Bizarre royal jobs

Bizarre royal jobs
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From carving meat to breaking in shoes, the royal family employs a host of royal officials to keep up their sometimes strange traditions.

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Grand Carver of England

Grand Carver of England
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Of course, the royals would never cut their own meat. This honour is passed down within a high-status family, as it is an inherited office. The Earl of Denbigh and Desmond is the current roast-carving aficionado and gets the chance to show off his expertise at special royal dinners and events.

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Keeper of the Royal Philatelic Collection

Keeper of the Royal Philatelic Collection
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The queen doesn’t just appear on stamps in the United Kingdom – she also collects them. Many pieces from the extensive collection were passed down from her grandfather and father, who were avid collectors before her. These days, the collection is so huge that stamp specialist Michael Sefi holds the head position, organising and maintaining the historically significant documents. He’s held the position since 2003, working to add to the collection and make it visible to the public.

The Queen’s Bargemaster

The Queen’s Bargemaster
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The Royal Bargemaster sits at the command of a team of 24 Royal Watermen, and these positions date back hundreds of years, to times when the royals travelled by water quite frequently. According to the official royal website, there are no state barges still on the Thames today, though there is still the official royal motor launch, the Royal Nore, which members of the royal family use when travelling on the Thames for official engagements. So, the duties of the Royal Watermen are now purely ceremonial. They still engage in escorting royals on the Royal Nore or greeting official guests who come by boat, and now have some on-shore duties as well.

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Master of the Queen’s Music

Master of the Queen’s Music
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Well, it’s not exactly the queen’s royal Spotify-playlist maker. The Master of the Queen’s Music actually has no set responsibilities, as Business Insider reported, but they may compose pieces for royal or state occasions as they see fit. Composer Judith Weir has held this position since 2014 and is actually the first woman in British history to do so. There is a time limit of ten years, though, so expect to see a new face in 2024.

Her Majesty’s Botanist

Her Majesty’s Botanist
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Like many of the other positions on this list, the role of Her Majesty’s Botanist is technically an honorary position. Currently, Professor Stephen Blackmore, botanical enthusiast and regius keeper of the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, holds the rank. Curious about how the royals can afford to employ all these positions? Many are ceremonial and paid for by the state.

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Astronomer Royal

Astronomer Royal
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Astronomer Royal is the title given to a prominent scientist in the field of astronomy. The position was established in 1675 by King Charles II, so you can imagine how much the field has changed since. The current astronomer, Martin Rees, is in good company in this office; Edmund Halley, for whom Halley’s Comet is named, is an alumnus.

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Royal Horological Conservator

Royal Horological Conservator
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This lengthy title is befitting for someone who oversees the functioning and maintenance of all the clocks in the royal properties and residences. And there are certainly a lot of them: 500 in Buckingham Palace, 379 in Windsor Castle, and 80 in the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The conservator’s busiest times? The two weekends when he must lead the Royal Collection staff team in switching every single clock in the collection to or back from British Summer Time, spending over 50 hours carefully adjusting the historical timepieces.

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Master of the Horse

Master of the Horse
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Though the position is largely ceremonial today, as the Crown Equerry now handles the general day-to-day dealings of the royal horses, it is still an important role. It was established in the 14th century when the office held much greater political importance and was responsible for providing horses for travel and warfare for the sovereign. Nowadays, Lord Samuel Vestey is Master of the Horse and attends state and royal occasions where the queen may be riding on horseback or in a carriage, such as Trooping the Colour and the State Opening of Parliament.

Surveyor of the Queen’s Pictures

Surveyor of the Queen’s Pictures
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The queen holds possession of the Royal Collection for the nation of the UK, which houses roughly one million works of art and historical pieces, including paintings, furniture, books and photography. With that many invaluable objects to take care of, of course there must be someone in charge. Desmond Shawe-Taylor was appointed to the office in 2005. In addition to anything held in archives or put on display for the public, he is also in charge of caring for and maintaining any works that adorn the walls of the royal castles and residences.

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