US Edition
Gardeners Quitting King’s Highgrove Amid Demands – Report
GLOUCESTERSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, JUL 20 – Eleven of twelve gardeners resigned since 2022 due to low pay and micromanagement, prompting an investigation recommending mental health support and management training.
- Since March 2022, nearly all gardeners at King Charles's Highgrove estate have departed, with reports indicating that 11 out of 12 staff members, including multiple head gardeners, have resigned amid concerns over working conditions and management.
- The staff shortages followed complaints about specific, demanding requests from King Charles and low pay, which the King's Foundation investigation confirmed affected recruitment and retention.
- King Charles remains closely involved, sending detailed notes in red ink and visiting regularly, while employees describe the workload as overwhelming and causing injuries.
- The King’s Foundation emphasized its strong commitment to supporting staff welfare amid reports of cumulative pay increases between 15% and 19%, a doubling of operating profits since 2022, and maintaining an annual visitor count exceeding 40,000.
- The exodus of gardeners and management issues at Highgrove highlight tensions between the King's meticulous standards and modern workplace expectations, with implications for staff wellbeing and estate operations.
57 Articles
57 Articles
Staff flee King Charles' private estate Highgrove. Eleven out of twelve gardeners have quit since 2022, the Sunday Times reports. The staff complain about the king's micromanagement - and say they are "overworked and underpaid".
‘Don’t put that man in front of me again’: King Charles may be ready to forgive Harry but patience for his own staff wears thin
Many might think King Charles to be a forgiving soul, his approach to the fallout between him and Prince Harry suggests as such. However, his rumored behavior behind palace doors doesn’t seem to reflect this image at all. In fact, his recent actions have reportedly led to a mass exodus of gardening staff whose low morale has been attributed to the King’s demands and harsh words to certain employees. Nobody’s perfect and King Charles is no except…
Indecent wages, toxic management, king's whims... The gardeners of the King of England are not at the party and go to the table.
As Charles III pursued his cancer treatment with courage, a scandal broke out in his gardens in Highgrove. According to a Sunday Times investigation, twelve gardeners resigned, denouncing toxic working conditions.
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