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The Queen has her own poet who she pays with 720 bottles of sherry when they are appointed

THE QUEEN has an extensive Royal Household who support the famous family, including her own poet. 

And it certainly pays to be in this prestigious position, as the appointed person gets an annual salary and a whopping 720 bottles of sherry delivered when they start. 

The Queen has her own poet in the Royal Household - and they are paid for their time
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The Queen has her own poet in the Royal Household - and they are paid for their timeCredit: Getty Images

The current person to be hired as poet laureate is Simon Armitage, who succeeded Carol Ann Duffy in May 2019. 

Simon is best-known for poems such as The Shout, To His Lost Lover and The Catch, and said he was contacted by Theresa May herself about being chosen for the position.

He is now entitled to an annual salary of £5,750, which he donates to help fund the annual Laurel Prize.

But the icing on the cake is the Queen will have also given Simon the traditional butt of sack, which is made up of around 720 bottles of sherry. 

The current Poet Laureate is Simon Armitage, who was appointed in May 2019
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The current Poet Laureate is Simon Armitage, who was appointed in May 2019
Simon signing his Butt of Sherry in Jerez after being appointed
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Simon signing his Butt of Sherry in Jerez after being appointedCredit: Poetrysociety.org.uk

Typically this is spread out of the ten years of the Poet Laureate’s tenure, so averages out at 72 bottles a year. 

Upon receiving his large supply, Simon said: “I’m honoured to gratefully accept the kind offer of the sherry in keeping with the long tradition of the office of Poet Laureate. 

“Like laureates before me I hope to put the bottles to good use – as gifts and prizes or to raise money in the name of poetry – but look forward to enjoying the odd tipple myself.

“ For the label I’m hoping to include an image of a cuckoo, the symbolic bird of the village of Marsden where I grew up and where so many of my poems are rooted.”

Simon succeeded Carol Ann Duffy in May 2019, who had held the position for 10 years
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Simon succeeded Carol Ann Duffy in May 2019, who had held the position for 10 yearsCredit: Getty - Contributor

The tradition of giving a small stipend and a barrel of sherry began in 1630 for Ben Jonson, who wrote poetry for James Vi and I and Charles I. 

He never had a formal appointment, however, and it was John Dryden who was named the first official Poet Laureate. 

From 1984, the Sherry Producers of Spain presents the butt of sherry to the honoured poet at the time. 

Ted Hughes, Sir Andrew Motion and Carol Ann Duffy have all visited Jerez - the hometown of sherry - to accept the boozy offering and had special labels designed for the bottles, according to the Royal Collection Trust. 

Bottom's up!

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