Latest news with #HighgroveHouse
Fox News
9 hours ago
- Business
- Fox News
King Charles faces mass exodus of gardening staff at Highgrove House estate: report
King Charles III allegedly can't keep his gardeners around. Eleven out of 12 gardeners have left the team tasked with working at Highgrove House since 2022, according to The Sunday Times. At least one staffer filed a complaint, claiming they were "under-resourced and constantly struggling to fulfill the King's request." Members of the staff have "developed physical injuries trying to keep up, and that the team suffered from low morale," the outlet reported. When a staff member revealed "a lack of knowledge about a particular flower," the king allegedly said: "Don't put that man in front of me again." The King's Foundation maintained that staff turnover is "well below" the national average when reached by Fox News Digital. "At The King's Foundation, we take staff welfare extremely seriously and strive to be an exemplary employer," a spokesperson for the King's Foundation 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. 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." Fox News Digital can confirm only one grievance was reported between 2024 and 2025 out of almost 500 staff. The staff have also received pay raises each year since 2022, Fox News Digital has learned. The raises add up to between 15% and 19%, in line with national averages. King Charles has resided at Highgrove House since 1980. He raised his two children, Prince Harry and Prince William, with his then-wife Princess Diana. Charles and Queen Camilla share the home today.
Sky News AU
12 hours ago
- General
- Sky News AU
'Very intelligent': Former royal butler Grant Harrold reveals the most intelligent royals... and where he thinks King Charles III ranks in the family
Former palace aide Grant Harrold has weighed in on who he believes are the Royal Family's brightest minds - and King Charles III has made the cut. Harrold, 47, who served in the Royal Household between 2004 and 2011, has named the three royals he considers to be the most intelligent, based on his years of experience working at Highgrove House. Harrold was a trusted member of staff for King Charles III and Queen Camilla and also regularly assisted the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke of Sussex. On occasion, he even had the honour of serving the late Queen Elizabeth II and the late Prince Philip. In a recent interview with online learning platform Study Platform, Harrold revealed: "The smartest in my mind would have been Queen Elizabeth II." "The reason I say that is not just intelligence; she was witty, ruled a country for over 70 years, and knew about sports," he told the outlet, per Express UK. Coming in just behind the late monarch, Harrold placed the Queen's eldest son, King Charles III. "Right behind her, I would say the King because he speaks several languages, but he is also very intelligent with numbers, and his command of the English language is extraordinary," Harrold explained. "He's super intelligent, so if you're talking about the royals now, he'd be top of that pile without any question." Rounding out his top three was Princess Anne, whom Harrold described as "a knowledgeable lady". Asked whether it would be seen as a negative if younger royals chose not to pursue university, Harrold said attitudes had shifted. "I don't think it would (be frowned upon) these days," he said. "We may find that George, Charlotte, and Louis might not all go to university. They may go straight to somewhere like Sandhurst." For Prince George, who turns 12 on Tuesday, Harrold said some form of military training is almost certain. "You can guarantee that George, whether he likes it or not, will have to go through that military training," he said. "Both William and Charles had military training. You're the commanding chief of the Armed Forces, so you've got to know the profession. "However, there might not be so much pressure when it comes to George; only time will tell." In the same interview, Harrold also weighed in on the future schooling of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's children, Archie and Lilibet, who are being raised in Montecito, California. He said it was "very likely and completely possible" that Harry might want his children to experience British schooling. "If they have their younger education in America, I'm sure their father will be quite keen to have a bit of a British education," he said. "But then it depends on how the relationship is with the rest of the family when the time comes." When it comes to royal education, the standards have always been high. King Charles began his schooling at Hill House at age eight, before moving on to Cheam School and later Gordonstoun, where he passed six O-levels. He went on to study archaeology, anthropology and history at Cambridge University, graduating in 1970 with a 2:2, the first British royal heir to earn a university degree. Princess Anne, meanwhile, was educated at Benenden School, leaving with six O-levels and three A-levels. Famously, she insisted on being treated like any other student, making her own bed, doing chores and waiting