The Queen's work goes on. It includes reading letters from the public,
official papers and briefing notes; audiences with political ministers or
ambassadors; and meetings with her Private Secretaries to discuss her
future diary plans. No two days are ever the same and The Queen must remain
prepared throughout.
CEREMONIES AND PAGEANTRY
The colourful ceremonies and traditions associated with the British
Monarchy are rich in history and meaning and fascinating to watch. In some,
The Queen takes part in person. In others - such as Guard Mounting or Swan
Upping - the ceremony is performed in The Queen's name. Many of the
ceremonies take place on a regular basis - every year or even every day -
which means that British people and visitors to London and other parts of
the United Kingdom may have an opportunity to see some of these interesting
events take place.
THE QUEEN'S CEREMONIAL DUTIES
The Queen has many ceremonial roles. Some - such as the State Opening of
Parliament, Audiences with new ambassadors and the presentation of
decorations at Investitures - relate to The Queen's role as Head of State.
Others - such as the presentation of Maundy money and the hosting of
garden parties - are historical ceremonies in which kings and queens have
taken part for decades or even centuries.
ROYAL PAGEANTRY AND TRADITIONS
In addition to the events in which The Queen takes part, there are many
other ceremonies and traditions associated with the British Monarchy. Some
of these have military associations, involving troops from the present
Armed Forces as well as the members of the historical royal bodyguard, the
Yeomen of the Guard. Others are traditions which are less well known than
the colourful pageantry but are interesting in their own right. Some - such
as the customary broadcasts by the Sovereign on Christmas Day and
Commonwealth Day - are fairly recent in origin, but have rapidly become
familiar and popular traditions.
ROYAL SUCCESSION
When a sovereign dies, or abdicates, a successor is immediately decided
according to rules which were laid down at the end of the seventeenth
century. The coronation of a new sovereign is a ceremony of great pageantry
and celebration that has remained essentially the same for over a thousand
years. As well as explaining accession, succession and coronation, this
section looks at the titles which have been held by different members of
the Royal Family throughout history.
THE ROYAL HOUSEHOLD
Divided into five departments, the Royal Household assists The Queen in
carrying out her official duties. Members of the Royal Household carry out
the work and roles which were performed by courtiers historically. There
are 645 full-time employees, employed across a wide range of professions.
People employed within the Royal Household are recruited from the general
workforce on merit, in terms of qualifications, experience and aptitude.
Details of the latest vacancies are listed in the Recruitment pages of this
section.
The Royal Household includes The Queen's Household, plus the Households
of other members of the Royal Family who undertake public engagements. The
latter comprise members of their private offices and other people who
assist with their public duties.
ROYAL HOUSEHOLD DEPARTMENTS
Royal Household's functions are divided across five departments, under
the overall authority of the Lord Chamberlain, the senior member of The
Queen's Household. These departments developed over centuries and
originated in the functions of the Royal Court. As a result, the
departments and many job titles have ancient names - the jobs themselves,
however, are thoroughly modern!
Most of the departments are based in Buckingham Palace, although there
are also offices in St. James's Palace, Windsor Castle and the Royal Mews.
Members of the Royal Household also often travel with The Queen on overseas
visits and during The Queen's stays at Balmoral Castle and Sandringham,
since The Queen's work continues even when she is away from London.
In addition to the full-time members of the Royal Household, there are
other part-time members of The Queen's Household. These include the Great
Officers of State who take part in important Royal ceremonies, as well as
Ladies-in-waiting, who are appointed personally by The Queen and female
members of the Royal Family.
RECRUITMENT
People are employed within the Royal Household from a wide range of
sectors and professions, including catering, housekeeping, accountancy,
secretarial and administrative fields, public relations, human resources
management, art curatorship and strategic planning disciplines. The special
nature of the Royal Household means that unique career opportunities are
available.
Employment in the Royal Household offers excellent career opportunities
for those who wish to take a new direction. Positions in the Royal
Household receive good remuneration and benefits. For domestic positions,
there are often enhanced by accommodation. The Royal Household is also
committed to training and development, including NVQ and vocational
training, general management and skills-based training across a range of
disciplines - from carriage driving to an in-house diploma for footmen
which is widely recognised in its specialised field as a valued vocational
qualification.
Jobs at Buckingham Palace and in other Royal residences are usually
advertised in national, regional or specialist media in the usual way.
Details of the latest vacancies are listed in the Recruitment pages of this
section and applications can be made by downloading the standard
application form. All positions are also advertised internally to encourage
career development and to offer opportunities for promotion to existing
employees.
A number of vacancies occur on a regular basis, including positions as
housemaids, footmen and secretaries. In addition, nearly 200 Wardens are
employed each year for Buckingham Palace's Summer Opening programme.
Speculative enquiries are welcome for these posts throughout the year.
Recruitment is in all cases on merit, in terms of qualifications,
experience and aptitude. The Royal Household is committed to Equal
Opportunities.
ANNIVERSARIES
Since 1917, the Sovereign has sent congratulatory messages to those
celebrating their 100th and 105th birthday and every year thereafter, and
to those celebrating their Diamond Wedding (60th), 65th, 70th wedding
anniversaries and every year thereafter. For many people, receiving a
message from The Queen on these anniversaries is a very special moment.
For data privacy reasons, there is no automatic alert from government
records for wedding anniversaries. The Department for Work and Pensions
informs the Anniversaries Office of birthdays for recipients of UK State
pensions. However, to ensure that a message is sent for birthdays and
wedding anniversaries alike, an application needs to be made by a relative
or friend in advance of the special day.
The Queen's congratulatory messages consist of a card containing a
personalised message with a facsimile signature. The card comes in a
special envelope, which is delivered through the normal postal channels.
More information about applying for a message and interesting facts about
the tradition are contained in this section.
ROYAL FINANCES
This section provides the latest information on Head of State
expenditure, together with information about Royal financial arrangements.
It includes information about the four sources of funding of The Queen
(or officials of the Royal Household acting on her behalf). The Civil List
meets official expenditure relating to The Queen's duties as Head of State
and Head of the Commonwealth. Grants-in-Aid from Parliament provide upkeep
of the Royal Palaces and for Royal travel. The Privy Purse is traditional
income for the Sovereign's public and private use. Her Majesty's personal
income meets entirely private expenditure.
The Queen pays tax on her personal income and capital gains. The Civil
List and the Grants-in-Aid are not taxed because they cover official
expenditure. The Privy Purse is fully taxable, subject to a deduction for
official expenditure.
These pages also contain information about the financial arrangements of
other members of the Royal Family, together with information on the Royal
Philatelic Collection.
HEAD OF STATE EXPENDITURE 2000-01
Head of State expenditure is the official expenditure relating to The
Queen's duties as Head of State and Head of the Commonwealth. Head of State
expenditure is met from public funds in exchange for the surrender by The
Queen of the revenue from the Crown Estate.
Head of State expenditure for 2001-02, at Ј35.3 million, is 1.0% higher
than in the previous year (a decrease of 1.3% in real terms). The Ј350,000
increase is mainly attributable to fire precautions work at the Palace of
Holyroodhouse, offset by the fact that costs transferred from other funding
sources to the Civil List with effect from 1st April 2001 are only included
in 2001 Civil List expenditure for nine months. They will be included for a
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