Marker of the Swans
The second position to make sure the Royal Swans don’t get into a hissy fit with a dog or bear is the Marker of the Swans. This guy counts up how many swans there are chilling and makes sure someone didn’t try to take one back to America. The Warden and Marker make sure that the annual “Swan-Upping Ceremony” happens, which, traditionally meant catching the swans and then eating them. Nowadays, the Marker just counts them and makes sure they’re healthy.
Official Harpist to the Prince of Wales
Prince Charles has his very own Official Harpist, which was done away with in the 1800s when Queen Victoria was in power. Apparently, the Prince of Wales knew how important the harp is to Welsh tradition and wanted to see a comeback. A new harpist was introduced in 2015 after the previous one caused a scandal with a much older opera singer.
Her Majesty’s Botanist
This position stood on its own from its creation in 1699 until it was decided that it would be combined with the Regius (Royal) Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in 1956. His/her majesty’s botanist would oversee the gardens and would test the medicinal attributes various plants could be utilized for.
