Butlers, dressers, cooks, and pipers — the royal household is more than just
princes and kings. But what happened to these people after the death of Queen Elizabeth?
Lady Susan Hussey was one of Queen Elizabeth II's closest aides and worked for her right
up until the end. But what exactly did she do for the queen? Hussey started working
for Elizabeth in 1960 as a lady-in-waiting, an unpaid job that is traditionally given to
aristocratic women. The responsibilities involved can be varied, but Hussey was
often spotted accompanying Elizabeth to events and helping her complete her daily
tasks. When Elizabeth died, Hussey became a lady-in-waiting to Camilla, Queen Consort,
but her time with the royal family came to an end in November 2022 amid accusations of racism.
At an event hosted by Camilla,
charity organizer Ngozi Fulani claimed that Hussey asked her where her people came from,
among other inappropriate questions. Fulani tweeted about the incident, including a
transcript of the exchange and also detailed how Hussey touched her hair without consent.
"So then she says, 'no where are you from?' 'Well, I was born here.' 'But where are you from?!'"
Hussey tendered her resignation soon after.
Speaking to Sky News, a Kensington Palace rep condemned her actions, explaining:
"Obviously, I wasn't there, but racism has no place in our society. The comments were
unacceptable, and it is right that the individual has stepped aside with immediate effect."
Accusations of racism be damned, Hussey was recently seen representing Princess Anne at
an event and, according to a friend who spoke to The Daily Mail, is now "back in the royal fold."
Queen Elizabeth employed many butlers and servants over the course of her reign,
but one of the most prominent was Paul Whybrew, otherwise known as "Tall Paul." Whybrew,
who served the queen for four decades, held an especially close bond with the late queen,
not least because they worked together for so long. The butler likely gained further
appreciation after he came to Elizabeth's aid when an intruder was found in her bedroom back
in 1982. Whybrew escorted the 33-year-old Michael Fagan away from the queen's chambers and took
him to the butler's pantry, where he calmed his nerves with whiskey and called the authorities.
Over the years, Whybrew's relationship with the queen only deepened. He was one of the
few people to tend to Elizabeth during her last days at Balmoral, reportedly bringing her the
morning paper and spending time with her. As a mark of just how important he was to Elizabeth,
Whybrew was asked to take part in her funeral procession, something reserved
for those nearest and dearest to the monarch. With no queen left to serve, it's likely that
"Tall Paul" has now moved on, although there has been no official statement regarding his exit.
Queen Elizabeth was known for always dressing immaculately,
whether she was attending a public engagement or hosting a lavish reception. Elizabeth's dresser,
Angela Kelly, had played a prominent part in finessing the queen's appearance since
she was hired in 1994. Kelly remained a committed member of staff over the years
and eventually became one of Elizabeth's most trusted confidantes. Kelly was even gifted a
grace-and-favor home in Windsor, which she wasn't expected to relinquish after Elizabeth's death.
That being said, it came as a surprise to many when the designer took to her
now-deleted Instagram account to share a "farewell" picture of her cottage garden just
days before King Charles' coronation. Kelly didn't explain the reason for her leaving,
but did post a cryptic Instagram story that read:
"I am too old to worry about who likes me and who dislikes me! I have more important things to do!
If you love me — I love you! If you support me — I support you! If you hate me — I don't care!"
"Boom."
The private secretary to the monarch is a difficult position that requires considerable
organizational skills. Essentially, it is the private secretary's job to relay information
to the sovereign and take care of their needs on a day-to-day basis. This can range from breaking
redundancy news to staff members to making dinner reservations. It's not a simple undertaking,
and certainly not for the faint of heart. Queen Elizabeth's private secretary was Sir Edward
Young, who took up the position in 2017 after his predecessor, Sir Christopher Geidt, resigned.
Sadly for Young, he will eventually be replaced by Sir Clive Alderton,
who has acted as a trusted adviser to King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort, for almost two
decades. Since Alderton has worked with the couple for such a long time, the transition makes sense.
It won't be an immediate switch, though — for the moment at least, Young and Alderton
are sharing the position to ensure the early days of Charles' reign go off without a hitch.
It makes sense that King Charles will keep some of his mother's staff, but it's not just
maids and servants that are staying put. If you watched Queen Elizabeth's funeral,
you may remember the prominent role pipers had to play in the service. One moment,
in particular, saw Pipe Major Paul Burns play a rendition of "Sleep Dearie Sleep"
as Elizabeth's coffin was lowered out of sight at St George's Chapel in Windsor.
