(Year 234, Fall) Royal Palace Office (RPO) announces adjustments to their key staff. This happens regularly, but this time several job titles were modified. A chart showing the key functions was printed to decorate central spots in the staff sections of all royal estates. Palace Chief Attendant Ms Maiden said on this week's Monday press meeting, that RPO could not be prouder of their staff. Although some key functions rank higher due to level of responsibility and skill requirement, the daily efforts depend on every single employee.
Being a Staff member at the royal palace is seen as the top level for Servants, regardless of position. Staff is organized into 3 deparments; Household, Housekeeping, and Security. The department leaders are said to be in 2nd commando line. They all report to the Palace Chief Attendant, who is in the 1st commando line working closely with the Monarch.
It is said that this position ranks above the Monarch, when it comes to daily logistics at the palace. This might be so because the position oversees all departments and must be way ahead of any event. Well, if King Tarriot should protest, he will most definitely be listened to.
The Palace Chief Attendant position is more about running the business than serving the royal family. Formerly this title was Royal Chief Attendant, but was now adjusted along with several titles that are no longer using the royal attachment. Being head of the Royal Palace Office, Ms Maiden oversees economics/budgets, arrangements, travels, maintenance and everything else taking place at the palace or at any other royal estate. Although the 2nd commando line are in charge of their assigned fields, she will often be conferred.
While the Palace Chief Atendant is firstly involved with the palace, RPO also takes action regarding daily businesses as well as occasional maintenance involving the other 7 estates owned by Mazaloom Royal Trust. Each of those gets some extra attention every tenth year. She also handles the press including weekly press meetings, and she leads the 3M (Monday Morning Meeting, tradition with all high nobility Houses). She is normally the only staff member present at the 3M, but she will call in Butler, Housekeeper or Palace Security Major as needed. With upcoming stately visits or gala dinners, all departments might attend. The agenda of any 3M might look more than a year ahead, so there will always be plenty of planning to do.
Chief Attendant has her own office on 2nd floor at the palace and a good room in the palace's Staff Quarters.
Both new positions sort here. This departement, lead by the Butler (formerly Head Butler), covers food, clothes, transportation, personal assistance and other daily support for members of the royal family staying at the palace. This is traditionally seen as the 1st department, probably because it also covers the monarch's well being, but the ranking of departments is less obvious these days.
Mr Rubbernoos oversees the kitchen, plans commuting involving the Chauffeur, handles repairs, and he also works closely with Monarch's and Consort's private attendants, Monarch's Valet and Consort's Maid, who will both report to him. The exact number of valets and maids will depend on the current household.
Head Butler used to lead a full team of butlers and footmen, but thanks to reduced budgets over the past decade, the organization was cut down to a minimum. Mr Rubbernoos is currently the only butler at the palace, but just like the other departments he will hire assistance as needed. It is not uncommon that butlers from the dukedoms are called in at major events. There are big savings in limiting the full time staff, an initiate coming from the palace.
Weekly menues are discussed with the Chef, and Head Butler will suggest what nectars and drinks to be served. He serves the food if the number of seats doesn't exceed 8. He is the one serving the royal family on a daily basis, unless they choose to prepare their own food which they do quite often. Butler will then provide what they need.
House keeping, lead by the House Keeper, tends to upkeeping both indoors and outdoors. This includes everything from cleaning and decorating to assisting at bigger events.
Each full time Housemaid serves one quarter of the palace. Housekeeper de Pill is in charge of all cleaning in the royal family's Private Quarters. He also organize everyday decorations like fresh flowers, and of course seasonal decorations - often planned by Queen Venezia.
Housekeeper is also in charge of the Housemaids: 1st Housemaid is responsible for the Formal Quarters, which includes several dining rooms, King's Tea Salon, a large suite intended for stately guests, and the Royal Chamber. 2nd Housemaid is responsible for the Official Quarters, which is facilities on ground floor including the Throne room, the press section including King Tarriot's office, the Palace Chapel and several salons.
A new maid will normally start on Official Quarters, then succeed to the Formal Quarters, and finally to the Private Quarters - if approved by the royal household.
