Friday, September 20, 2024

Prince and Princess of Wales are hiring a new private secretary to organise the royals’ UK engagements (but the successful candidate will need a rare skill!)

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The Prince and Princess of Wales are looking to expand their team at Kensington Palace – but the successful candidate will need to possess a rare skill.

The royal couple, both 42, are currently hiring an ‘Assistant Private Secretary’, who will be based in London.

The permanent role will involve planning the Prince and Princess of Wales’ engagements across the UK.

However, the job description stresses that there will be a ‘particular focus on Wales’ to ‘maximise’ the couple’s impact.

Prince William and Kate Middleton inherited the titles of Prince and Princess of Wales following the late Queen’s death in September 2022 – having previously been the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. 

Pictured: The Princess of Wales, 42, attending the Wimbledon men’s singles final last weekend for the first time since her cancer diagnosis

The job description reads: ‘This role requires excellent communication and organisational skills, with a proven ability to build productive relationships with a wide range of individuals and institutions. 

‘You will have a proactive, hands-on approach while operating in a small and agile team, and a strong understanding of Welsh communities, affairs, government, and business.’

However, the job specification did highlight that the royal couple are looking for an assistant private secretary who can ideally speak fluent Welsh. 

It concluded: ‘Conversational Welsh is essential, and fluent Welsh, both written and spoken, is desirable.’ 

The Palace have outsourced the hiring process to recruitment agency Odgers Berndtson and prospective candidates have until midnight on 21 July to apply. 

The job ad comes just days after the Princess of Wales’ triumphant Wimbledon return last weekend – where the royal was greeted with a standing ovation.

Before this, the Princess of Wales had only appeared in public for Trooping the Colour amid her ongoing cancer treatment.

Pictured: The Prince and Princess of Wales with Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis at the Trooping the Colour, which was the royal's first public appearance since her cancer diagnosis

Pictured: The Prince and Princess of Wales with Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis at the Trooping the Colour, which was the royal’s first public appearance since her cancer diagnosis

The job description stresses that there will be a 'particular focus on Wales' to 'maximise' the couple's impact

The job description stresses that there will be a ‘particular focus on Wales’ to ‘maximise’ the couple’s impact

In May 2024, a senior royal aide told the Mail that the royal will return to work when she is given the ‘green light’ from doctors.

Her spokesman said: ‘The work of The Prince and Princess’ projects is “always on”…early childhood is a huge priority for The Princess and so she has been kept fully updated throughout the development of the Taskforce’s work and she has seen the report. ‘

A senior royal aide added: ‘The Princess of Wales was the driving force behind the business task force. She has been kept up to date since the inception of the task force and she has read the report and been briefed on it.

‘This is a clear commitment she has made that throughout her life of public service that this will be focus. That will continue when she returns to work. But we have been really clear that she needs the space and the privacy to recover right now. She will return to work when she has had the green light from doctors.’

Earlier this week, King Charles and Queen Camilla visited Cardiff to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Senedd’s opening. 

During a speech, King Charles referenced Prince William’s visit to Anglesey this month and the current Prince of Wales ‘relationship with this special land’.

The King said: ‘It has given me great pleasure to see my son’s relationship with this special land continue, including returning only this week to Anglesey – Ynys Môn – a place which I know means so much to him.’ 

The Prince and Princess of Wales moved to Anglesey in 2010 and lived there for three years while the future King was serving in the RAF. 

King Charles holds the record for the longest serving Prince of Wales in the Royal Family’s history – having held the title for over 64 years. 

Ahead of his investiture in 1969, Charles was taught how to speak Welsh by university lecturer Dr Tedi Millward – who passed away in April 2020. 

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