Bagshot Park, Social Life and Lifestyle

[msleiman]

I was wondering about the number of staff that the earl and countess have and if they have a nanny. Does the queen pay for the staff?

 

[sydney00]

yes they have a nanny, there are the pics of louise with them on holidays in italy (http://www.housewessex.tollfreepage.com/photos/6404140.jpg) from housewessex, as an example.
and there was also a different one when louise was smaller, there s a pic with edward pushing her buggy and the nanny walking with them

in an interview before their wedding, they said they want to have about 3-4 employees, sophie added: maybe less, if i remember right =)

well, i am not best informed, but maybe they have to pay it from the annual money the get.....

you could look into the current events thread, on the link are two information: NANNY "Once the child is born, the couple will continue to co-ordinate their diaries to ensure that at least one of them is at home at any one time, although they do of course have a nanny."
STAFF ", were it not for the grand backdrop of their home, a mansion of 50 rooms amid 78 acres, in which the couple and their handful of staff are said to "rattle around"."

=)

 

[Nichola]

I know Sophie has a Lady-in-Waiting, and they more than likely have a gardner.

 

[Claire]

Here is a list of the Staff the Earl and Countess of Wessex have. I might be able to find exact names later.
1. Nanny
2. Housekeeper of Bagshot Park
3. Two maids at Bagshot Park
4. Groundskeeper
5. Gardener at Bagshoot Park
6. Personal assistant
7 Private secretary
8 Three bodyguards

Apparently the maids for Windsor, Buckingham Palace, Balmoral and Sandringham are in the employment of the Queen and are loaned out. Sophie doesn't have a lady in waiting, but I presume the personal assistant does the same work. The personal assistent and private secretary are shared with between the Earl and Countess of Wessex.

Interesting story of one of their former bodyguards, He had been recently made a member of the VIP protection services and was called urgently in the middle of the night to accompany Lady Louise to Tooting Hospital and to remain with her until she left. He stayed by Louise as she lay in her incubator for the first few days of her life.
Sophie and Edward became very fond of him and were very disappointed when he was reassigned to the Duchess of Cornwall. The reason for his reassignment was that Charles wanted the only black VIP guard to be in his service.

 

[tommy1716]

Here is an article relating to staff:

Baby Wessex takes orders from the Navy | Mail Online

It is from 2003, when Lady Louise was born. I can imagine Sophie and Edward being pretty laid back with staff to a degree.

 

[Bella]

Here is a list of the Staff the Earl and Countess of Wessex have. I might be able to find exact names later.
1. Nanny
2. Housekeeper of Bagshot Park
3. Two maids at Bagshot Park
4. Groundskeeper
5. Gardener at Bagshoot Park
6. Personal assistant
7 Private secretary
8 Three bodyguards

Apparently the maids for Windsor, Buckingham Palace, Balmoral and Sandringham are in the employment of the Queen and are loaned out. Sophie doesn't have a lady in waiting, but I presume the personal assistant does the same work. The personal assistent and private secretary are shared with between the Earl and Countess of Wessex.

Interesting story of one of their former bodyguards, He had been recently made a member of the VIP protection services and was called urgently in the middle of the night to accompany Lady Louise to Tooting Hospital and to remain with her until she left. He stayed by Louise as she lay in her incubator for the first few days of her life.
Sophie and Edward became very fond of him and were very disappointed when he was reassigned to the Duchess of Cornwall. The reason for his reassignment was that Charles wanted the only black VIP guard to be in his service.

This is not really a big staff when you consider the size of Bagshot Park and the immense grounds it sits on. Also, I'm surprised they share an assistant. This is the son of the Monarch! You'd think he'd have his own PA, but I guess it does sorta showcase that they are trying to keep it all very low-key.

 

[Claire]

That as well as the fact that Edward does not have the money to employ a big staff. much of Edward and Sophie's paperwork is done by the Buckingham Palace press office and the Duke of Edinburgh Awards. Edward's only travels with three people when he goes to another country and his pretour team is normally only a three and below.
The only times Edward travelled with more than two people was when he went to Russia with the National Youth Theatre, the tabloids put the whole theatre down as his entourage and this year to Isreal when the VIP protections where so obligated to given him as second officer after the political unrest.

