Living in squalid accomodation

"They very rarely even went out, as the castle had it's own shop, and bar serving food for staff."

They sound institutionalised to me.

When I lived in Windsor Castle there were 2 particular housemaids who had been in royal service all their lives. They very rarely even went out, as the castle had it's own shop, and bar serving food for staff. When they did retire they were put in grace and favour accommodation for the rest of their lives.

I haven't got a clue how much they were paid, but they both seemed very happy.

It seems to me that some people in society are damned if they do and damned if they don't.

If they take a low paid job and questions are raised by them or anyone else about their poor working conditions, this is dismissed with "they knew what the deal was - they shouldn't have taken the job". If they can't find a job, or don't take a low paid job or join a union to try and achieve better working conditions, they are labelled as "lazy scroungers" or "troublemakers".

Deedaa- actually, lots of people do less than desirable jobs because the DWP IS holding a gun to their heads- their benefit is withdrawn/reduced if they don't take or leave jobs. Obviously I've no idea if that's the case here but just because someone does a job, for whatever reason, and doesn't leave, is no reason not to argue for better treatment or better pay. It also assumes they have choices and that's often not the case. On a purely personal level, I can't imagine what job I wouldn't do in order not to work for that family. But that's me and anyway, I'll never have to make that choice

No it's bed and board at Buck House too no doubt so they can work atrociously unsocial hours and be on call.

She doesn't need official fire insurance because we idiots will pay if anything happens.

I assume the bed and board are only for when they are away. Seems a bit mean to deduct it though.

And why are they worrying about asbestos in the walls? It's fine if it's not pulled around. Silk wall paper too only needs replacing every 250 years or so. The electrics though are a different matter - it must affect her ability to get fire insurance cover.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/oct/14/mps-criticise-queen-household-pay-rises

Not only are many staff paid appallingly low wages, they have been subjected to a pay freeze while large pay rises have been given to more senior staff. All in it together eh?

That's not the point. She is an immensely rich woman who pays those who work for her £14K then deducts bed and board. If it was plus bed and board then maybe it wouldn't be so bad (depending what the definition of bed and board was).

No one is holding a gun at anyone's head to take the job.

Is the accommodation heated, I wonder?

I love the expression "objects d'art".

As a matter of interest this is about a maids job at Buck House and elsewhere.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/theroyalfamily/9623815/Queen-advertises-for-maid-to-clean-antiques-and-draw-bath.html

£14K a year but "Food and accommodation is provided, for which there will be a salary adjustment". So basically come and work all hours God sends, live on site so we can have you on call and pay us back a chunk of your wages.

None at all sussexpoet. We already pay for the upkeep of Buck House and someone has mishandled the money to the point where they've let the fabric get into disrepair.

They pay the lower staff pittance wages. How can a multimillionaire live with herself when she has so much and is waited on by some who have so little? The woman has no shame.

The Queen is obscenely rich, not through any toil on her own part but simply because she is one of a tribe who have passed treasures among themselves down the centuries. To moan about her heating bills in Buck House is chutzpah of the highest order; if she's strapped for cash she can always sell off a minor masterpiece and have her boilers replaced. Surely we can all remember how she expected hoi polloi (that's you and me, fellow grans) to pay for the repairs to Windsor Castle after the fire, and her great surprise when we declined the honour? Is it any wonder I'm a republican?

Of course they'll expect us to pick up the bill. They'll say the building belongs to the nation and therefore it's our responsibility. The fact that we're not allowed to go into even a small part of it unless we queue and pay at the back door is neither here nor there.

I can't say I care about Buckingham Palace. It was always a white elephant – that's why it was passed on to the king in the first place. I should like to see Windsor Castle kept up to snuff, however, and as it belongs to the country, then taxpayer money should be used to maintain and repair it. Whether the Windsor mob should continue to have exclusive use of the castle, apart from a little bit on show to the public, is debatable. Why can't the Queen go and live in Sandringham out of everybody's way? She owns that.

Perhaps the National Trust could take over the crumbling palaces and allow the Windsors a bedsit in one of them?

The sad thing is a lot of people in dire circumstances, particularly older people, probably would be willing to contribute to a whip round.

Sorry can't muster up any sympathy for the queen. She is worth millions (as are her children and grandchildren) she has several properties and owns art,jewels and antiques worth more than most people could even dream of. If she needs a new heating system in one of her houses then she should do what anyone else would have to do or is she suggesting we have a whip around for her? I will be seeing my gran this afternoon, she is 97. I will ask her how much she would like to donate out of her pension.

Can you just imagine Frank's reaction!