King Charles has hundreds of people working for him and the Royal Family in his offices, though the monarch came under heavy fire just days after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, passed away, as redundancies were made in the middle of the grieving period.
Some staff felt the process was abrupt and expressed dissatisfaction with the timing, while others had mixed reactions. But is he really a “bad employer”? Now, a former employee has come forward to reveal the truth about Charles.
King Charles has had a well-deserved rest from his royal duties with the summer break. As tradition dictates, he is spending his time at Balmoral Castle in Scotland as his cancer treatment continues. Previous claims have stated that the monarch’s cancer, which he was diagnosed with last year, is “incurable.” However, earlier this summer, positive reports came out of Buckingham Palace.
As reported by The Telegraph in June, royal insider Camilla Tonminey shared that sources inside the palace walls now accept that Charles’ cancer could be incurable, but that it is ultimately at bay.
“The talk now is that he may die ‘with’ cancer, but not ‘of’ cancer following a rigorous treatment program,” Tonminey wrote, per Sky.
Whether Charles’ summer break also includes his employees is uncertain. More than 1,100 people worked for the late Queen Elizabeth, but when she passed away in 2022, things changed. For one, Charles decided to make redundancies just days after his mother’s funeral funeral.
As you can imagine, this was not met with positive response from those affected.
King Charles & his staff
Charles and Camilla had lived at their Clarence House residence for more than 20 years when Queen Elizabeth died. With Buckingham Palace undergoing renovations, it is expected to remain so for a few more years.
When Charles took the throne, many of his offices were moved too Buckingham Palace, meaning that a number of people working for him at Clarence House became suddenly surplus to requirements.
On the Monday after Queen Elizabeth’s funeral in 2022, approximately 100 staff members at Clarence House were handed redundancy notices and informed that they could lose their jobs, according to The Guardian at the time. Some of them had worked there for decades.
When they were handed the notice, they were “working round the clock” to make King Charles’ elevation to the throne “smooth.” The different staff departments include private secretaries, the communications team, household staff, and the finance office.
“The change in role for our principals will also mean change for our household,” the letter, written by Sir Clive Alderton, King Charles’s private secretary, which The Guardian obtained, stated.
“The portfolio of work previously undertaken in this household supporting the former Prince of Wales’s personal interests, former activities, and household operations will no longer be carried out, and the household … at Clarence House will be closed down. It is therefore expected that the need for the posts principally based at Clarence House, whose work supports these areas will no longer be needed.”
Royal staff members were “furious” as King Charles gave notice of redundancies
The King’s private secretary added: “I appreciate that this is unsettling news and I wanted to let you know of the support that is available at this point.”
Many staff reportedly believed that they would move on to work for King Charles in his new household. Staff who provided “direct” and “close” support to Charles and Camilla did not face the same fate as many other workers, Alderton said.
Safe to say, the workers were far from happy about it, not least because of the timing of the letter being sent out. Loyal aides said the letter, sent by email, was flat out “heartless,” as they were mourning Queen Elizabeth.
An insider told The Sun: “The staff are furious. They’re working round the clock and under huge amounts of pressure and then get these emails. There has been anger, outrage and tears. They are working flat out largely motivated by the devotion they have for Charles and the Queen.”
“The Duke of Edinburgh’s staff were paid for many months after his death. Some of these people are mourning the Queen – it is a bit too soon to be sending out redundancy letters when we haven’t even had the funeral. They are grieving. It is heartless.”
Ex-employee reveals what King Charles is really like behind the scenes
Now, a few years after the fact, exactly what happened next is not clear. Still, working for the king is probably a dream for many, even if it includes cooking breakfast, fixing his clothes, or sitting in an office answering questions for tourists.
Although the king came under heavy scrutiny from many of his employees, does that mean he is universally considered a bad employer? In an interview with The Daily Beast, a former employee of Charles has spoken out about how the monarch behaves around his office, and readers may well be surprised.
King Charles’ job as king might seem like a walk in the park, but considering that he his still undergoing cancer treatment, it must be quite stressful. More likely, although he had prepared for the role of king for more than 70 years, his life changed forever on the day when his mother died.
The job is one of the most high-profile worldwide, and it’s not too wild to speculate that he is likely under a great deal of stress. The former staffer praised King Charles for being “extremely well prepared” as an employer.
“Always extremely well prepared”
They added that the monarch is known to not “suffer fools,” which means he expects competence and professionalism from those around him. This high standard ensures that everyone in his office remains attentive and dedicated.
“In fairness to him, as anyone who has actually worked with him will tell you, he himself is always extremely well prepared, well-read on the subject matter of people he meets and is working with, diligent and respectful of expertise,” they concluded.
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