“A letter that someone will never forget”: Charles’ $43,000 job offer
Charles and Camilla have put out a call for help with their royal duties, searching for a passionate wordsmith to pen responses to the thousands of letters they receive each year.
Their request comes in the form of a one-year contract posted to the palace’s official website, for an individual to “support the important work of The King and The Royal Family”. Coincidentally, the position advertises a start date of May 2023 - the same month in which King Charles III’s coronation will take place.
The royals are offering a wage slightly above the United Kingdom’s minimum wage of 10.42 GBP (~19.45 AUD) per hour, with prospective writers looking at an hourly rate of 11.79 (~22.01) on top of the advertised “benefits”.
According to the job listing, the ideal candidate is someone who dreams of “drafting a letter that someone will never forget” as part of a like minded team committed to supporting the royal family and engaging with the public.
“Thousands of letters addressed to The Monarch and Royal Family are received every year,” the ad explains. “Working as part of the Correspondence team, your challenge will be to ensure that each one receives a timely and well composed response.
“Every day you will respond to letters sent by the public regarding social, community and national matters, drafting bespoke responses to answer varying and often unique queries.”
Reportedly, the letters sent in one year to the late Queen Elizabeth II amounted to around 70,000, so it’s no small surprise that the family have opted to call in reinforcements to make sure each one receives a thoughtfully crafted response.
“It's working in a team with a shared and unique purpose,” the website notes, “engaging with the public whilst supporting The King's role. This is what makes working for The Royal Household so exceptional … Recording and monitoring all correspondence, you'll be proud of the number of letters you handle and this will drive you to deliver consistently high standards.
“In this way, you will help to support the important work of The King and The Royal Family.”
Unsurprisingly, the ad calls for someone who is confident in their ability to process large volumes of work according to strict deadlines, and who preferably has previous experience in administrative duties. “Excellent written and verbal communication skills” are, of course, a given.
The listing hints at a digital sidekick, noting that applications should “have strong IT skills” that they can apply to “bespoke systems”, as well as a “keen eye for detail” to deliver their work quickly and accurately.
Most of all, however, enjoyment in a team-based environment is crucial, while an interest in current affairs couldn’t hurt - especially in such a “truly unique environment”.
Images: Getty