Prince William and Kate Middleton have a very strict rule for their staff

Every now and then, the opportunity to work for the royal family arises - whether the Queen is looking for staff at Windsor Castle, or Prince Charles is hoping to find the perfect PA.

But if you're a fan of Prince William and Kate Middleton, they recently looked to hire a new member of staff to help maintain their Kensington Palace home.

The housekeeping role was advertised on the Royal Household's official website, described as an 'exciting opportunity' to work for the royal couple and 'join a supportive and positive team'.

Naturally, there is a certain code of conduct that applicants must adhere to at all times while working for the Duke and Duchess, and it is essential they show a willingness to travel as the couple often spend time in their Norfolk residence, Anmer Hall, with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

But there is also one strict rule in particular that applicants must be willing to follow.

According to a report in Fabulous, there is zero tolerance for gossiping, with the advert explaining that individuals must be excellent at 'maintaining confidentiality and exercising discretion.'

Tracey Waterman, the royal head of recruitment, also revealed that there is a subtle challenge used to decide which candidate gets the job.

During documentary Sandringham: The Royals at Christmas, she revealed: 'The difference between housekeeper in a five-star hotel and in a royal Palace would be attention to detail.

'One of the tests I like to do, to see if a candidate has potential eye for detail, is to place a dead fly, either in the fireplace or on the carpet. Once the dead fly is placed, I then bring the candidate into the room.

'I lead them into the room quite slowly, just giving them a chance to glance at the room, have a little look at what we’ve got inside the room. Bringing them to the fireplace, maybe highlighting that we’ve got a beautiful fireplace. At this point I’d expect them to see the dead fly, and hopefully pick it up.'

She added: 'It’s a great test, maybe out of 10 people half the candidates will notice the fly. One out of ten will actually bend down and pick it up, that’s the special housekeeper.'

So now you know what to look out for if you ever interview at the Palace...