Queen's call divert

Oct 18, 2006, 15:45 GMT

Britain's Queen Elizabeth is cutting costs by sacking Buckingham Palace's night phone operator and diverting calls to Windsor Castle's fire surveillance room.

The queen employs a telephonist to work between 10pm and 8am to take important phone calls regarding urgent matters of state business at a cost of £20,000 a year.

However, budget cuts mean there are plans to have the night calls diverted to Windsor Castle, where the queen is choosing to spend more and more of her time now that she has turned 80.

Fire officers have monitored the castle's treasures, via a specially designed surveillance room 24 hours a day, ever since a fire devastated Windsor 14 years ago.

The officers will be given a £750 a year bonus for answering the phones at night.

A source told Britain's Daily Mail newspaper: "There will be one of the regular operators on duty - but asleep - and that person can be woken in emergencies.

"Two fire officers spend the night at Windsor watching computer screens to make sure there is not a repeat of the 1992 fire, and to be honest they welcomed something else to do in addition."

The money saved by axing the night job leaves finances to go towards a new position which has been created at Buckingham Palace - Director of Information Technology.

The £80,000 post - being advertised on the palace website - requires someone to be in charge of computers at all four of the queen's residences and to set up a wireless network.

A royal spokesman said yesterday (17.10.06): "This is an important new role and reflects the importance we put on good communications and keeping up to date with technology.

"We have had lower level specialists, now we feel there is a need for such a senior post within the Palace."

(C) BANG Media International