Reportedly, Charles himself was so pleased with Burns' performance at the queen's funeral that
he appointed him his personal piper. It may seem strange, but the position has been around since
1843, making it a highly sought-after royal job, one held previously by Pipe Major Scott Methven.
"You're thrust right into the inner circle of the monarchy. The cliched word would be 'surreal.'"
Burns will take on the responsibility of waking Charles up at 9 o'clock every morning by standing
outside his window and playing a song on his bagpipes. It certainly beats an alarm clock.
Queen Elizabeth had a select few ladies that served as her closest aides. For those in
aristocratic circles, it was a deep honor and privilege to serve the queen in this way. Dame
Mary Morrison first undertook the position of Woman of the Bedchamber in 1960 before becoming
a lady-in-waiting. As part of her role, Morrison often accompanied Elizabeth to events and kept her
company during her downtime. As a reward for her dedication, Morrison was awarded several honors,
including multiple Royal Household Long and Faithful Service medals.
It wasn't always smooth sailing, though. In 2018, Morrison was with the queen at Balmoral
when she tripped and fell down a flight of stairs, breaking her ankle. Morrison was 81 at the time,
but soon recovered and was back serving the queen before long. Some expected that
Morrison would leave the royal household after the death of Elizabeth, but King
Charles decided to keep the ladies-in-waiting in the new, rebranded role of "ladies of the
household." Their job will be to help the king when arranging events at his new home,
Buckingham Palace. Given her experience, Morrison seems to be up to the task; now well into her 80s,
Morrison shows no signs of slowing down when it comes to serving the sovereign.
Cooking is one of the most important jobs in the royal household. Not only do you
have to ensure that the monarch and other royals are well-fed,
but you have to create menus for important events such as state dinners.
"Perhaps you would like a marmalade sandwich? I always keep one for emergencies."
For many chefs, landing a job at a royal household is a true mark of excellence.
Mark Flanagan became the head chef of the royal household back in 2002 and, even
though Queen Elizabeth is no longer in charge, it doesn't look like Flanagan is going anywhere.
Back in 2021, Elizabeth made her favorite cook a Lieutenant of the
Royal Victorian Order. Flanagan remained busy in the run-up to the coronation,
and the BBC released his official recipe for the so-called "Coronation Quiche" which included eggs,
cheese, spinach, and more. It's perhaps no surprise that Flanagan is staying put,
considering he has some of the finest credentials in the business. He previously
worked for Raymond Blanc and handled the food at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in 2018.
Queen Elizabeth's death didn't just mark a seismic shift in daily life for her own staff,
but for King Charles' staff, too. As Charles and Camilla,
Queen Consort prepare to move from Clarence House to Buckingham Palace in the next few
years, it's thought that around 100 employees will be made redundant.
While it's not clear who will be saying goodbye when the time comes, the staff were reportedly
told at the thanksgiving service for the queen that their posts could be on the chopping block.
News like that is worrying even if you're new to a job,
but some of these staffers have been with Charles for decades.
Sir Clive Alderton delivered the news to Charles' employees in a letter that read:
"The change in role for our principals will also mean change for our household. [...] It
is therefore expected that the need for the posts principally based at Clarence House,
whose work supports these areas will no longer be needed. [...] I appreciate that this is
unsettling news and I wanted to let you know of the support that is available at this point."
The health of a monarch is always under constant scrutiny — after all,
it's in the best interests of the Firm for them to keep well and live long. By and large,
Queen Elizabeth was blessed with good health, living until the ripe age of 96. Her husband,
Prince Philip, also lived until he was 99 years old, proving that their doctors
seemed to be doing something right. As you might expect, taking on the role of the king
or queen's doctor is a huge responsibility. Elizabeth had numerous doctors over the years,
but Professor Sir Huw Thomas was the head of the medical household from 2014 to 2022.
While Thomas only served Elizabeth for a relatively short period of time,
she thought highly of him, honoring him with
a knighthood in 2021. He expressed his gratitude at the event, stating:
"It's been a busy couple of years in this role,
so I feel very grateful to have been recognised for my service to date."
It's quite usual for this position to be replaced when the monarch changes and
nothing is different in this instance;
King Charles likely has his own trusted physician who will follow him into his reign.