Royal cleaners have to pass a 'dead fly test' to work for the Queen

Ever thought about taking up a job at Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle? Unsurprisingly, it turns out that getting a job with the Queen isn't as straight forward as the average job elsewhere. In fact, there's even a test that candidates have to pass if they want to join the Royal cleaning team.

Speaking on Channel 5's Sandringham: The Royals at Christmas documentary, Tracey Waterman, the head of Royal recruitment, revealed the test her team have devised to ensure they employ the absolute best in the business.

It's called the 'dead fly test', and sees the recruitment team hide (you guessed it) a dead fly in one of the Royal rooms.

"One of the tests I like to do, to see if a candidate has potential eye for detail, is to place a dead fly, either in the fireplace or on the carpet," Tracey explained, "Once the dead fly is placed, I then bring the candidate into the room."

She continued: "I lead them into the room quite slowly, just giving them a chance to glance at the room, have a little look at what we’ve got inside the room. Bringing them to the fireplace, maybe highlighting that we’ve got a beautiful fireplace."

"At this point I’d expect them to see the dead fly, and hopefully pick it up," she adds.

While a dead fly might seem, err, gross to you and I, for the recruitment team it's a way of seeing which candidates have the eye for detail needed to be a cleaner for Her Majesty.

"It’s a great test, maybe out of 10 people half the candidates will notice the fly. One out of ten will actually bend down and pick it up, that’s the special housekeeper," Tracey points out, "The difference between a housekeeper in a five-star hotel and in a royal palace would be attention to detail."

So, what do the successful candidates get in return for this keen eye for detail? According OK!, the last cleaning position at the Palace, which was an apprenticeship advertised in October last year, had an annual salary of £19,100. This also included accommodation in the Palace itself (how fancy), all meals, travel expenses and a qualification in housekeeping at the end of the contract.

Living at the Palace and free meals! Sounds pretty good if you ask us. Where do we apply?

Jade Biggs

Freelance Writer

Jade Biggs (she/her) is one of Cosmopolitan UK's freelance writers, working across all sections including entertainment, beauty, body, and sex and relationships. She previously held the position of Features Writer, covering everything from breaking news and the latest royal gossip, to the health and fitness trends taking over your TikTok feed. Jade has a degree in journalism and has been a journalist and content editor for ten years, interviewing leading researchers, high-profile influencers, and industry experts in that time. She is a cat mom to four fur babies and is obsessed with Drag Race, bottomless brunches, and wearing clothes only suitable for Bratz dolls. Follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.