Kate Middleton has one very strict rule that all staff must obey if they want to work for her family. As senior working royals, it's no surprise to fans that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge rely on staff to keep things running smoothly in their home, and naturally they have extremely high standards when hiring.
Despite not being King and Queen juuuuust yet, Kate and William have a huge staff thanks to their position as senior working royals—though unlike King Charles, their aides are not "men in gray" (the nickname given to the power players pulling the strings at The Firm).
Despite being quite hands-on parents by royal standards, Kate Middleton and Prince William do still have one nanny that has been with the family for nearly a decade. Kate and William originally hired nanny Maria Borrallo, a Norland College alum, in 2014 when Prince George was just eight months old.
The royal family hires only one royal nanny, even when there are three or more children, as is the case with William and Catherine's brood. That being said, the royal nanny is far from the only royal staff member charged with taking care of the needs of the tiny royal highnesses.
Not many people know that Kate Middleton has her own lady-in-waiting who helps tend to the Duchess' every want and need. So, who is Kate's right-hand woman and what exactly does she do as part of her job?
There are 15 members of staff in the Cambridges' team.
The role is not typically paid, and it has been reported that Lady Hussey was not given a salary during her time in the position, instead serving the Queen out of loyalty. The Queen had at least five ladies in waiting during her reign, including Lady Hussey.
The Norland website states that the cost of nanny placements depends upon their experience, work history and the number of hours they are required. The salary for a Norland Nanny working for a London-based family can range from £42,000 - £70,000 and more depending on the nanny's working requirements and experience.
William and Kate do not regularly cook for themselves. As members of the Royal Family, they have access to a team of chefs that prepare meals for them. This includes a personal chef who handles their meals, a pastry chef, and a head chef.
The famous institution in Bath, England has been training professional nannies for the rich, famous and Royalty since 1892. Norland nannies Abi and Greg - the first to get married.
Kate and William typically sleep in the same bedroom in one of their residences. They often have their own bedrooms, however, and have at times stayed in separate rooms during their marriage. They have been known to travel for extensive periods of time, such as when William was on active military duty.
The loving displays of affection between Kate and William continued into 2022 when the couple were photographed exchanging kisses on the cheek at the Royal Charity Polo Cup. The Princess of Wales arrived with the couple's black cocker spaniel Orla to watch Prince William compete in the annual event.
As the new Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate receive a majority of their income from a private estate called the Duchy of Cornwall, which was established in 1337 to financially support the heir to the throne, according to CNN.
Instead of maids of honor, Camilla has two ladies in attendance. At Queen Elizabeth's coronation in 1953, she had maids of honor who assisted her throughout the ceremony. The six women carried her velvet train, and accompanied her throughout the day.
Queen Elizabeth II maintained an establishment of at least four Women of the Bedchamber, one of whom at a time was usually in attendance.
Inside Buckingham Palace: A Home To A Small Army Of Staff
It's no secret that the palace has plenty of bedrooms for live-in staff, but there are a few restrictions on living and working there. The Queen has over 1,000 staff members, many of whom live on-site, where their meals are free, according to Forbes.
No washing machines
Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla's clothes are not allowed to be cleaned in washing machines—everything is hand washed.
In 2020, a former royal chef revealed his recipe for Kate's favourite dessert, a sticky toffee pudding. Darren McGrady, 60, who worked as a personal chef to the Queen, as well as Princess Diana and Prince William and Harry, revealed Kate Middleton often cooks her own meals and even does her own grocery shopping.
Dinner. After a day of mainly plant-based and raw foods, Kate prefers to indulge in a hearty traditional English supper or nourishing carb-dense meals. She often eats roast chicken for dinner, which is Prince William's favourite meal, and is said to enjoy cooking pizza, pasta and baking cakes with their children.
The royal family members receive an annual stipend from the Sovereign Grant, which is used to cover their official duties and expenses. It's important to note that the royal family's wealth and expenses are a matter of public record and scrutiny in the United Kingdom.
How much does The Royal Household in the United Kingdom pay? The average The Royal Household salary ranges from approximately £17,609 per year for Attendant to £60,000 per year for Head of Customer Service.
However, despite being there for school drop-offs, meal times and those all-important childhood milestones, the couple still require a little help due to their busy schedule of royal engagements – and that's where their nanny Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo comes in.
When Queen Camilla is coronated next to husband King Charles III this May 6, she will have two special women by her side. These ladies in attendance will be her sister, Annabel Elliot, and her longtime friend and current queen's companion Lady Lansdowne.
The duties of ladies-in-waiting varied across Europe but were generally similar in the medieval and early modern periods. Ladies-in-waiting performed intimate duties such as putting on and removing the queen's clothing and bathing her.
Elizabeth disliked eating in public. Food would be sent to her privy chamber and the ladies would wait on her in privacy, carving the meat, and pouring the wine. A favoured one would also sleep in the Queen's bedchamber – to sleep alone was completely unheard of, even for a monarch.