on tables. Princes William and Harry both attended London nurseries before going on to Eton College. William later studied at St Andrews University, where he famously met his future wife, Princess Catherine. His cousin, Lady Louise Windsor, daughter of Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie, enrolled at the same university in 2022. Interestingly, the royal Harrold deemed the smartest, the late Queen Elizabeth II, was educated entirely at home and even during World War II. She and her younger sister, the late Princess Margaret, were taught by their governess Marion 'Crawfie' Crawford. According to the official Royal Family website, when Elizabeth became heir presumptive in 1936, her education shifted to include constitutional law and history, with guidance from her father and Eton's Vice-Provost, Henry Marten. She also received religious instruction from the Archbishop of Canterbury and studied French with native-speaking governesses. The late Queen also excelled in sport and the arts, becoming a strong swimmer, horse rider, and musician. At just 13, she won the Children's Challenge Shield at London's Bath Club, and during the war years, she took home first prize at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 1944. Of course, beyond her academic grounding and sporting achievements, the late Queen was renowned for her quick wit and dry sense of humour. In a previous interview on 6 September 2022- just two days before Queen Elizabeth died at age 96- Harrold reflected on "the wonderful kind of way" Her Majesty carried herself, as well as her "wicked sense of humour" in an interview with Slingo. "She wasn't very regal or royal... I felt really relaxed around her," he said.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Royal Employees Discuss Dealing With King Charles's "Demands," as Well as "Poor Conditions" and "Low" Pay at Highgrove
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. King Charles is known for his love of gardening, which reportedly includes keeping a pristine garden at his private home, Highgrove House. However, the monarch has been hit by allegations from royal gardeners who claim the working conditions at Highgrove are inadequate. The King's treatment of his staff has also been called into question by a new report in The Times. An article titled "King Charles, the disquiet at Highgrove and the gardeners' exodus" in The Times explores claims made by former royal employees. According to the outlet, King Charles "has remained involved on the most minute level, supervising everything from the size of peaches to the shade of roses." The monarch apparently makes his opinions known to staff by "sending notes in thick red ink," with his memos described by the outlet as "strikingly specific," "emotional," and "demanding." According to The Times, King Charles allegedly uses his memos to share his "almighty disappointment" if anything in the garden is amiss. He has also been known for "correcting grammar," the publication noted. And, that's not all. King Charles's influence at Highgrove is so dramatic that, per The Times, he "has lost 11 of 12 garden staff since 2022 including two head gardeners who quit within a year." Of the employees who have left the monarch's employment, one reportedly "failed his probation after revealing a lack of knowledge about a particular flower, instantly losing Charles's trust." The King allegedly said of the employee, "Don't put that man in front of me again." Meanwhile, a manager apparently communicates King Charles's requests to his employees, some of whom "have complained of poor conditions, including pay as low as minimum wage," via The Times. One employee also alleged that "staff had developed physical injuries trying to keep up, and that the team suffered from low morale." An investigation by The King's Foundation confirmed that "poor" management and low pay contributed to staff shortages at Highgrove. However, according to The Times, despite any frustrations that may exist, "The King remains as committed to his estate as ever." Solve the daily Crossword
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Exodus of gardeners upset by King Charles' red letter feedback at beloved Highgrove garden
His passion for gardening and nature is well known, but today it emerged that King Charles ' exacting standards may have ruffled more than a few feathers among staff at his beloved Highgrove House. According to reports, low pay and staff shortages, coupled with the monarch's demanding attention to detail, has prompted an exodus of gardeners employed to keep his 15-acre pride and joy in Gloucestershire in good shape. Over the past three years, 11 of the 12-strong gardening team have quit, including the head gardener and his deputy. At one stage, in March 2022, half of the gardening team were earning minimum wage, an investigation by the Sunday Times found. The King, who is known to patrol the grounds with a pair of secateurs, regularly offers feedback on the garden, writing handwritten notes to staff in red ink, expressing delight or upset at the progress of individual plants or flowers. While some workers appreciate his interventions, others told the