King Charles reportedly lost nearly a dozen employees who were “overwhelmed and underpaid” after they all quit due to his demands.
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According to The Sunday Times, 11 out of the royal’s 12 full-time gardeners at Highgrove estate resigned within the past year amid allegations of a toxic workplace environment.
Among those who stepped was an employee who had worked for King Charles for decades. Another employee quit when he failed his probationary period. Sources stated that the employee lacked sufficient knowledge about a particular type of flower. The moment led to King Charles not trusting the employee.
“Don’t put that man in front of me again,” the royal allegedly stated about the staffer.
Meanwhile, another former gardening employee stated that the entire staff was “overwhelmed, under-resourced, and constantly struggling” to fulfill King Charles’ requests.
The staffer also said other gardening employees sustained several physical injuries trying to keep up with the king’s demands. This left the morale among the employees at an all-time low.
“There is little management of the [His Majesty the King’s] expectations,” the former employee noted. “And I know I would not be allowed to say we are understaffed.”
The King’s Foundation has commissioned an independent consulting firm, WorkNest, to investigate the toxic work environment allegations.
“At The King’s Foundation, we strive to be an exemplary employer and are proud to regularly report very high satisfaction rates in our annual staff survey,” a spokesperson of the foundation stated about the allegations. “Our staff turnover is well below the national average, as is the number of formal grievances raised.”
King Charles’ Gardening Employees Seek Fair Pay
Along with allegations of a toxic work environment, another primary reason why many employees have resigned is the low wages. Insiders previously claimed that three gardeners were earning $11.98 per hour (the minimum wage). Two other gardeners were receiving $12.78 per hour.
Jack Stook, who previously served as King Charles’ senior gardener, spoke about why he left his position. “The world of gardening is known for its low pay, and I myself ended up leaving Highgrove after 20 years.”
“I had a back operation and, for want of a better word, did experience getting burnt out as a result,” Stook continued. “As you would doing certain jobs regularly. Things had changed at that point, the foundation took the garden on, so it was the right time for me to leave.”