I am the Systems Administrator and Investiture Clerk and work with a team of eight people within the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood based at St. James's Palace. I have worked for the Royal Household for almost 12 years.

How did you get your job with the Royal Household?
A friend worked for the Royal Household and I decided I'd like to do something slightly different from my previous job working as a supervisor at a high-street bank. I applied to the Royal Household in 1994 for a footman's position but was offered the post of under-butler in the Royal Pantries, which I accepted.

Since then, I worked up the ladder within the Master of the Household's Department and my last role within that Department was as Page of the Presence, where, amongst other duties, I looked after guests of the Royal Family and supervised service at functions. I transferred to my current position in December 2005.

Describe a typical day.
The Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood co-ordinates all matters relating to United Kingdom honours, which reward people for merit, service and bravery. My role is two-fold.

Firstly, within my role as Investiture Clerk, I produce the documentation which is sent to people informing them of their Investiture date following the publication of their names in either The Queen's Birthday or New Year's Honour Lists. We have approximately 26 investitures each year, involving two-and-a-half thousand people. When the forms we send out are returned, I arrange for tickets to be issued for each recipient and their guests whilst at the same time dealing with any special requirements, such as wheelchair access. I also prepare the official souvenir programmes which each guest and recipient receives at the ceremony.

I also work on the investiture ceremonies, as part of a team ensuring that the event goes smoothly, whilst at the same time making it an enjoyable occasion for all who come. For various reasons, not everybody who is invited to an investiture can attend, so I liaise with the appropriate Government departments so that the recipients may receive their insignia at a local presentation ceremony, held by the Lord Lieutenant of their county.

On top of this, I have to arrange for documentation and insignia to be sent abroad to the realms - places such as Papua New Guinea and Grenada - as they also publish honours lists twice yearly.

With the recent rise in the interest of genealogy, many people have discovered that relatives of theirs had received honours in the past, so they write to us seeking more information and I can spend quite a lot of time researching our archive on their behalf.

Like most organisations, we rely on technology, so the second part of my position is to oversee the Central Chancery's systems and make sure they are secure and working to assist us in the most effective way.

What is the best thing about your job?
I think the best thing about my job is knowing that, whilst I'm serving The Queen in a small way, I'm also doing my part to make a special day even more memorable for so many people, many of whom will see this as a once in a lifetime occasion.

What experience and skills do you need to work within the Central Chancery?
Administration skills and computer literacy are essential, as is the ability to work well within a small team. In terms of specific experience, as matters connected with honours are both wide-ranging and specialised, the best way to learn is on the job. But accuracy and an eye for detail are absolutely imperative.

What's it like working for the Royal Household?
Even though I've been working for the Royal Household for several years, I still class it as an honour. Being in such a unique organisation and meeting so many different people gives me a lot of job satisfaction.