Sunday Times they found his feedback impolite and demoralising, it is claimed. In late 2023, one member of staff filed a grievance against management claiming the gardening team were under resourced and struggling to fulfil the King's demands. The employee's complaint said some staff had developed physical injuries because they were overwhelmed with work and that there was low morale among the team. King Charles told gardener and broadcaster Alan Titchmarsh that he had enjoyed creating the gardens at Highgrove from 'scratch' over the past four decades '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 claim said. The gardener also alleged he was shouted at and given a dressing down by Constantine Innemee, the executive director of Highgrove, who is one of the King's most trusted advisers, when he suggested to Charles that he would need a specialist member of staff if he wanted to cultivate his magnolias in a specific way. The grievance led to an external investigation by the King's Foundation, the charitable organisation that now runs the garden. Although that inquiry found evidence of 'staff shortages' and suggested pay be reviewed if it continued to be 'an issue for recruitment and retention' of staff, the complaint about Mr Innemee's management style was not upheld. The garden at Highgrove has been King Charles' pet project for the past 45 years. In an interview with his friend, gardener and broadcaster Alan Titchmarsh, Charles previously explained that he was attracted to buy the property, in 1980, because of its 'blank canvas' garden. 'I actually planned everything myself, I did the whole thing, I chose all the plants,' the King said. 'I love evening patrol at the weekend. As I potter about I notice things and weed or prune bits off. I'm sure most people come here and think I don't do anything. But I do.' Over the past four decades the gardens have flourished, from the early kitchen garden and arboretum to the Sundial Garden, which showcases the King's favourite delphiniums, the Thyme Walk and the Islamic-inspired Carpet Garden. In the early years, Charles was selective with who he invited to his private residence but, as the gardens thrived, that changed and in the 2010's and they were opened to the public. Now more than 40,000 people visit each year. In a statement, a spokesman for The King's Foundation denied Highgrove gardeners were paid below the going rate and insisted staff turnover and employment grievances were 'well below the national average.' 'We take staff welfare extremely seriously and strive to be an exemplary employer,' he said. 'We are proud to regularly report very high satisfaction rates in our annual staff survey. For the gardening team at Highgrove specifically, we regularly review guidance from the Professional Gardeners Guild for pay benchmarking.' The spokesman also said that, since 2022, the operating profit at Highgrove had more than doubled and a new specialist education facility established to teach traditional heritage skills to students. Sources familiar with the running of Highgrove and its estate expressed surprise at the extent of the newspaper's claims and the level of vitriol in them. Historically many of the King's staff have worked in the gardens for decades, inspired by Charles' passion for them, particularly as Prince of Wales. Others have also described the King as being 'hands-on' - retreating to the estate at weekends to weed, prune, plant or mend fences - but never with any indication of personal aggression.
Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Times
King Charles, the disquiet at Highgrove and the gardeners' exodus
T he King appeared in a circlet of feathers and a scarf draped ceremonially around the shoulders of his cream suit. It was a nod to the traditional cultures and forms of healing that underpinned his inaugural 'Harmony Summit' at Highgrove House last weekend — an event attended by indigenous tribesmen, herbalists and craftspeople. There could have been no more fitting backdrop to the event than the gardens at his nine-bedroom residence in Gloucestershire. For 45 years, Highgrove has served as a laboratory for the King's belief that humanity should work with nature, not against 'her'. He still regularly spends time at the house, tending to the exotic flowers and plants that are his pride and joy. Yet as 'sacred smoke' spiralled over the apple trees, elders read spiritual incantations to honour Mother Earth and the Amazon Prime documentary cameras whirred, an inconvenient truth was hidden. For, despite the King's pronouncements, life at the gardens has at times been far from harmonious. In summer 2021, Charles signed a deal to preserve his influence over the property when he became King, a legal and technical necessity as it was due to be inherited by his son, William. Since then, he has remained involved on the most minute level, supervising everything from the size of peaches to the shade of roses. He does this by attending walkabouts at the property, then sending notes in thick red ink to garden staff who are expected to act before his next return. 