Lisa Schaers infatuation with the Royal Family began in Grade 3.
When I was a little girl I did a project on owls and my teacher recommended we write Prince Philip because he was the head of the World Wildlife Foundation, she said.
He wrote me back and since then Ive always been interested in them [the royal family members] because they had shown a personal interest in me and written me personally about my project and signed his name to the letter.
Over the years, the Squamish resident tracked the Queens events and kind of looked up to the queen.
I thought, I would like to, in my lifetime, be a part of her reign in a significant way, she said.
After four years spent applying to any and every available posting in the royal household, Schaer has the chance to begin her dream career today (March 4) and earlier this week she had everything prepared from her outfit to her portfolio.
Im so excited that I finally have an in-person interview, she said. My hope and my dream would be to get the job and move on internally because once youre hired, theres internal postings that arent posted publicly.
Schaers perseverance appears to have paid off and the Friday interview is for a position as summer warden.
I probably applied for 10 or 15 jobs over the past four years and it was always, Sorry, you werent selected reply, she said.
It was a Friday morning and I was checking my email and I almost deleted the message because I thought that it was going to be a no again then finally the response said, Congratulations, Lisa Schaer, you have made it to the interview process for the position of summer warden.
The royal household contracts 200 summer wardens to accommodate the 400,000-plus visitors who pass through Buckingham Palace during the summer months, when the Queen and her 700 household staff leave for Balmoral Castle.
Schaer is excited about the opportunity to learn more about the paintings and artifacts that adorn Buckingham Palace.
I would receive two weeks worth of training about all the pictures and the artifacts, she said. Ill be getting educated in exactly what I care about.
Schaer is most excited to see all the portraits of Queen Victorias children that line the grand staircase, put up when Victoria lived in Buckingham Palace.
They also have 15 Hans Holbein paintings of Henry VIII and numerous other Holbein photos and sketches, including Rembrandts and tons of other famous paintings, she said.
This summer theyre coming out with a Faberg egg collection of the Queen Mother she collected Faberg eggs and so theyre bringing them all out, but theyre also having other Faberg eggs flown in for display.
Faberg eggs are made of precious metals or hard stones decorated with combinations of enamel and gemstones. The first egg was commissioned to artist Peter Carl Faberg by Tsar Alexander III, who wanted to give one to his wife 50 eggs were made in 1885 and 1917 and 42 have survived.
Despite the inevitable intensity of the interview, Schaer said she feels well prepared.
Ive been researching Buckingham Palace and its layout and Ive been trying to get a handle of some of the paintings, she said. Theres probably 50,000 different artifacts so you could never know enough.
Schaer has to pay for her own flight, but she said its more than worthwhile.
I think its worth it because I would find it a privilege and an honour to work for the household, she said. And its definitely not a hardship for me to be in London, ever.
Schaer has visited London four times but never during the summer months when she could view the inside of Buckingham Palace.
For the interview shell enter the palace through the side door and shes excited to see the interior for the first time a potential first literal step towards her ideal career.
To begin, anything in the household would be amazing and I would like to work my way up in 30 years to do something that I really enjoy, she said.
A self-proclaimed royalist, Schaer believes in the institution and would like to see Canada continue as a commonwealth country.
I think that as a political power those 16 nations that are joined together are so much stronger than we even realize, she said.
Its a unique collaboration that makes us stronger and having the Queen as a figurehead to rely on in an emergency is important.
