LONDON — Buckingham Palace has revealed a sticky reality — Queen Elizabeth II is looking for a cleaner who can oversee the removal of chewing gum left by visitors to a royal residence.
Among the duties for the job at Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh is: “To arrange for the removal of chewing gum from the Historic and State Apartments by the porters”, the palace said on its website.
The part-time position, which is paid £15,912 (20,428 euros, $25,763) a year, would also involve cleaning the palace toilets and “washing of all crockery required for visits to the palace.”
The cleaner would also “report to the Housekeeper any defects in furniture and fittings,” “clean all brass to the standards required by the Housekeeper” and “cover all furniture in dust sheets” when no royals are staying in the residence.
The many duties mean candidates must be “physically fit and meticulous” and the post holder “will need to have a flexible approach to working hours when The Queen, members of the Royal Family and the High Commissioner are in residence.”
Holyroodhouse dates back to the 16th century and is the Queen’s official residence in Scotland. Parts of it are open to the public — a fact the royals may be regretting.
A royal source quoted by The Sun newspaper said: “You wouldn’t expect people to be chewing gum when they visit, let alone stick it on the priceless antiques or the parquet floor.”
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