The size of Bagshot Park ha also been greatly overexerated. A friend of mine was in there with the army and said there wasn't that many rooms when the army was in there and then the place was fallen down. Edward rennovated and made the rooms bigger and thus less. I always figured that tabloids were also counting cupboards and closets and every nook to get that amount.

 

[Claire]

Actually we have to amend this list.
1. Nanny and Nurse
2. Housekeeper of Bagshot Park
3. Two maids at Bagshot Park
4. Groundskeeper
5. Gardener at Bagshoot Park
6. Personal assistant
7 Private secretary
8 Four bodyguards (although the three of them aren't on duty on the moment, Sophie can phone them up if she wants to go out or is travelling.)

 

[Claire]

I have been trying to track this down. So I finally have the time to post it. Edward and Sophie's personal assistant is Mrs Anne - Marie Fothergill.
Their equerry is Captain the Viscount Fitz-Harris - the 37-year-old heir to the Earldom of Malmesbury.

 

[lyndaW]

Thank you all for your detective work. I also would have thought they would have had more help.

 

[sophie]

Why can't you find pictures of the wessex children? As many reporters that they have in London you can't find the wessex out with there children anywhere!

 

[muriel]

Why can't you find pictures of the wessex children? As many reporters that they have in London you can't find the wessex out with there children anywhere!

That may wll be because the Wessex's are probably too snobbish to walk the streets, and prefer to not have to stepon "public" land unless they absolutely! After the Queen, it is the Wessex's who have the largest house!

 

[kimebear]

That may wll be because the Wessex's are probably too snobbish to walk the streets, and prefer to not have to stepon "public" land unless they absolutely! After the Queen, it is the Wessex's who have the largest house!

Being protective of their children's privacy hardly makes them "snobbish". If they were well and truly snobbish, we would have HRH Princess Louise of Wessex and HRH Prince James of Wessex instead of Lady Louise and Viscount Severn.

Bagshot Park, while physically larger, has been either cheaper or on par in cost of aquisition and renovation for the Queen and family as Gatcombe Park, Sunninghill Park, Highgrove and Royal Lodge.

 

[Claire]

That may wll be because the Wessex's are probably too snobbish to walk the streets, and prefer to not have to stepon "public" land unless they absolutely! After the Queen, it is the Wessex's who have the largest house!

Actually Edward and Sophie don't OWN Bagshot Park, it is rented from the crown estate and even then he doesn't rent the whole park, only really the manor house. A friend of mine was stationed there with his regiment and is quiet confident that the tabloids must have been counting every cupboard as rooms when they jugde the size. The reason the army left was because they found it too small.

As for Louise and James - jugding from your response it is understandable that they wish to keep them of the public. They do not belong to the public, they are not our property, nor is it our right to see them or Edward and Sophie's duty to display them.

 

[Kezza]

I agree Claire if they don't want their kids in the spotlight then that's their choice. I'm glad they don't have them in the spotlight, given the way the Wales boys and the York girls have turned out. Princess Anne never had her two in the spotlight really, and those two have grown up into fine adults.

 

[Ella Kay]

I'm confident that Edward and Sophie are doing the best for Louise and James by keeping them from the spotlight. No doubt that desire to let them grow up away from the glare of the media was part of the reason that they chose not to have the children use the HRH/Prince(ss) titles they're legally entitled to have. I applaud them for it.

 

[muriel]

Being protective of their children's privacy hardly makes them "snobbish". If they were well and truly snobbish, we would have HRH Princess Louise of Wessex and HRH Prince James of Wessex instead of Lady Louise and Viscount Severn.

Bagshot Park, while physically larger, has been either cheaper or on par in cost of aquisition and renovation for the Queen and family as Gatcombe Park, Sunninghill Park, Highgrove and Royal Lodge.

I don't disagree with the point about protecting ones children from the press, and avoiding the exposure as far as it is practicable. Not being seen in the public domain will do the Wessex children a lot of good, and absolutely no harm whatsoever!

