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

What on earth do they have to gain from getting into a slanging match about such insubstantial allegations though? A rolled eye and “As if we’d dignify that with a comment” is far more powerful.

When have they ever come out with a righteous rebuttal? The first of never!

And there are all kinds of groups who have a vested interest in ensuring that society stays as divided as possible!

How could the Monarchy bring us together?

Since you asked - here it is.

https://www.republic.org.uk/elected_heads_of_state

And here's a King loved by the whole country - real love - what a King what a Coronation - but actually an very much cheaper Acession. Getting goose bumps

So you do want a King and a monarchy then!

My Republic wouldn’t be very different.It just wouldn’t have a stratum of people who we defer to simply because of an accident of birth. Which I believe is what should happen in a modern, grown up democracy.

How long have you got? Just a brief response…

The obvious things - state occasions, the monarch’s Christmas message, the monarch commenting at times of national celebration or crisis as the Queen did so movingly during the lockdowns.

These are past and current examples but as I’ve said, there’s room for adaptation and change.

I’ve heard it all now a so called republican getting goose bumps over a European King, you couldn’t make it up.

The King of the Netherlands complicates the argument he’s genuinely well-liked, widely popular, and brings the country together with good humour and a light touch. The Dutch monarchy understands that ageing monarchs rarely make great ones, so they have the good sense to step aside for younger blood and they actually work hard for it. Sorry Graham ! Harry would have been that sort of King but he had the misfortune of being born Spare and here we are.

Blimey! Are you serious?

And here's a King loved by the whole country - real love - what a King what a Coronation - but actually an very much cheaper Acession. Getting goose bumps

If you showed footage of Charles coronation concert (smaller venue) then you’d see much the same. r Elizabeth’s jubilees. And Willem-Alexander has been in hot water for securing a government role for his sister in law Princess Laurentian, and had to fly home early from a Family holiday in Greece they they took during a Covid lockdown. Life under constant scrutiny is never easy…

Ah, right. I thought you were thinking of new things-I think the things you list are as divisive as they are uniting.

It’s so funny - because I’ve realised, thinking about what you’ve said, I wouldn’t be at all interested if the focus was some elected politico or bureaucrat. It’s precisely because the monarch is part of an historical continuum stretching way back into the mists of time which interests me and captures my imagination, old romantic that I am!

Were all different…

Harry would have been that sort of King but he had the misfortune of being born Spare and here we are.

Actually i think Harry would have been an unmitigated disaster as a direct heir, but there you go…

The website is poor to say the least. I've gone through it before when trying to get an answer out of republicans posters. But clearly you are not a real republican. You are a Diana worshipper who hates Charles.

I’m having trouble how that video is any different to how the public reacts to our royals, one small example here

https://youtube.com/shorts/oxk6cXXxuGs?si=3i6iVY8_m7aQuhqp

And a Harry fan 🙄. Rumbled.

Wonder what the notoriously tight fisted King Harry would be paying his gardeners....

Highgrove or the Highway !

But - why are they? What in earth’s not to like about someone speaking to us ALL as a nation and wishing us a Merry Christmas, or festive season, to be more inclusive? Or reassuring us during the epidemic? But to me it has power because it’s tied up with the continuity of the monarchy.

Unless you’re determined to be a miserablist it’s a bit perverse to find these things divisive.

The same as a Republic would be then.

It’s not a binary choice I don’t hate him. In fact, I feel some sympathy for him. He bears the immense weight of the British Establishment pressing down on him and his family, and yet he somehow manages to keep going, even thriving, in spite of it all. He's human all too human after all as are we all.

Bring back Captain Tom and Raynor Win at least these are national unifying symbols of hope !!

He's human all too human after all as are we all.

Charles and Camilla too, then? You haven’t extended them much grace on this thread.