In a development that Karl Marx might have regarded as the final triumph of capitalism over feudalism, the running of some of England’s finest castles is passing from the aristocracy to another class of titled individuals — chief executives.

The latest delegation of ancient inherited powers is taking place at Alnwick, seat of the Duke of Northumberland, power base of the Percy family for 700 years and famous as the setting for the Harry Potter films.

The duke and duchess are seeking a CEO with the vision to lead and inspire staff, “create strategic direction” and “engage and influence a range of audiences globally”. They believe that the running of their castle would suit someone who has been trained by Disney.

The move follows the appointments of chief executives at Blenheim Palace, Chatsworth House and Woburn Abbey, homes of the Dukes of Marlborough, Devonshire and Bedford.

“We’ve had 12 dukes, 11 earls, nine duchesses and even a wizard,” begins the advertisement for a chief executive for Alnwick Castle and Garden. “Now we need a world-class leader.”

The duchess told The Times: “People who have headed FTSE 100 companies — these are the sort of people we are going to look for. We are not interested in someone who simply has experience running a garden or historic home.”

She is offering a six-figure salary. “We are looking in Europe and America,” she said. “I would be very interested in someone who has been Disney-trained. Whatever you think of Disney, you look at the customer service: that’s what I want for Alnwick.”

The arrival of chief executives in the stately homes of England is seen as a symptom of the increasingly competitive leisure market in which they operate. The owners of the first homes to open for business in this way — Longleat, in 1949, and Woburn and Beaulieu in the 1950s — were driven by economic necessity.

Kate Oliver, head of events at Hagley Hall, Worcestershire, said: “What has really changed is that people are getting more aggressive in marketing their events, whether it be Shakespeare in the Park, wedding fairs or craft shows, anything that you can charge the public to come and do.”

The greatest stately homes possess both a raging demand for hard cash and untapped business and branding opportunities. Nick Way, the director-general of the Historic Houses Association, said: “You are up to six or seven figures per year in maintenance costs.”

Sir Roy Strong, one of the country’s best-known art historians, said he had accepted the potency of the Disney approach 20 years ago when the Natural History Museum sent officials to theme parks in search of new ideas.

“However much it brings distaste to my lips, it is a question of survival. I would rather see all these things happening than historic homes lying empty and crumbling. I’m a pragmatist and my observation is that country houses are being hit hard. People don’t seem to be visiting them because they are stuck in a time warp. I think these people \ have got to go for anything today.”

The problem for thrusting executives is that the homes themselves are not easily rearranged for commercial purposes, and yet the incumbent aristocratic family is part of the attraction.

Simon Howard, who retains control of Castle Howard in Yorkshire, said: “If people want to keep these places going they have to think commercially.” He hopes the castle will stay in the family, though he adds: “We cannot force anyone to take over.”

This, according to Peter Mandler, author of The Fall and Rise of the Stately Home, is another reason for the rise of stately-home CEOs. Families “find it increasingly difficult to get the nominal ‘heir’ . . . to assume the responsibility for running the show,” he said. “It makes sense to professionalise the operation and leave the Duke of Northumberland to just ‘be’ the Duke of Northumberland, as a figurehead, with fewer actual responsibilities.”

The duchess is uncertain how many other stately homes will follow Alnwick in seeking a chief executive. “Some don’t want the visitors we have,” she said. “They say they don’t want their homes to turn into businesses, that we don’t want all these children running about.”

The new chief executive at Alnwick is to take over the brand and “bring it on to the world stage”. The duchess envisages sound and light shows “like they do in Egypt”, merchandising, and the opening up of the abbey on the estate that served as the home of Maid Marian in the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.

Most of all, she wants to be able to fulfil her duties all over the globe “knowing that the sandwiches are fantastic”.

“Sandwiches are key,” she said. “They should be affordable, there needs to be the best bread and the best fillings. They are not that impressive at the moment. We have egg mayonnaise, cheese — you are lucky if you find a ham salad.”