My point about the Wessex's snobbery (and Edward in particular!) was a slightly broader point (and most certainly meant to be taken light heartedly), and perhaps I did not explain make my point as well as I should have. It is absolutely no secret that Edward in incredibly difficult as an individual, and especially as an employer (on par, perhaps with the PoW) and expects to be treated as a very senior royal, which he is not. The Wessex's do seem to like the grand lifestyle, and it was commented on when they took on the lease of Bagshot Park as to why they might need such a big house and how they might pay for its upkeep.

If they were well and truly snobbish, we would have HRH Princess Louise of Wessex and HRH Prince James of Wessex instead of Lady Louise and Viscount Severn.

In practice, I do not believe Edward and Sophie had any real choice when it came to titles for their children. It is no secret that Charles wants a slimmed down monarchy as time progresses. E&S are also smart enough to realise that in time the focus will continue to shift away from their family. One can only speculate, but it would not have taken Sophie, the consummate PR professional to take the view that they are better off not having Prince and Princess titles for their children. I think the York girls should also give up their titles voluntarily when they marry, but that is quite unlikely to happen

Bagshot Park, while physically larger, has been either cheaper or on par in cost of aquisition and renovation for the Queen and family as Gatcombe Park, Sunninghill Park, Highgrove and Royal Lodge.

I have no basis to comment on the cost (or relative cost) of the acquisition of the lease to Bagshot Park!

 

[muriel]

Actually Edward and Sophie don't OWN Bagshot Park, it is rented from the crown estate and even then he doesn't rent the whole park, only really the manor house. A friend of mine was stationed there with his regiment and is quiet confident that the tabloids must have been counting every cupboard as rooms when they jugde the size. The reason the army left was because they found it too small.

As for Louise and James - jugding from your response it is understandable that they wish to keep them of the public. They do not belong to the public, they are not our property, nor is it our right to see them or Edward and Sophie's duty to display them.

Extract from Wikipedia on Bagshot Park

Bagshot Park - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The original house was demolished in 1877-78[5] A new building with 120 rooms was completed in 1879. The 1881 census records an equerry and 26 servants living in the main house: an under butler, a housekeeper, four valets, two lady's maids, two dressers, a cook, three kitchen maids, three housemaids, three footmen, a page, a porter, a scullery maid, two other junior posts and a soldier. A coachman and seven grooms lived in the stables. Two other domestic staff lived in one of the lodges, three agricultural workers lived in another, and one gardener is recorded as living on the estate.[6] This was the principal residence of the Arthur, Duke of Connaught, son of Queen Victoria, from 1880. The Duke, who was Governor-General of Canada from 1911 until 1916, died at Bagshot Park in 1942.
The house was thereafter the regimental headquarters and depot of the Royal Army Chaplains' Department. They vacated the building shortly before the Earl and Countess of Wessex took over the tenancy from the Crown.

Not exactly a small house, is it (despite the cupboards potentially having been counted as rooms!)?

Edward is not answerable to any of us as to his domestic arrangements. He is fortunate to have been born royal, and having received the lease on the house as a present from his parents. My point is slightly different (merely an observation, not a criticism!) The Wessex's clearly like the grand lifestyle and that is why they chose the house they did. Neither Gatcombe nor Sunninghill Park were of the size, scale or garndeur. Frankly, nor was Highgrove - over time, Charles spent a lot of money doing up the house and gardens and making it his own.

 

[Kezza]

My point about the Wessex's snobbery (and Edward in particular!) was a slightly broader point (and most certainly meant to be taken light heartedly), and perhaps I did not explain make my point as well as I should have. It is absolutely no secret that Edward in incredibly difficult as an individual, and especially as an employer (on par, perhaps with the PoW) and expects to be treated as a very senior royal, which he is not. The Wessex's do seem to like the grand lifestyle, and it was commented on when they took on the lease of Bagshott House as to why they might need such a big house and how they might pay for its upkeep.

And how do you know that exactly? Are you a fly on the wall?

 

[muriel]

And how do you know that exactly? Are you a fly on the wall?

I would love to be a fly in the wall, but just not at Bagshot Park. My thoughts in relation to Edward are based on what I have read written about various members of the royal family over the years. I am not referring to any one particular article.

