Queen Elizabeth Is Looking for a Traveling Sous Chef

Are you a highly trained chef who's looking for a challenging new gig? Do you enjoy splitting your time between the best city in the world, and also going to Norfolk? Do you like monarchs, swans, and pageantry? Then you might be exactly who Queen Elizabeth is looking for.

According to the Royal Household's list of job vacancies, Her Royal Highness is currently trying to find a Sous Chef who will be based at Buckingham Palace in London, but will be required to travel to other royal residences when necessary. The preferred candidate will also have a background in "premier catering" and will be trained in classical French cuisine.

"In an environment where development and training is commonplace, you'll be supported to grow within your role, developing both your managerial and technical cookery skills," the job listing reads. "And whether you’re based in Buckingham Palace or traveling to other locations, you'll look forward to whatever challenge comes your way."

The position comes with a "comprehensive benefits package," 33 days of vacation every year, and an option to live on-site with all meals provided—but that last perk will knock a few pounds from your take-home pay.

Although the listing doesn't mention the salary, it has been reported as £33,000 ($43,098) annually. That's probably not as much as one would expect a woman with a diamond-topped scepter collection to pay, but it would be in line with some previous job postings. A 2017 listing for a Buckingham Palace-based assistant chef had a starting salary of £20,604 ($26,905).

Earlier this month, Darren McGrady, the former personal chef to the Queen and Prince Philip, Princess Diana, Prince William and the Royal-Formerly-Known-as-Prince Harry, said that he ended up working in the Royal Kitchen because he "just wrote a letter hoping," so perhaps a little initiative on your end wouldn't hurt in addition to uploading your CV.

He also suggested that 'trained in classical French cuisine' thing is a requirement for a reason. “One of the things I soon learned working for the Queen, was that all of the dishes were rich in cream and butter and fat,” he said in a recent YouTube video. “Calories didn’t really matter. We could use as much cream and butter in the dishes as we wanted to and it just made them taste amazing. It really was traditional French cuisine.” (He also said that the Queen isn't a "real foodie"—which probably explains why she only eats her steak well-done.)

McGrady, who has published two royal-themed cookbooks, previously told Food & Wine that Lizzy Two typically eats four meals a day, starting with a bowl of cereal, a boiled egg, and hot tea. Her dinners can range from four-course meals when she's entertaining, to a "small portion" of lean meat or fish. The one constant, though, is dessert. "The Queen is a total chocoholic,” he said, adding that she typically eats a slice of cake every day with lunch or afternoon tea.

If your French techniques aren't up to snuff, but you still want to get paid to wander the palace grounds, then there's also a listing for a royal gardener. You'll definitely get to see a swan!

Update Jan. 28, 2019: This article has been amended to clarify details of Chef McGrady's hiring by Buckingham Palace and interactions with the Queen.