After graduating from St. Andrews University in 2005, Prince William undertook a series of work experiences throughout England, a country he will one day rule.
In addition to working in London’s financial district, it’s been revealed that William rolled up his sleeves alongside employees at the famed Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, a historical home that has appeared in countless television programs and movies, including Pride & Prejudice and The Duchess.
“He spent a week working around the estate and made sausage rolls and mince pies,” Christine Robinson, author of Chatsworth: The Housekeeper’s Tale, told the Daily Express. “Then he spent a week at the house, dressed in overalls, drinking tea and eating fish and chips with the rest of the housemen and joiners.”
Robinson worked at the estate for over 40 years, where she rose through the ranks to become head housekeeper. She started with a holiday job in 1974, and after receiving a history degree from Newcastle University, returned to Chatsworth House as part of the housekeeping team.
“We’ve welcomed royalty, movie stars from Hollywood and great artists as well as millions of visitors,” she told the paper. “As someone once said this place really is a cross between a museum and the Hilton.”
During his time at the estate, William’s work ethic is class blindness made him a favorite among other employees.
“We were staging a ballet in the theatre, but discovered the stage was too short and had to be extended,” Robinson recalled. “He was carrying planks of wood through the shop dressed in workmen’s clothes.
“The look on visitors’ faces was priceless, most obviously thought to themselves, ‘That joiner is the double of Prince William.’
“When two old ladies came straight out and asked him he admitted he really was the heir to the throne.
“He was, of course, charming.”
Robinson has also welcomed William’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, among other esteemed visitors, and worked for the late Duchess of Devonshire, whose funeral the Prince of Wales attended.
For those looking for a tell-all, Robinson’s clear that hers is not that.
“After years spent gathering my thoughts, I hope the book will give an insight into what life at Chatsworth is really like from someone who has seen it from behind the scenes.
“There are one or two stories I could have included, but I chose not to,” she said. “I like working here and I’d like to stay friends with my colleagues.”
The house is incredibly rich is history, dating back to 1549, and is open to visitors. Robinson included historical facts and stories from her family who served as far back as King Edward VII in the 1900s.
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