‘Downton Abbey’ but with NDAs: How to Be a Butler to the Super-Rich
September 17, 2024 at 05:00PMDespite what you might think, butlers didn’t go extinct a century ago. In fact, fueled by an explosion of ultrawealth in the Middle East and China, buttling is on the rise. (Yes, it’s called “buttling.”) Where does one learn to be professionally deferential? At a borderline abusive 10-week course in The Netherlands—which Will Coldwell visited for this mind-boggling piece in The Economist‘s weekend magazine.
[Aspiring butler] Bennett seems used to being joshed by superiors. He went to boarding school, studied theology and almost became a priest before joining the Metropolitan Police instead. “I’m quite institutionalised,” he admitted, “but maybe I just have a fetish for uniform.” Becoming a butler represented a way to block out the “grim life” he’d experienced as a policeman. To be surrounded by wealth, and to feel objectified by it, seemed like “the only way to stay sane in a world that can sweep you up,” he told me. “I’m a disposable asset and knowing that keeps me grounded.” Bennett gained some experience at Buckingham Palace as a part-time footman (a lower-ranking role) before quitting the force. “I like living in a different era,” he said.
from Longreads https://longreads.com/2024/09/17/downton-abbey-but-with-ndas-how-to-be-a-butler-to-the-super-rich/
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