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. Others are more positive: Charles expressing his giddy delight at the progress of a particular specimen, or affixing several exclamation marks to an upbeat comment. 'In the background, the King has entrusted a manager to become his go-between with the gardeners, many of whom say his requests are impossible to fulfil given the lack of resources. Others have complained of poor conditions, including pay as low as minimum wage. Charles is shielded from some of the issues, but not all. He was sufficiently aware of staff problems that, after the invasion of Ukraine, he dashed off a note proposing that war refugees could be recruited to help out. 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.' In late 2023, one staffer launched a grievance against the gardens' management, saying the team was overwhelmed, under-resourced and constantly struggling to fulfil the King's requests. His complaint said staff had developed physical injuries trying to keep up, and that the team suffered from low morale. It added: '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.' In turn, The King's Foundation, which now runs the gardens, commissioned an external investigation. It found evidence of 'staff shortages' and 'poor' management practice; that pay was an 'issue for recruitment and retention'; and that churn was so severe the gardens had been given 'carte blanche' to hire temporary workers. It recommended 'management training for all managers', 'mental health support and counselling' and a pay review. Yet insiders say issues have persisted. Charles's charity has done away with the title of 'head of gardens', appointing only a 'head gardener' after successive departures, and removed the role of deputy head gardener. Two more staff walked out around the start of this year. In turn, the gardens have continued to rely on staff sent from Charles's other estates, as well as career-changers and local volunteers. The fact Highgrove is a demanding workplace has been hinted at in the past. Almost two decades ago, The New York Times published an article entitled 'Organic looks easy, if you've got a royal staff'. In it, the newspaper's gardening columnist said the eight gardeners 'may seem like a lot until you grasp the amount of labour involved', pointing out that their productivity was hard to believe given they are not allowed to use pesticides. Yet today is the first time that concerns have surfaced publicly. Last night, the palace declined to comment. The King's Foundation adopted the same approach but a source close to the charity said it was entirely natural that Charles retained a keen interest in the gardens. They said staff had been given pay increases and the proposals contained in the grievance report had been mostly implemented. The source added that there were no longer any vacancies within the gardening team, and only injuries that could occur 'within any working garden' had been reported. On July 1, 2021, Charles, as Prince of Wales, signed a deal to protect his life's work. Highgrove had long been his private home, although his real refuge was its outdoors. He had spent decades cultivating the gardens, transforming unloved pastureland into a world of buttercups, birdsong and cherry trees — a process that felt to him like a 'form of worship'. TIM GRAHAM PHOTO LIBRARY/GETTY IMAGES Yet with his mother's health declining and Charles's 50-year wait for the throne nearing its end, those around him turned to an awkward fact of the original purchase. Technically, it was not his for ever. He had bought Highgrove via the Duchy of Cornwall, the 1,000-year-old private estate that belongs to whoever is heir to the throne. That would soon be William. To preserve his access to the place he loved, Charles created a new company, Highgrove Nominees Limited, which had one shareholder: 'His Royal Highness Charles Philip Arthur George The Prince of Wales.' He entered into a 20-year agreement to rent the estate through the company. His landlord: the Duchy of Cornwall, which, under his control or his son's, would have to honour the deal. The price agreed was £340,000 per year. As a result, Charles could keep the residence, a balustraded manor built in the 1790s, until the age of 92, while subletting the gardens to The Prince's Foundation (now The King's Foundation), which would oversee their day-to-day management while he attended to royal duties. It would also raise funds through an expanded offer of tours, classes and branded goods, making Charles less reliant on wealthy individuals for potentially embarrassing donations. Farrer & Co, the royals' lawyers, put finishing touches on the final agreement. Alastair Martin, keeper of the records of the Duchy of Cornwall, applied the wax seal, granting Charles's assent. Finally, the prince could breathe a sigh of relief. In actual fact, it was only the start of more problems. Today's article is based on interviews with eight sources who have worked as royal gardeners or have detailed knowledge of the estate's inner workings. None has spoken on the record, mostly because of concerns about breaching the non-disclosure agreements they had to sign with both the charity and the royal household. Some expressed concern about doing anything that