Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Prince and Princess of Wales, are looking for a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to run Kensington Palace — their royal residence and office. But there is a specific requirement: the applicant should have a “low ego.”
The newly created role was announced by Odgers Berndtson, the UK’s largest executive recruitment firm. The job listing described the position as “the most senior and accountable leader for the Household” who would be “responsible for the development and implementation of TRH’s long-term strategy and continuing to strengthen a professional and collaborative Household culture.”
The successful candidate will have to manage Kensington Palace’s workforce of around 60 members. The CEO would be reporting directly to Prince William and Kate and will also have to work closely with the team of King Charles and Queen Camilla.
More about the Kensington Palace CEO role
Attributes that Prince William and Kate are looking for
The listing, which runs into four pages, specifies certain ‘skills and attributes’ that the future King and Queen of the UK expect the CEO to have.
One of them specifically says that the candidate should be “emotionally intelligent, with ‘low ego’, and strong self-awareness and understanding of their impact on others.”
Another noteworthy attribute that the CEO to the senior royals should have is the “foresight and ability to anticipate potential issues that maybe faced by TRHs and the Household.”
The listing also says that the holder of the office should be “able to deal with difficult situations sensitively and with integrity” and “flex and adjust their working style to accommodate different situations and people.”
It says that the applicant should be “able to operate as a ‘servant’ leader” and, in particular, coordinate with the two respective Private Secretaries to the Prince and the Princess of Wales.
Salary and work hours
The listing does not mention the salary for the role. It, however, specifies that the work hours will be 37.5 hours per week from Monday to Friday, “and such other hours that are necessary for the proper fulfilment of duties, or to meet unexpected or urgent demands.”
The CEO will be based at Kensington Palace and will have to travel to Windsor Castle regularly. The holder of the position may also be required to travel overnight within the UK and internationally.
Those eager to take up the role have till 2 October 2023 to apply.
‘Revolutionary move’
Fortune reported that the management of a senior royal family member’s office is traditionally done by someone with a military background in the capacity of the “master of the household.”
According to Daily Mail, the decision shows that Prince William and Kate Middleton are “already making clear that they plan to do things very differently from their predecessors.”
“This is a revolutionary move. They are overthrowing the traditional, hierarchical structure in which staff answer to private secretaries. It has really set the cat among the pigeons. Will the King and Queen have to follow their lead?” a source told Daily Mail.
Hero image: Courtesy Shisha-Tom/CC BY-SA 3.0/Wikimedia Commons; Featured image: Courtesy The Prince and Princess of Wales/@KensingtonRoyal/Twitter
This story first appeared on Prestige Malaysia.
Manas Sen Gupta writes at the intersection of tech, entertainment and history. His works have appeared in publications such as The Statesman, Myanmar Matters, Hindustan Times and News18/ETV. In his spare time, Manas loves studying interactive charts and topographic maps. When not doing either, he prefers reading detective fiction. Spring is his favourite season and he can happily eat a bowl of noodles any time of the day.
Most Popular
