King Charles’ camp responds after staff quit Highgrove over demands

King Charles’ camp has rejected claims of a toxic workplace environment at his estate, Highgrove.

It comes following a mass exodus where 11 of the monarch’s 12 full-time gardeners quit the lavish grounds over the past three years, according to the New York Post.

Charles, 76, was left licking his wounds after multiple frustrated staffers claimed they were “overwhelmed and underpaid” — allegations confirmed by a 2023 investigation commissioned by the King’s Foundation, which manages Highgrove’s gardens, the Sunday Times reported.

After workers’ allegations came to light this week — accusing His Majesty of spewing out unattainable demands, in addition to staff shortages, low wages and even lower morale — insiders from Charles’ camp have scoffed at the claims.

“There seems to be quite a few disgruntled former staff members who are out to make trouble for the King’s Foundation,” a source close to the king told Vanity Fair.

“The king loves Highgrove and is very proud of everything he has created here,” the insider said of the estate, which Charles purchased in 1980.

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King Charles’ camp has rejected claims of a toxic workplace environment at Highgrove. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Disgruntled or not, an investigation conducted by independent HR consultancy WorkNest had found evidence of “staff shortages” and “poor” management practices, confirming that pay was “an issue for recruitment and retention.”

Despite generating more than $US8 million ($A12.1 million) in income last financial year — higher than any other royal residence — the gardens continue to operate with minimal resources, The Post was told.

Still, the probe’s discoveries, coupled with the tallying complaints, have been refuted by some of the king’s former staffers, including his former senior gardener Jack Stooks.

Exasperated staffers claimed they were “overwhelmed and underpaid” during their tenure at Highgrove. Picture: Chris Jackson – WPA Pool/Getty Images

Stooks, who worked at Highgrove for more than 20 years, exclusively told The Post that while Charles does oversee the King’s Foundation and its employees, the claims against him are “unfair”.

“I think the stance toward the king is unfair,” Stooks told The Post, saying he’s never had an issue with Charles.

“I don’t think this should be aimed quite at him. He’s employed the foundation, and, yes, he’s part of the foundation, but they are running the garden.”

“The king is putting his trust in them to run it — if they’re running it incorrectly or unsuitably, that’s not actually on the king, it’s on them,” he continued.

“If there are problems, the king can now fix these, and I’m sure that’s exactly what he’ll now be doing as a result.”

The gardens of Highgrove House near Tetbury. Picture: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

The mass resignations followed the departure of one staffer who had worked for the king at Highgrove for decades.

Another gardener “failed his probation after revealing a lack of knowledge about a particular flower, instantly losing Charles’ trust,” the Times reported.

“Don’t put that man in front of me again,” Charles allegedly said of the staffer.

Charles and Diana with William and Harry in the estate’s wild flower meadow in 1986. Picture: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images

Following the allegations revealed this week, the King’s Foundation told The Post that it takes “staff welfare extremely seriously”.

“We strive to be an exemplary employer,” a spokesperson for the organisation said.

“We are proud to regularly report very high satisfaction rates in our annual staff survey.”

“Our staff turnover is well below the national average, as is the number of formal grievances raised. For the gardening team at Highgrove specifically, we regularly review guidance from the Professional Gardeners Guild for pay benchmarking.”

“Highgrove has also seen many positive developments since the King’s Foundation became the charitable custodian of the gardens,” the statement went on.

“Since 2022, the operating profit has more than doubled, a new education facility teaching traditional heritage skills to hundreds of students has been established, and visitor numbers continue to reach over 40,000 annually.”

Buckingham Palace has yet to respond to The Post’s request for comment.

Parts of this story first appeared in the New York Post and was republished with permission.

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