What do you think?
Rate this book
Working for the Royals
Ask any visitor to London, from Tokyo to Tennessee, what is their number one priority in places to see, and the answer will invariably be: Buckingham Palace. It is by far the most famous building in the world and the lady who lives there, Queen Elizabeth 11, is easily the most famous woman on the planet.
Her Majesty employs some 1,200 men and women, full and part-time, permanent and temporary in her various Royal residences with over 400 working for her at Buckingham Palace alone.
So, what is she like to work for? Is she a generous employer? Does she encourage friendliness among those whose salaries she pays or does she prefer to keep her distance? Is it true she hates her servants to have facial hair – beards or moustaches? Why do the housemaids have to vacuum while walking backwards at all times? How are the servants told to react when they meet the Queen or any member of her family? What’s the money like?
In many ways Her Majesty is a model employer, providing food, drink and accommodation, at the best address in London, to her staff, but one thing she does not offer is high wages.
So why do most of them stay for many years? This book gives all the answers from the inside.
Brian Hoey has written 26 books about Britain’s Royal Family and as a former reporter and presenter with BBC Television and Radio he has interviewed Prince Charles, Princess Anne ( whose official biography he wrote), the Duke of Edinburgh and the late Diana, Princess of Wales. Hoey was a television commentator at the wedding of Charles and Diana in 1981 and again, sadly, in 1997 at the funeral of Diana, He has also interviewed many of Hollywood’s Royalty including; Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, Ray Milland, Cary Grant, David Niven, Gregory Peck, Sophia Loren, Kirk Douglas, Jean Simmons and he conducted the final TV interview with Charlie Chaplin.
Her Majesty employs some 1,200 men and women, full and part-time, permanent and temporary in her various Royal residences with over 400 working for her at Buckingham Palace alone.
So, what is she like to work for? Is she a generous employer? Does she encourage friendliness among those whose salaries she pays or does she prefer to keep her distance? Is it true she hates her servants to have facial hair – beards or moustaches? Why do the housemaids have to vacuum while walking backwards at all times? How are the servants told to react when they meet the Queen or any member of her family? What’s the money like?
In many ways Her Majesty is a model employer, providing food, drink and accommodation, at the best address in London, to her staff, but one thing she does not offer is high wages.
So why do most of them stay for many years? This book gives all the answers from the inside.
Brian Hoey has written 26 books about Britain’s Royal Family and as a former reporter and presenter with BBC Television and Radio he has interviewed Prince Charles, Princess Anne ( whose official biography he wrote), the Duke of Edinburgh and the late Diana, Princess of Wales. Hoey was a television commentator at the wedding of Charles and Diana in 1981 and again, sadly, in 1997 at the funeral of Diana, He has also interviewed many of Hollywood’s Royalty including; Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, Ray Milland, Cary Grant, David Niven, Gregory Peck, Sophia Loren, Kirk Douglas, Jean Simmons and he conducted the final TV interview with Charlie Chaplin.
58 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 23, 2014
388 people are currently reading
195 people want to read
About the author
Brian Hoey
51 books21 followersBrian Hoey is one of the united Kingdom's best informed royal chroniclers. He has written a wide variety of books on the royal family.
He was one of the BBC's first television newscasters and has been a writer and broadcaster for over 40 years at 2002.
He lives in South Wales with his wife and the couple have three grown-up children.
He was one of the BBC's first television newscasters and has been a writer and broadcaster for over 40 years at 2002.
He lives in South Wales with his wife and the couple have three grown-up children.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
September 21, 2018
This book was written in 2014 it is short. It is really an shortened version of his other book "Not in front of the Corgis".
This is more of an annual report than a book there are lots of facts and figures and very few gossipy bits.
Oh and one glaring error where the date of the London bombings is given as 9/11 ... as opposed to 7/11.
This is more of an annual report than a book there are lots of facts and figures and very few gossipy bits.
Oh and one glaring error where the date of the London bombings is given as 9/11 ... as opposed to 7/11.