would require them to revisit, or speak publicly about, a painful period of their lives. Those we spoke to were united in their conviction that Highgrove was in a state of dysfunction, but not in their diagnosis as to why. Some point to Charles's meticulous approach. They acknowledge that many find his passion inspirational or endearing, but say his feedback — the flashes of frustration, the specificity — can be demoralising and, given his unique status, impossible to object to. Others talk about Constantine Innemée, the executive director of Highgrove and one of Charles's most trusted advisers. Under his leadership, staff are told to prioritise Charles's wishes — even if they seem impractical. According to the 2023 grievance, on one occasion Innemée 'shouted at' one gardener who had sought to tell the King about staffing issues. Innemée insists he was being 'firm', and the grievance report made no finding on the matter. Constantine Innemée watches on as the Beckhams and the King speak at Highgrove in February FINNBARR WEBSTER/GETTY IMAGES Low pay is a running sore, with wages poor even by industry standards. At times as many as half of the garden's employees have been paid minimum wage. Charles is aware of the churn. Yet the monarch's determination to realise his vision has remained undimmed. 'There was nothing here at all.' So Charles recalled when he granted his friend, the gardener and broadcaster Alan Titchmarsh, a tour of Highgrove several years ago — an interview in which he explained his decision in 1980 to buy the house and the fields encircling it from Viscount Macmillan, son of the former prime minister Harold Macmillan. The prince was a 31-year-old bachelor with time on his hands. He turned to the Marchioness of Salisbury, a horticulturist, to design the gardens based on their shared principles of organic farming and sustainability. A team of gardeners was hired. On spare weekends, Charles would tend to the gardens himself. He told Titchmarsh: 'I actually planned everything in this myself, I did the whole thing, I chose all the plants.' Alan Titchmarsh at Highgrove for a BBC programme in 2011 SPUN GOLD/BBC In the early years, Charles was as selective with those he invited to the estate as he was with the botany. It was his private home, not an official residence. Meanwhile, the gardens prospered. Successes included the kitchen garden — 'a mass of strawberries, raspberries and gooseberries' — the arboretum — a woodland of sapphire and purple bulbs — and the stumpery, decorated with ferns and wood-carved sculptures. They were joined by the Sundial Garden, showcasing Charles's beloved delphiniums, and the Thyme Walk. As the garden thrived, Charles began opening up his creation. In 1990, he founded Duchy Originals, a company that sold organic food some of which was grown on site. For many years, such products were the closest most members of the public got to the gardens. Those who belonged to a charity or garden club could apply to visit but waiting lists were long and only minimal numbers were admitted. That changed in the 2010s. As he sought to widen the reach of his personal philosophy of 'harmony', Charles opened up the gardens to paid public tours. Hundreds, then thousands, then tens of thousands visited during the summer months. By June 2021, 40,000 people were visiting a year. The next month, Charles signed his deal with the Duchy of Cornwall, as part of which he leased the gardens to The Prince's Foundation. The small print made clear that, even as his charity took responsibility for management and finance, Charles had the right to view the 'gardens at any time without notice', hunt 'all games, hares [and] rabbits' as he pleased and 'fell, cut and carry away [any] saplings'. It would also work to 'ensure [his] privacy' when he was in residence, prevent 'any prejudicial effect on the reputation of … His Highness or any member of the Royal Family' and give him sole access to the swimming pool. Crucially, whereas Charles had once managed the gardeners directly, this responsibility now fell to Constantine 'Costa' Innemée, a Dutchman who grew up in the Hague. After graduating in journalism at Napier University in Edinburgh in 2011, he started his career as a press officer at The Prince's Foundation. There he caught the eye of Michael Fawcett, the head of the charity and the man Charles once said he could 'not live without'. Fawcett quit in November 2021 over the 'donations for honours' scandal that bedevilled the foundation. Charles and Michael Fawcett in 2019 ANDREW MILLIGAN/PA Innemée's ability to pre-empt the King's wishes and deliver quickly won him swift promotion. In 2021, he became Highgrove's executive director. The brief was clear: to transform the gardens into a cash-cow capable of funding Charles's other projects. He resolved that Highgrove would open itself up to private dining, including black-tie dinners and galas, practical classes such as 'sound healing' and candle-making, and more tours — with groups visiting every half hour in peak months. In retail, he widened the range of goods from the usual gin and jam to stationery and jewellery, as well as panama hats and tweed caps similar to those