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Telegraph Sunday 7 April 2002 'We'll do all we can to find work for her staff' By Andrew Alderson and Adam Lusher (Filed: 07/04/2002) THE manager of the Queen Mother's household has promised to do everything possible to minimise redundancies among her 50 staff, who face an uncertain future after her death. Capt Sir Alastair Aird, the Queen Mother's private secretary and comptroller, will meet her full-time and part-time staff this week in an attempt to find other jobs within the royal household for those who want them. The task has been made easier by the fact that many in the Queen Mother's employment have reached pensionable age and will retire. Others, however, will lose their jobs along with their grace-and- favour homes or their residential accommodation within the four homes that the Queen Mother used. Sir Alastair, who worked for the Queen Mother for 42 years in four different roles, spoke last week of his optimism that many staff will be found alternative work. "There is tremendous liaison between the royal households and one hopes that those who wish to continue to work will be able to do so. We will do our best to help," he said. The Queen Mother's staff, however, will not be heartened by the events after the death of Princess Margaret in February. Of her 15 staff only two were offered alternative jobs in the royal household: only one accepted. The remainder either retired or accepted severance terms. It cost an estimated £1 million a year for the Queen Mother to run her household: she was helped with her expenses with £643,000 a year from the Civil List but, because this did not match her outgoings, she ran up a substantial overdraft, once estimated to be more than £4 million. Many members of the Queen Mother's household who are past retirement age remained in her service out of admiration and affection for her: she is known to have disliked staff leaving. Her most senior and longest-serving staff are among those expected to retire. They include Sir Alastair; the Earl of Crawford and Balcarres, her Lord Chamberlain; the Hon Nicholas Assheton, her treasurer and extra equerry; Major Raymond Seymour, her assistant private secretary and equerry; Michael Sealey, her head chef; and Lucy Murphy, her information officer. Others who want to be retained for jobs in the royal household will be considered for other positions. Those who work at the Queen Mother's homes of Clarence House in London, Royal Lodge at Windsor, and Birkhall on the Balmoral estate will hope to keep their jobs once it is known who will take on responsibility for the houses. It is, however, inevitable that some members of the Queen Mother's staff will have to take compulsory redundancy. Those who formed part of a "floating" team of staff, believed to total fewer than 10 and who travelled from house to house with the Queen Mother, may be the most vulnerable. According to royal officials, the Queen Mother had 11 permanent staff at Royal Lodge, where she died last weekend. She is understood to have employed one steward, one butler, one under-butler, two footmen, one chef, two cooks and three gardeners. At Clarence House, she had a similar staffing level. William Tallon, the Queen Mother's steward at Clarence House who is known affectionately as "Backstairs Billy" and who has been in her service since he was 15, is now 66 and eligible to retire on a pension. It is understood, however, that the Prince of Wales has offered him a job in his household and wants him to remain at his grace-and-favour home at the Lodge close to Clarence House. If Mr Tallon opts to retire, he is financially secure. He owns a house in Kennington, south London and was left almost £200,000 last year by Reginald Wilcock, the Queen Mother's late page and his close friend. Others who may be seeking alternative employment with the Royal Family include John Collings, the Queen Mother's head chauffeur. He is married to Susan Percival, one of the Clarence House chefs who may also be seeking an alternative job. Lady Angela Oswald, a lady-in-waiting to the Queen Mother, spoke yesterday of how much the staff enjoyed working for her. "She was held in such affection because she took a great personal interest in all of them. She knew all about them and their families." The Castle of Mey, in Scotland, the only home privately owned by the Queen Mother, is already being run as a charitable trust. The six full-time staff of managers, housekeepers and gardeners will not lose their jobs, according to trustees. © Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2002.

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