February 7, 2021
Like many books about the contemporary British royalty, this one hasn't been well-edited and the writing is indifferent. However, it's still interesting for the behind-the-scenes look it offers, even if it's a bit outdated by now. I like the description of the servants' quarters and the hierarchy within their ranks.
May 21, 2018
Short and sweet
My first Kindle single and what a great interesting read,Some real interesting nuggets of info,easy read really recommend this reas
My first Kindle single and what a great interesting read,Some real interesting nuggets of info,easy read really recommend this reas
December 17, 2021
Following on the heels of the sucky Ken Wharfe bio of Diana, my royal itch was unscratched. Kindle Unlimited recommended this book to me. It's great. It is pretty short, but it does the job.
Working for the Royals is the book for you if you want the skinny on Buckingham Palace workings. It gave me the feel of an insider because he names the roles and current names of the constellation of 12 that the global famous Elizabeth uses to secure her day and organize her life.
Imagine life as an icon and how every person will leach and exhaust your time. Imagine life as a icon and being a perfectionist (as Elizabeth II obviously is) and the wall you will build using protocol and decorum to make a little bubble. This book lays out how the staff work inside the palace to run "The Firm" The bar they maintain and the joy of being part of something larger than life, the world of Elizabeth Royal.
This book showed the many kindnesses of Elizabeth, the grace and favor apartments available to retired retainers. The fact that she makes efforts to make others feel respected. The fact that she shows up to work every day, harder than everyone else.
The author brought up several times the scary and startling invasion of Elizabeth's bedroom when the deranged man climbed through a window and ended up at the end of her bed. Even with all of her staff and loyalty, everyone failed her. The call she made for help was considered "faulty" and the protection officer outside of her door had wandered off for a tea. So here we have this extraordinary woman, kept her presence of mind in the moment and afterwards maintained her cool. OK, here goes, you are dead asleep in your bedroom and wake up and a strange man in on the edge of your bed?? That's all bad.
I would have chucked everyone in the Tower of London, but she has the long view and moved on with her life. What I would give to have that form of inner strength.
This book is not gossipy. It is respectful, economical and even at times a little dry. If you are a royal watcher this one will flesh out many details that other bios do not provide. It is just as it says it is.
Elizabeth at 95 years old had near relatives that knew Queen Victoria. Much of her life within the palace is an extension of this old royal lifestyle. The hundreds that rely on Elizabeth for work are living on borrowed time in my opinion. This way of life is Gone with the Wind soon. Charles will keep all in place but William will likely turn Buckingham Palace into a museum or state hotel and live more simply and privately. There is no way he is going to ramble around that big building with liveried foot servants after spending the day snipping ribbons. If he loved that life, he would not have married a commoner and embraced her family life and taken it as a model for raising his own family.
That's just me. I will continue to love and enjoy the majesty of Elizabeth's reign while we have her, we will never have another Queen like Elizabeth, she has Victorian England trapped in amber. So cool.
Working for the Royals is the book for you if you want the skinny on Buckingham Palace workings. It gave me the feel of an insider because he names the roles and current names of the constellation of 12 that the global famous Elizabeth uses to secure her day and organize her life.
Imagine life as an icon and how every person will leach and exhaust your time. Imagine life as a icon and being a perfectionist (as Elizabeth II obviously is) and the wall you will build using protocol and decorum to make a little bubble. This book lays out how the staff work inside the palace to run "The Firm" The bar they maintain and the joy of being part of something larger than life, the world of Elizabeth Royal.
This book showed the many kindnesses of Elizabeth, the grace and favor apartments available to retired retainers. The fact that she makes efforts to make others feel respected. The fact that she shows up to work every day, harder than everyone else.
The author brought up several times the scary and startling invasion of Elizabeth's bedroom when the deranged man climbed through a window and ended up at the end of her bed. Even with all of her staff and loyalty, everyone failed her. The call she made for help was considered "faulty" and the protection officer outside of her door had wandered off for a tea. So here we have this extraordinary woman, kept her presence of mind in the moment and afterwards maintained her cool. OK, here goes, you are dead asleep in your bedroom and wake up and a strange man in on the edge of your bed?? That's all bad.
