King Charles - disquiet at Highgrove & the gardeners’ exodus - SUNDAY TIMES INVESTIGATION

[vera99]

Murdoch is growing bolder in his dotage — first with Trump, and now with another bombshell investigation into the grasping, stagnant, and catastrophically out-of-touch Windsors. And yet we keep pumping more public money into this so-called dysfunctional family.

What you need to know

King’s demands, staff shortages and low pay led to gardener exodus at Highgrove

Royal charity which runs gardens told to offer mental health support after formal investigation

Charles has lost 11 of 12 garden staff since 2022 including two head gardeners who quit within a year

Monarch said of one worker: “Do not put that man in front of me again”

After Ukraine invasion King proposed plugging staff shortages with war refugees or the elderly

At one point half of staff were on minimum wage

https://archive.ph/fspT3#selection-1495.0-1501.155

Spoilt brats the lot of them so we know whatever faults Harry may have where they came from ! Slavery was abolished, Sir in the 19th century.

‘Don’t put that man in front of me again’

The memos are often strikingly specific and emotional — demanding, for instance, that staff move a single, unacceptable ragwort from the perimeter of his swimming pool; telling them their failure to cultivate his beloved delphiniums had caused an almighty disappointment and spoilt one of his favourite moments of the summer; and even correcting grammar.

Of 12 full-time gardeners employed in 2022, 11 have left, including two heads of gardens and a deputy head gardener who departed within the space of a year. One had served the King for decades. Another failed his probation after revealing a lack of knowledge about a particular flower, instantly losing Charles’s trust. The monarch said of him: “Don’t put that man in front of me again.”

there are two sides to every story
the sunday times is a rag

If you send a person to boarding school when they are barely out of breeches and if you give them absolutely everything in life on tap it will breed a degree of entitlement. The same entitlement that was revealed in Harry when the media spin dropped off.

They are at their core an emotionally avoidant, emotionally immature family with enormous privilege and a brilliant team working to spin a yarn that ingratiates them or at the very least the idea of them to the masses. However all that said I don’t think they are particularly bad people, just spoilt and not very in touch with reality for everyone else on the ground.

The memos are often strikingly specific and emotional — demanding, for instance, that staff move a single, unacceptable ragwort from the perimeter of his swimming pool; telling them their failure to cultivate his beloved delphiniums had caused an almighty disappointment and spoilt one of his favourite moments of the summer; and even correcting grammar.

I'm not sure why someone who pays people for the upkeep of a treasured garden would accept a large weed growing in an obvious, jarring place or not be irritated that their favourite planting hadn't happened. Or is the King meant to accept the sort of sloppy stewardship that MNetters would sack their cleaners for (see a recent thread concerning unwiped windowsills) just because he is the monarch?

Edited for typo

Is Murdoch really that hands-on nowadays? How old is he?

Aren't they just - they talk big but act in private like the real people they are. Or maybe not private - who can forget the pens , add magnolia issues to that !

In November 2022, the first of two head gardeners left. According to a source, “HMK [His Majesty the King] did not like him.” Others said he resigned because he could not bear to deal with the charity’s politics. A short time later, a deputy gardener made the technical error during a walkabout — apparently about magnolias. Charles insisted he be removed immediately. At the end of the man’s probation period he was told by Innemée that he had not passed, with foundation sources now claiming he was not at the “level required for the role”.

It’s likely that Succession was based on him. At 94, Murdoch almost certainly knew this was about to break and along with Channel 4, The Sunday Times helped spearhead the major Duchy investigation.

At the end of the man’s probation period he was told by Innemée that he had not passed, with foundation sources now claiming he was not at the “level required for the role”.

And it sounds like he wasn't. Again, is the monarch expected to employ people with inadequate levels of knowledge because he is the monarch? I can't get worked up about it.

If only the King loved his sons and grandchildren a tenth as much as he loves his precious gardens, they might think of him once in awhile after he leaves this world. So sad. I know he talks to his plants but does he shout at them as well .

I wouldn't fancy being the valet who brings the ironed copy of the papers on the silver salver to the drawing room - "Sir - there's an article in the Times you may wish to see". There's bullying in the Royal Family, that's clear to see and this one has receipts.

Royalty bashing in disguise. Sunday Times over dramatic story...."King gets upset about a ragwort by the pool." Oh dear.

Highgrove is the King's sanctuary, he's had personal involvement in the gardens over the years and is very particular about it, especially the wildflower meadow which blooms each year.
One would have thought that a gardener working for the king would be taking care to continue the King's wishes in the garden.
Such a non story guaranteed to bring out the vitriol of the Royal Family haters...

But as a passionate gardener, which I am, and thought King Charles was, if I saw a single errant ragwort growing in a crack between the paving stones, I'd just pull it out. No drama.

If however the accurate story (not the hyped one, in the media, who need the column inches), was that there were loads of weeds left to grow and the place was looking unkempt, then I'd be as annoyed as KC, that I was employing gardeners to keep the gardens in good order.

Oh, and given the actions of some of the members of the Royal Family, I can quite see why the King might choose to prefer his plants.....

Can the gardeners prepared to work for NMW or LLW be pointed in my direction please. This fact alone indicates less than reliable sources.

Do your own gardening Charlie boy then

It's a 2 pronged attack - same paper on the front page; https://archive.ph/Y14uG

She returned to work three weeks after the accident, sporting a black eye, prompting a rare personal message on X from the Prince and Princess of Wales, acknowledging her work ethic: “Super trooper! So great to see you back so soon. W&C x.” Prince William is known to admire his aunt’s devotion to duty and Anne is fond of her nephew and will support him as King in the future if she is still working when he accedes to the throne.

But several sources close to the princess note that she would like to see him do more of the “bread-and-butter” royal engagements. Only the King, Anne and William do investitures, many of which take place at Windsor Castle, near William’s Windsor home, Adelaide Cottage. A source close to Anne says: “She’s still doing most of the investitures [at Windsor] even though William lives there. It annoys her.”

You have no idea how much he loves his sons and grandchildren.
That's nothing to do with a garden.

I think it's a great idea to hire refugees and the elderly.

For free who had done Camilla's garden before.

😂😂😂

It's probably Meghan's fault in some twisted manner - better minds than mine can join up the dots !

I find that extremely unlikely. Anne is coming up to 75. She has been a working royal since she was 18. She has never criticised any member of her family to anyone else, nor would she stoop that low.
She is too professional.

The fact that the youngest Louis? Is so comfortable on his grandads lap seems to show he is an involved grandparent

Hasn't Charles run highgrove for years? It's not like he has just taken over and is throwing his weight around

Why do you mention Meghan? What has she to do with any of this?

Nothing that was my point - it was early morning irony !

I knew quite a number of people over my career who worked for the royal household and they all felt the same, it was a great place to work and felt respected. One of my best friends grandads was a head gardener too, well looked after, grace and favour home the family still lived on after he died, I can't say I'm that bothered about the RF generally, but as you mentioned Harry, he's a spoilt entitled spiteful man child IMO, constantly bullying his own family with his demands, lies and gossip yet drivelling on about forgiveness and they should apologise ... look in the mirror mate!