Royal Family: The really posh reason the Queen's cleaners can't use vacuum cleaners in Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace is a gigantic place. It has 775 rooms, consisting of 19 State rooms, 52 Royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices, and 78 bathrooms. The palace is also 108 metres long, 24 metres high, and a staggering 120 metres deep. So it’s safe to say that cleaning it will be insane.
When you’re cleaning something of that magnitude you’ll definitely be needing every last cleaning instrument in darkness. So why are cleaners forbidden from using vacuum cleaners? And in-turn being forced to sweep the floors and carpets.
It turns out it’s for an incredibly posh reason. In a documentary titled ‘Royal Servants’ it was revealed that vacuums are too noisy. We were told that "Cleaners sweep carpets, lest royal ears are offended by vacuum cleaners. The best servant is one that is neither seen nor heard."
The Royal Family's official website last year advertised several housekeeping roles, including a Housekeeper at Windsor Castle for 40 hours a week. The job listing said: "This is a role of immense variety. You'll manage many aspects of our Housekeeping operation, including the presentation of the Castle, laundry services, guest hospitality, and daily conservation care of furniture and works of art."
READ MORE: Princess Charlotte's outrageously sassy response to paparazzi outside an event
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Avoiding hoovers isn't the only thing you must do at the Queen’s homes. It was previously reported that staff can’t bring their dogs to work with them – despite the Queen owning her pet dorgis and dorgis.
The centuries-old tradition was allegedly done-away in 2018 by The Lord Chamberlain, head of the Queen’s household. It claimed hygiene and security as the reasons behind the decision.
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