I would have chucked everyone in the Tower of London, but she has the long view and moved on with her life. What I would give to have that form of inner strength.
This book is not gossipy. It is respectful, economical and even at times a little dry. If you are a royal watcher this one will flesh out many details that other bios do not provide. It is just as it says it is.
Elizabeth at 95 years old had near relatives that knew Queen Victoria. Much of her life within the palace is an extension of this old royal lifestyle. The hundreds that rely on Elizabeth for work are living on borrowed time in my opinion. This way of life is Gone with the Wind soon. Charles will keep all in place but William will likely turn Buckingham Palace into a museum or state hotel and live more simply and privately. There is no way he is going to ramble around that big building with liveried foot servants after spending the day snipping ribbons. If he loved that life, he would not have married a commoner and embraced her family life and taken it as a model for raising his own family.
That's just me. I will continue to love and enjoy the majesty of Elizabeth's reign while we have her, we will never have another Queen like Elizabeth, she has Victorian England trapped in amber. So cool.
May 16, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. Gives some good insight on what it is like to work for the Royals. I was quite surprised to learn how below market the wages are for the Buckingham Palace employees. However, a stint in working at Buckingham Palace can propel someone to 2-3x those wages in future hospitality jobs that they are almost guaranteed to have their pick of. I look forward to reading other books on same subject by Brian Hoey. The only reason why I gave this one 4 rather than 5 stars is that I felt the book could have been longer and contained even more detail.
August 30, 2017
Interesting book
I found it very interesting that people work at the palace, due to the respect they have of the queen. The various names that are given for different jobs is very interesting..
I found it very interesting that people work at the palace, due to the respect they have of the queen. The various names that are given for different jobs is very interesting..
September 1, 2017
Good book.
Presents detailed information into the roles of those that work in Buckingham Palace and what their job entails. Would recommend to someone interested in reading about this.
Presents detailed information into the roles of those that work in Buckingham Palace and what their job entails. Would recommend to someone interested in reading about this.
February 18, 2023
interesting and enlightening
An enjoyable read, clearly explaining the various roles within the royal household. Entertaining and informative, the author has certainly done his homework.
An enjoyable read, clearly explaining the various roles within the royal household. Entertaining and informative, the author has certainly done his homework.
June 3, 2019
Was ok
Bit short. Why bother with such a short book. Should have been a full length book. Otherwise it was ok.
Bit short. Why bother with such a short book. Should have been a full length book. Otherwise it was ok.
August 17, 2019
E.nj😄
Great description of many positions to be had if you work for th e Queen. Want an office with a view.
Great description of many positions to be had if you work for th e Queen. Want an office with a view.
December 11, 2019
Book did not hold my interest very long. I will not finish it.
January 7, 2020
Great read
Love this book and author. Informative, great read, and well-written. My only complaint would be that I wish it were longer.
Love this book and author. Informative, great read, and well-written. My only complaint would be that I wish it were longer.
January 17, 2021
A brilliant book, easy to read, and some great insights into the workings of the royal family.
Highly recommend!
Highly recommend!
August 5, 2021
Interesting look at what its like to work for the royal family. Somewhat complicated hierachy. Hard to keep track of all the titles.
August 19, 2021
A measured and discreet look behind the scenes of Buckingham Palace. Enjoyable as a 'lockdown' read/
September 29, 2022
Enjoyable Read
I enjoyed this short book very much. I thought it was interesting, humorous and witty. This is a very short review since lunch is over soon and back to work for me.
I enjoyed this short book very much. I thought it was interesting, humorous and witty. This is a very short review since lunch is over soon and back to work for me.
November 7, 2022
Great quick read
Interesting read! I am royal follower and this provider keen insight in the workings of the palace. Look forward to reading more by this author. Thank you!
Interesting read! I am royal follower and this provider keen insight in the workings of the palace. Look forward to reading more by this author. Thank you!
