The Royal Household aims to provide exceptional support and advice to The Queen, enabling her to serve the nation and its people. 

It employs approximately 1200 staff across a wide range of professions, including catering, housekeeping, accountancy, secretarial, media relations, human resources, art curatorship and strategic planning.

The Royal Household seeks to employ the best people from the widest available pool of talent. The organisation has five main departments.

The Private Secretary’s Office organises The Queen’s official programme, co-ordinates Royal travel, undertakes official correspondence and manages Royal records and archives.

The Privy Purse and Treasurer’s Office manages the Sovereign’s financial affairs, Royal Household expenditure, property maintenance and information technology.

The Master of the Household’s Department provides hospitality and housekeeping for official State purposes as well as to individual members of the Royal Family.

The Lord Chamberlain’s Office organises ceremonial events and the distribution of honours.

The Royal Collection is custodian of Royal art and artefacts, and organises the opening of the Royal residences to the public.

The titles of these departments reflect the history and tradition of the Royal Household, although their function and working practices are thoroughly modern. In addition, there are also a number of smaller Households supporting other members of the Royal Family.

Employees are based at one of the following locations: Buckingham Palace in London, St. James’s Palace in London, Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

Some employees have the opportunity to travel with The Queen on overseas visits and during The Queen’s visits to her private residences at Balmoral Castle and Sandringham.

The Royal residences are open to the public when not in official use.