Prince William and Duchess Kate apparently do not want to repeat the patterns of the past. Most recently, Prince Harry denounced the dusty conditions of the British royal family in his memoirs. Last but not least, he also spoke out against the power of the “men in gray suits” – meaning the high-ranking private secretaries of the royals who direct a lot of things behind the scenes.
Traditionally, members of the Royal Family have a private secretary. Mostly coming from noble circles themselves, they see it as their life’s work to serve their assigned member of the royal family. Over time, private secretaries often become a mixture of employee, advisor and friend and therefore have a great influence on the decisions at court.
Prince William and Kate have already broken tradition by no longer employing a private secretary. Her most recent was Christian Jones, who held the position from 2018 to 2021. They are now rearranging their staff and have been looking for a “CEO for The Royal Highness The Prince and Princess of Wales” for several weeks with the help of headhunters Odgers Berndtson and a four-page job advertisement.
“You will be responsible for developing and implementing TRH’s long-term strategy and further strengthening a professional and collaborative household culture,” it said. 50-60 of William and Kate’s employees should report hierarchically to the new CEO and he or she should report to the royal highnesses – without an intermediary private secretary.
The character requirements in the job profile include “emotional intelligence, little ego and strong self-confidence.” In addition, a little royal flair should not be lost and it is said that the applicant should be “able to act as a servant leader and strengthen the leadership team”. To keep staff motivated, skills such as “being an inspirational person who inspires others with positivity, enthusiasm and ambition” are also desirable.
The continuous break with the tradition of internal structures and the reorganization of communication channels in the British royal family can change the monarchy in the long term. Prince William and Kate are increasingly shaping the colloquial “company”, as the royal family is popularly known, into a real company with clear structures, staff without a “vitamin B” background and fair and performance-oriented structures. A path that could mean less intrigue, unprofessionalism and fairness behind the castle walls in the future.
Sources: Vanity Fair, the Press, Forbes
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