chat did Queen Elizabeth think of Diana or Meghan Markle? What about Brexit? What did she say about her in her letters to her sister Margaret, to the prime ministers, to her husband Philip? Hundreds of expert archivists rushed to apply for the position of curator of the epistolary archive – official and private – of the sovereign. And the salary of 34,000 pounds per year (just under 38,000 euros) will certainly not be the main attraction. For historians, the real value is being able to know first hand the secrets, so far super protected, of Elizabeth II.
Queen Elizabeth at work on the Royal train, May 2002 (IPA)
The epistolary secrets of Queen Elizabeth
There will be three selected candidates who, with different duties (one of them will also have to take care of the libraries of Elisabetta and Filippo), will become part of a small team of Royal Collection Trust, based at Windsor Castle. Among them will be a chief secret keeper, who will have the task, starting from May 2023 and for the next two years, of directing a new archive project. And of ensure that royalist secrets remain so.
The contents of the letters will remain secret
Before I get my hands on the Queen’s letters, new archivists will need to sign a confidentiality agreement very rigid, which does not allow in any case to reveal the contents. These range from details of Elizabeth II’s private life and daily routine, to her personal opinions on political or family matters, never expressed in public. As befits a true monarch.
Only researchers will have access to the letters
The letters in question are, in fact, destined to remain closed in the archives of Windsor e they won’t be made public for decades. But new archivists will have to organize them carefully into pre-established categories and ensure that access by any researchers is immediate. Other tasks include organizing exhibitions at the castle and online resources.
Elizabeth II among letters and drawings received for her Platinum Jubilee, Windsor, February 2022 (Getty Images)
For Queen Elizabeth only the top archivists
Two of the assignments are fixed-term but, given the immense historical value of the material, the official website of the British Royals describes them as an incredible stepping stone to a future career as a high-profile archivist. But candidates will have to demonstrate that they already have extensive experience in archiving and cataloging official documents at prestigious international institutions. And above all of be able to keep a secret For all life.
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