Amid the Katespiracy, Buckingham Palace is on the hunt for a new communications staffer — and they're hoping to pay this person $32,000 a year

• Buckingham Palace is looking for a new communications assistant.
• The new staffer's role includes ensuring the royals' "communications consistently spark interest."

Buckingham Palace is hiring a new communications assistant amid heightened interest in the Princess of Wales' whereabouts.

Besides responding to media inquiries, the new staffer will be tasked with creating content such as feature articles and social-media updates, according to the hiring notice. It's unclear when the position was listed, though applications are set to close on April 7.

The job posting says the assistant will draw an annual salary of
£25,642.50, or about $32,700, and be asked to work 37.5 hours a week.

"Whether working on a state visit, ceremonial event, or Royal engagement, you'll make sure our communications consistently spark interest and reach a range of audiences," the hiring notice says.

The staffer being stationed at Buckingham Palace means their responsibilities will probably include working on King Charles III's media strategy. In January, the palace disclosed that Charles had been diagnosed with cancer after undergoing treatment for an enlarged prostate.

The royal family has run into some major public-relations issues this past month. Speculation has been rife about the Princess of Wales' health ever since Kensington Palace said she went for a "planned abdominal surgery" in January. She hasn't made an official appearance since December.

Kate's prolonged absence from the public eye has now become conspiracy-theory fodder, and social-media users have cooked up unsubstantiated rumors about her health and the state of her marriage to Prince William.

Some have even coined terms such as "Katespiracy" and "KateGate" as catchall names for all the wild, unconfirmed theories that have been making the rounds on social media.

Kensington Palace has continued to remain tight-lipped about Kate's circumstances. On February 29, the palace issued a terse statement to the media, telling reporters it "shall not be providing a running commentary" on Kate's recovery.

And then on March 10, the palace made the bizarre decision to release a digitally altered photo of Kate and her kids. The photo, which had blurred spots in certain areas, was removed by several photo agencies over concerns that it was doctored.

"Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," the princess said in a statement released by the palace the following day, in which she apologized for the confusion caused by the photo.