April 20, 2023
Interesting read! I was a little disgusted by the rates their employees are paid and the outlandish rules the royal family has for their staff.
March 20, 2024
Excellently written.
I was very interested in the workings of the Queen’s household at Buckingham Palace and this book has given me a rare inside story of the Working Royals.
I was very interested in the workings of the Queen’s household at Buckingham Palace and this book has given me a rare inside story of the Working Royals.
September 7, 2024
Interesting account of the Royal Household, as it was in 2014 and in earlier years.
September 18, 2025
Nothing new. A short book. Not worth reading.
March 9, 2017
A once in a lifetime experience
A rare look into behind the scenes of Buckingham Palace & the people who work for the Queen of England.
I highly recommend this book if you enjoy reading about Royalty
A rare look into behind the scenes of Buckingham Palace & the people who work for the Queen of England.
I highly recommend this book if you enjoy reading about Royalty
December 11, 2014
Working fit the royals
This book certainly goes into the nitty gritty of the business of running Buckingham Palace. I was very shocked to learn how little the staff made, the lower staff that is and that they often have to moonlight to pay the bills. Also interesting was that the staff know they could make more but still work there, before sometimes going on to other positions. The queen does take care of those who have worked for her after retirement often providing them a home which is very generous.
This book certainly goes into the nitty gritty of the business of running Buckingham Palace. I was very shocked to learn how little the staff made, the lower staff that is and that they often have to moonlight to pay the bills. Also interesting was that the staff know they could make more but still work there, before sometimes going on to other positions. The queen does take care of those who have worked for her after retirement often providing them a home which is very generous.
June 17, 2015
This is a book about the men and women that work at the Royal residences with 400 people working for the Queen at Buckingham Palace alone. That sure is a lot of servants. The Queen is a model employer providing food, drink and board, but the pay is not very good. Surprising to me is the snobbery among the palace employees. Formality is rigidly observed The author names all the jobs there are and what they do. The book is more about the work, not really stories about the royals.
February 21, 2015
So there is 8 ft of snow on the ground here and this seemed like an easy, sort of trashy read. It's kind of fascinating learning about the workings of a purely representative monarchy. It's short and I borrowed this for free from the Kindle library and that's exactly how much effort I'd recommend putting toward reading it.
February 10, 2016
A friend recommended this book. Very interesting, and fast read. It is a totally different world, especially for us Americans.
Very quick & informative intro into palace life. If you find this interesting, it reminds me a little of a special I saw on PBS that showed many of these aspects in more detail.
Very quick & informative intro into palace life. If you find this interesting, it reminds me a little of a special I saw on PBS that showed many of these aspects in more detail.
November 21, 2014
Enjoyable, informative, unbelievable. A must read about the internal working of the royal households of the Windsors.
Excellent easy read.
Would definitely recommend to all who like the pomp and ceremony of a royal family. Modern day British life.
Excellent easy read.
Would definitely recommend to all who like the pomp and ceremony of a royal family. Modern day British life.
November 26, 2014
Interesting
if interested in the queen and workings of her residences this is a good short read took about an hour and I learned some facts unknown to me. nothing of much importance mostly curiosity
if interested in the queen and workings of her residences this is a good short read took about an hour and I learned some facts unknown to me. nothing of much importance mostly curiosity
January 11, 2015
A NICE PEAK
Being a person who loves all things "royal", I really enjoyed reading about those people who work behind the scenes at the palace. This was very well written...a nice quick read. Rather than being "gossipy", instead it was factual and detailed.
Being a person who loves all things "royal", I really enjoyed reading about those people who work behind the scenes at the palace. This was very well written...a nice quick read. Rather than being "gossipy", instead it was factual and detailed.
February 18, 2015
Interesting Read
Was a brief look inside the workings of the Royals and gave answers to some things I have wondered about. I am not a "Royal Follower" and this book was a great book for a outline of how things work.
Was a brief look inside the workings of the Royals and gave answers to some things I have wondered about. I am not a "Royal Follower" and this book was a great book for a outline of how things work.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews