At first glance, leading Kensington Palace is no different to running any other company.
Its new CEO will be the household’s “most senior and accountable leader,” in charge of its culture, strategy, and 60-strong workforce.
However, instead of having to answer to the board, the candidate’s boss will be the future King and Queen of the United Kingdom.
The newly-created role has been posted by Odgers Berndtson, the largest executive recruitment firm in the U.K., and reveals the successful candidate will report directly to the senior members of the Royal household.
As well as reporting directly to Prince William and the Princess of Wales—formerly known as Kate Middleton—the new hire will also work closely with King Charles and Queen Camilla’s team, “serving as the strategic interface to Buckingham Palace, to align The Royal Highnesses priorities with those in support of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen.”
Requirements for the role: Progressive, low ego, and calm
Outlining the “unique opportunity to join the dedicated team at Kensington Palace,” the job posting stressed that the right person for the job must be “emotionally intelligent, with ‘low ego,’ and strong self-awareness and understanding of their impact on others.”
Other skills required from applicants include the ability to remain calm under pressure, to operate as a “servant leader” (in which the goal of the leader is to serve) and be “progressive.”
The successful candidate will also need to “bring a track record of strategic and cultural leadership in complex, fast-paced settings, and the ability to demonstrate core values of discretion, humility, integrity, and diplomacy,” the ad continues.
The salary for the role has not been revealed.
Unluckily for those outside the U.K. who might be hoping for a remote role, the 37.5-hours-a-week contract requires someone who can be primarily based at Kensington Palace with occasional travel to Windsor Castle.
A royal shake-up
Traditionally, someone with a military background, often a former senior officer, would oversee the operations of a senior Royal Family member’s office in the capacity of the “master of the household.”
So the move to call the position CEO, as well as its direct reporting line to the Royal couple instead of private secretaries, is a shake-up to the Firm’s usual working order.
Sources have said the decision to create the new role is an example of the Prince and Princess “doing things their own way” when it comes to their futures as next in line to the throne.
“This is a revolutionary move,” one source told the Daily Mail, which broke the news. “They are overthrowing the traditional, hierarchical structure in which staff answer to private secretaries.”
