Windsor Castle grounds

The Queen's staff at Windsor Castle are set to take industrial action

The 76 wardens involved in the dispute are employed by the Royal Collection Trust, working at the entrance to the castle, around the grounds and inside the palace.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "These loyal workers are the public face of Windsor Castle and with this vote their message to their employer is loud and clear.

"Staff should be properly rewarded for their commitment to ensuring visitors from around the world can fully enjoy their time at the castle."

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Windsor Castle, the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world, attracts 1.1 million visitors each year, who between them spend more than £17 million, which is used by the Royal Collection Trust charity for the upkeep of the royal palaces and their contents.

The staff who are proposing action are employees of the Royal Collection Trust. They are distinct from employees of the Royal Household, who include footmen, butlers and cleaners, who work specifically for the Royal family, rather than staff whose job specifically relates to the castle's role as a tourist attraction.

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The Royal Collection Trust said in a statement: "Following the union ballot, we have been informed that some PCS-affiliated wardens at Windsor Castle will no longer participate in various activities undertaken during their working day, including using their language and first-aid skills, and conducting tours of specific areas of the Castle during August and September.

"These activities have never been compulsory; it has always been the choice of the individual as to whether they take part. While the outcome of the ballot is disappointing, it will have no effect on services to visitors to the Castle.

"Royal Collection Trust has since last year been exploring ways to achieve an agreed level of pay for all warden staff. Conversations that are part of the annual pay review process are still ongoing and an offer to expand the salary scale for a warden, starting at the Regional Living Wage of £14, 695 for new joiners (based upon an average 36 hour working week), has been put to PCS and other unions."