For all quarters Housekeeper can hire temporary assistance from Maids, Inc. For the outdoors , assistance from Gardener Inc. might be hired occasionally in Spring and Summer.
Security, lead by the Palace Security Major, is self-explainatory and duties involved would not be publicly announced in detail.
When members of Security are on duty they are not supposed to catch attention. They normally operate in the background, and their success will normally be founded on good planning.
Royal Security Major Harper will communicate directly with all in 2nd commando line, and report to RPO. The job is of course to avoid any sort of attacks or damage, but not only the royal family shall be protected. At larger events also guests and maybe audience must be secured. Mazaloom Military Forces might be involved at specific occasions like parades and major memorial services.
In the modern era security is not limited to physical threats. Computer security has become a great consern. Systems involving, but not limited to, servers, doorlock systems and air condition are all regularly inspected.
The Servants Career
Working at the Royal Palace comes with both benefits and high demand of quality. Working here is the goal for many butlers, housekeepers, cooks, maids and other servants out there. The palace positions are the best paid, too.
A typical route will be starting in a lower ranked House where the chores are slightly less demanding, and then work your way up to the dukedoms, or even to the palace if lucky. Butlers will typically start serving a hig nobility Count, then a Duke, and eventually work in the Household department at the palace. Housekeepers start even lower, as lower ranked Houses will have a Housekeeper instead of a Butler. A Butler will not be needed unless your House keeps numerous Servants or operates several estates. Valets and Maids are rarely found below the rank of dukedoms - actually less common now than in the past even at dukedoms, but this also depends on the current needs of a household. Same goes for Governess and Nanny - they were commn in he past, these days only a dukedom with numerous children might still hire them. Cooks are found in high nobility Houses only, because in lower ranked houses the Butler or Housekeeper will assist in the kitchen.
It's up to each house how they pay their staff, but there exists a norm saying that for each qualification required, §100 should be added to the wage. If graduated from the Butler Academy the minimum wage is §300. If you work as a live-in servant, it is common to be withdrawn §100 for the room. It's quite acceptable, as you will eat for free and pay no bills as a household member. At the palace there is a staff section providing numerous rooms to use during busier periods, but with the 8 household members limit, it would be impossible to provide general housing for all staff. Only 4 top ranked Staff members, including Chief Attendant and Butler, will be offered their own spacious room with full privacy.
On the other hand, serving at the palace means the list of required qualifications gets longer. For the jobs in 3rd commando line, they require 6 different skills or character values, and the pay is §600. Most requirements are skills, and luckilly the absolute minimum would normally be just level 2, just to state that you did already show some interest in that skill. You will normally build skills as you tend to your job. But, of course, if someone else are more skilled you will not get the job. Other requirements might relate to character values, and Good manners is the most common with he palace, but also with high nobility. The closer you work to the household, the more obligatory this value will be. Serving as 2nd Cook will normally not focus that much on manners. In lower ranked Houses thenumber of required qualification will be lower. In baronies there might be only 3 required skills, just to fill that minimum wage, and other appreciated skills can be built by working.
Only the top positions at the palace will require a university degree.
Servants (or staff) will normally get their education from the Butler Academy (high school) in Del Sol Valley, then get a suitable job serving a regular aristocratic House. You might need to work your way. This means that applications for positions at the Royal Palace will often come with recommendations from a duke or a count, making it hard for anyone unexperienced to get a job there. It gets harder reaching the palace if your plan was to work as a Servant for a few years only - then you won't have enough time to reach far before stepping out to establish your own family. Experience comes with age, and traditionally unmarried or senior Servants were preferred, likely because it was hard combining the job with raising your own toddlers. Inmarried Staff members are still favored, but today you won't neccessarily be asked to resign if you want to establish a family. Arrangements can be made as long as you play with open cards. After all, this is not a job you can perform from home...
Anyone in for a job as 2nd Maid or 2nd Cook should contact Ms Maiden.
The image on top of this article (map of key staff) was updated already. Latest version, incl. full size version, is published on the RPO's webpage.
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