process takes 4-6 weeks for clearance. The Prince of Wales’ website added:
This is nothing to be concerned about. We will contact your professional, and sometimes personal, referees. We'll also undertake background checks in order to process your security clearance.
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Sources Used
The Sun: King Charles gives staff a ‘thank-you’ pay boost ahead of anniversary of his Coronation
Cosmopolitan: Here's Exactly How Much You'd Get Paid Working for the British Royal Family
Royal Family website: Current Vacancies
Robb Report: Working for the Royal Family Doesn’t Mean Royal Wages. Here’s How Much Jobs at Windsor Castle Really Pay.
Cosmopolitan: Inside the British Royal Family’s Eye-Popping Net Worth and How “the Firm” Makes Billions
