The 5 British royal perks we’re most jealous of: from Prince Charles’ toothpaste squeezer to Queen Elizabeth having someone wear in her new shoes

Aug 2 , 2021

Queen Elizabeth and other members of the royal family enjoy a few perks of the job the rest of us can only dream of. Photo: Reuters

Prince George gets to enjoy an epic playhouse gifted to Queen Elizabeth in 1932, while Prince Charles has help with everything from ironing to toothbrushing

If the idea of being woken by your shrill iPhone alarm isn’t appealing, envy the queen, who is woken up by bagpipers playing outside her window every morning at 9am

We’re all aware that the British queen is no longer an absolute monarch, but she and her family still boast plenty of power at home and enjoy the right to make some extraordinary requests – and they do! Here are eight of the most outrageous perks they enjoy, which may surprise you, and also make you slightly envious …

Why the queen never has blisters

Queen Elizabeth and Pope John Paul II inside Buckingham Palace – royal engagements often mean being on your feet all day. Photo: Getty Images

Given that she’s on her feet throughout almost every royal engagement she has, Queen Elizabeth is never seen to be limping as a result of blisters from her new kicks … because she has someone break in her shoes before she takes them on a walkabout.

Queen Elizabeth removes her shoes at the request of members of a Korean family on a visit to their 400-year-old house in Hahoe. Photo: AP

One person who has had the honour of walking in the queen’s shoes is her personal assistant and senior dresser, Angela Kelly, who wrote in her book The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe: “As has been reported a lot in the press, a flunkey wears in Her Majesty’s shoes to ensure that they are comfortable and that she is always good to go. And yes, I am that flunkey.”

A playhouse like no other

More than one young royal gets to benefit from the gorgeous miniature playhouse that was gifted to Queen Elizabeth when she was just six – including Prince George. Photo: @KensingtonRoyal/Twitter

Royal children get some fabulous perks too, like this two-storey playhouse which is on the grounds of the Royal Lodge at Windsor.