Palace Host Guide - Kensington Palace; Seasonal

Palace Host Guide - Kensington Palace (Seasonal)

We are the independent charity that loves and looks after six of the most wonderful palaces in the world. The palaces are the setting for the stories that shape us all, and we’re bringing them to people in ways that mean more to them. We want everyone to find themselves in the spaces and stories we share.

Home Palace:
Kensington Palace
Status:
Temporary/Seasonal
Salary: PR11.6 £ 15.44 per hour (equates to £31,117 per annum pro rata for full time roles  hrs per week)
Days/Hours of work:
Full-time and part-time roles available (2-5 days/wk), all including weekend and bank holiday working.

About the role and about you

Seasonal Contracts Available:

9th March 2026– 13th September 2026
9th March 2026 – 8th November 2026
Full-time and part-time roles available (2-5 days/wk), all including weekend and bank holiday working.

Historic Royal Palaces is the independent charity that loves and looks after six of the most wonderful palaces in the world. The palaces are the setting for the stories that shape us all, and we’re bringing them to people in ways that mean more to them. We want everyone to find themselves in the spaces and stories we share.

2026 Exhibition at Kensington Palace:
The Last Princesses of Punjab:
Discover the story of Punjabi princess and suffragette icon, Sophia Duleep Singh and five women who shaped her extraordinary life. Sophia and her sisters Catherine and Bamba, her mother Bamba Muller, grandmother Jind Kaur and godmother Queen Victoria each expressed womanhood, power, and royalty in different ways. They infused their identities and heritage into the causes they devoted themselves to and became powerful changemakers in their own right.

For the first time, Queen Victoria's childhood home of Kensington Palace will offer an intimate look into six lives shaped by Empire. This new exhibition — created to celebrate Sophia's 150th birthday — will focus on the women of a royal dynasty whose destinies were profoundly and violently transformed by it. We are looking for seasonal staff to support the operation of this exciting exhibition.

Your main role as a Guide will be to proactively tell the palace and exhibition’s stories in an engaging and entertaining style, whilst ensuring accuracy in the content of the information given.

Your role also includes delivering history talks as part of the Kensington Palace offer.

Working as part of a team you will also be responsible for providing the highest level of customer service and creating memorable customer experiences for all our visitors, whilst also ensuring the day-to-day safety and security of our palaces, their collection and our guests.

As a Palace Host Guide, you will also undertake cross-role working as and when required to support the operational running of the palace and the visitor experience.
The ideal candidate will have experience in customer service and working as part of a team. You will have a positive and flexible approach, being able to adapt your style and respond to visitor needs. An interest and knowledge in history is advantageous but not necessary.
We are an independent charity and want everyone to feel welcome and accepted, and as an ‘Investor in People’, we want you to fulfil your potential and enjoy your work.

The full season at Kensington Palace runs 9th March 2026 – 8th November 2026, but we have shorter duration contracts available (9th March 2026 – 13th September 2026). We can potentially be flexible if you have other commitments at the start/end of the season.

Closing Date: 18th January 2025
Group interviews:
January 26th, 27th, February 2nd, 3rd

You may also have experience in the following:
Seasonal Palace Host, Visitor Experience Assistant, Historic Palaces Ambassador, Guest Services Associate, Exhibition Support Staff, Tourist Engagement Coordinator, Palace Experience Facilitator, Visitor Operations Assistant, Heritage Site Host, Customer Experience Representative, Cultural Site Attendant, etc.

-(Apply online only)