 

[Japy28]

I would love to be a fly in the wall, but just not at Bagshot Park. My thoughts in relation to Edward are based on what I have read written about various members of the royal family over the years. I am not referring to any one particular article.

Well then I will refer to one particular article, namely the one in which the Mirror (I think it was the Mirror, could have been the Sun oder they Daily Mail as well) had a journalist working as a footmen in Buckhouse. If I remember correctly, he stated that all footmen and palace employees spoke highly of Edward and Sophie, because they were uncomplicated and undemanding, friendly and not snobberish like the Duke of York or the Princess Royal.
He had been the particular fly on the wall and he seemed to have experienced the Wessexes as totally agreeable overall.

 

[Claire]

The Wessex's, Browns and Camerons

There is an interesting piece of news making the rounds these days around Fleet Street and the Houses of Westminister. It appears that if ever a debate about the royal family was to be brought forward - both leders of Labour and the Conservatives would now have to excuse themselves from the proceedings.

Over the last seven years, Sophie has become very good friends with Gordon Brown's wife, Sarah. Many are openly saying that Sophie's influence in her clothes and presentation is what has brought her to the fore as a first lady. The two women have much in common, both had tramatic and tragic pregnacies and both have a background in public relations. They even worked together before marrying their husbands. And now David Cameron's Samatha has also become friends with Sophie. They work together on many of her charities. Many might think that she is more up to it as the daughter of a Viscount.

But the most charming must be the relationship between John Brown and Lady Louise. The five year olds are a month apart in age, but have became firm friends. Louise is often taken to 10 Downing or Checkers for playdates and John comes over to Bagshot and Windsor. Louise attended John's birthday and last weekend John was among the guests at Louise's party.

 

[auntie]

I personally would not like to see another Norway, where the son of the CP has no HRH, and the daughter of a king has to ive up hers to marry! Edward is the son of a Queen, not a cousin, or some far realative. I like the way we have a princess Alexandra, who is royal and regal, ad takes her position seriously, even though she is the daughter of a duke, not king! Let's hope the Yorks live up to the expectations and continue to be princesses in behaviour and not only title!

 

[branchg]

The Queen pays for the upkeep and staffing at Bagshot Park, which is likely to be in the form of reimbursement to the Crown Estate for maintenance costs. There is no way Edward and Sophie could maintain such a large home and grounds with their own limited funds.

 

[Menarue]

The army said the house was small, I bet it was for the army, but for a family of four!
I really can´t see what advantage there could possible be for the Wessex children not to have HRH when their first cousins do. In fact I feel sure that Prince Edward had nothing to do with this, he just had to accept it. No fly on the wall for me, I read what I can and I definitely do not rely on magazines and the DM, and it has been said that Prince Edward can be as difficult as the Prince Charles, whose way of being difficult is always prefaced with a "Would you mind", impeccable manners, but of course no one minds.....they wouldn´t dare.

 

[ada]

Re list of staff - Who's doing the cooking

 

[Jo of Palatine]

Wessex Vacations with their kids?

Are there any?

 

[Charlotte1]

No recent ones, the ones from the past I can recall are:

summer holiday in Tuscany when Louise was about 18 months old. They looked like a typical British family on holiday.

ski holiday. Hello magazine had pictures of Louise then aged 3 and Sophie as they played in the snow.

 

[agogo]

The Queen pays for the upkeep and staffing at Bagshot Park, which is likely to be in the form of reimbursement to the Crown Estate for maintenance costs. There is no way Edward and Sophie could maintain such a large home and grounds with their own limited funds.

is this why the British royal family is ging broke?

 

[Iluvbertie]

is this why the British royal family is ging broke?

It isn't.

The Civil List doesn't cover what it is supposed to cover but the Queen's personal fortune is vast and it is that that covers these expenses and the reimbursement the Queen makes to the government for her family's payments from the government.

The Queen gets a payment for doing the job of Head of State - i.e. the Civil List but it is no longer covering what it is expected to cover so much so that the surplus accumulated from that payment in the 1990s is about to run out. This payment hasn't increased for 20 years.

However, the Queen's personal wealth from the Duchy of Lancaster estate has grown and provides the money she uses to fund her family and her private interests.