An enormous departure has affected King Charles’s expansive Highgrove estate, as 11 out of his 12 permanent gardeners have resigned over the past year amid claims of a toxic work atmosphere.
The frustrated employees, who alleged they felt “overwhelmed and underpaid,” submitted their resignations after growing more and more disenchanted with the monarch’s “demands,” reports The Sunday Times.
The concerning new report reveals that among the 11 gardeners who quit are two heads of gardens and a deputy head gardener, all of whom departed within the last year.
The mass resignations followed hot on the heels of the departure of one staffer, who had worked for Charles for decades.
Another quit when he failed his probation after revealing insufficient knowledge about a particular type of flower, reportedly losing the king’s trust.
“Don’t put that man in front of me again,” Charles said of the staffer, according to the report.
The Highgrove estate, which Charles had purchased in 1980, has also been rocked by a slew of toxic workplace complaints from vexed workers.
A recurring complaint was low wages, with insiders claiming that in March 2022, three gardeners earned $11.98 per hour (the minimum wage), whilst two others were on $12.78 per hour.
In late 2023, one gardener complained that the entire staff was “overwhelmed, under-resourced and constantly struggling to fulfill the king’s requests.”
The staffer claimed that some workers had sustained physical injuries trying to keep up with increasing demands, adding that morale had been at an all-time low.
“There is little management of HMTK [His Majesty the King’s] expectations, and I know I would not be allowed to say we are understaffed,” the complaint read, according to the outlet.
It’s said that the king issues a myriad of instructions to staffers during his morning walkabout on the estate. He then expects his orders to be completed before his next return.
Staffers claimed that the king sends detailed notes in “thick red ink” to garden staff, with memos that are “strikingly specific and emotional.”
Charles also allegedly corrects grammar and underlines incorrect letters in staff reports, and requires his team to address him as “Your Majesty” at all times.
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“There was anger boiling at the surface, very impatient, no politeness at all,” one gardener alleged.
Following the complaints, the King’s Foundation has since commissioned WorkNest, an independent HR consultancy, to investigate the claims.
The probe has since discovered evidence of “staff shortages” and “poor” management practice, confirming that pay was “an issue for recruitment and retention.”
According to the outlet, the report recommended “management training for all managers,” as well as “mental health support and counseling” for all employees, in addition to a pay review.
What’s more, the estate has since removed the “Head of Gardens” role, instead appointing a “Head Gardener” following the mass exodus.
One of the king’s most-trusted advisers and the current executive director of Highgrove, Constantine “Costa” Innemée, has been named in the staff complaints as instructing his employees to prioritize the king’s demands, no matter how difficult.
“If the King wanted a plant to be moved from A to B but the gardener’s professional opinion was that it would die as a consequence, Innemée’s position would be to insist on it anyway,” one former gardener alleged.
Despite generating more than $8 million in turnover last financial year — higher than any other royal residence — the gardens continue to operate with minimal resources, The Post understands.
The Post has reached out to Highgrove and Buckingham Palace for comment.