worn by Charles. Innemée deferred to Charles on horticulture, yet this arguably sensible division of labour would create its own tensions. As he prepared to ascend the throne, and then as monarch, Charles was busier than ever. But he continued to exercise strict control over the gardens. He did so through morning walkabouts supervised by Innemée and attended by a selected gardener. Hands tucked behind his back, he ambled from plant to plant, issuing instructions to be written up and acted on before his next return. In between visits, gardeners were to send detailed updates, which had to comply not only with precise botanical standards but also grammatical ones. Memos were to be addressed to 'YRH' (Your Royal Highness) and later 'YM' (Your Majesty) and avoid phrases Charles saw as improper. In turn, Charles responded with his characteristic handwriting on thick paper cards. Why were the name tags missing from his favourite magnolia? Why had the gardeners failed to save his beloved evergreen azalea? Why was a particular cherry tree failing to grow? Why had the delphiniums been cut back when doing so would harm their progress — and, for that matter, were they being fed enough seaweed, in line with his instructions? Was the public restaurant serving the particular kind of waxy potato that was his favourite? At times, Charles struggled to contain his frustration, asking staff why his acers had been left in a disgraceful state, or why they had failed to find a pink version of a cornus as requested. When one staffer misspelt the name of a Japanese deciduous shrub, he underlined the incorrect letter and sent a two-lettered objection: 'No!' The same passion, it should be said, could give way to tiggerish charm, as Charles expressed his gratitude and excitement about the progress of everything from salad leaves and onions to netting for his delphiniums. The King's intense approach and unapologetic demands for high standards provoked varying reactions. Some garden staff told us his attention to detail was unsurprising and only natural. One said: 'He's always been a gardener. If you were employed by somebody that wants stuff a certain way, I don't think that's a ridiculous demand. They're paying you and they ask you, 'I want an avenue of trees along here', I don't think that's an unreasonable thing to ask people who you're employing.' Another individual still close to Charles pointed out that he would offer positive feedback and genuine enthusiasm with equal vigour. Others took a less charitable view. One gardener said staff were treated like 'dirt', adding: 'There was anger boiling at the surface … very impatient, no politeness at all.' This person said the King's position made it impossible to speak up: 'It was like, you should be thankful that we've given you a job, and you work for the King, the highest person in the country.' Sources claim Innemée struggled to absorb Charles's anxiety or dilute more impractical requests. As one former gardener described it, 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. As the gardens developed, the permanent staffing numbers remained the same at 12, only a handful more than the eight there had been almost 20 years prior. The budget for the gardens, which were expected to deliver seven-figure turnover and profit, had been transferred to the foundation and was in the low hundreds of thousands of pounds. Money was tight. One staffer concluded: 'Look, I just can't get this done.' Insiders recall that, after the foundation took over, staff had their contracts transferred from the household to the charity, making them answerable to Innemée. The head of gardens was one of the first to walk out. Junior staff followed, many citing low pay. In the days when Charles ran the estate himself, sources say he had from time to time written cheques to top up salaries and pay for unexpected costs. The moment he transferred it to his charity, this stopped. By March 2022, out of 12 staff, three were on an hourly wage of £8.91, the minimum wage; two were on £9.50, the minimum wage for the following year; and one, a student, was on £8.36. Innemée did permit modest pay increases for some of the replacements, but sources say gardens elsewhere remained more competitive. One source said low pay was a 'notorious' fact of royal life and a sacrifice people were willing to make because of the 'kudos' on one's CV. Yet in the modern era, and with staff now answering to a charity, not the household, fewer appeared willing to tolerate it. In the middle of 2023, as the situation deteriorated, some gardeners turned to Innemée, hoping he might use his relationship with the King to secure more resources. By then, Charles was not only managing the gardens from afar but, from time to time, asking for help on his private property, which was not covered by the charity. This included asking staff to tame plants growing by his pool or his personal study, and requesting that fruit be poached and made into jam at the house. Such requests appear to violate the terms of the agreement through which the charity is present at Highgrove. Sources now say they were made because the public-facing gardens offered a view of the private area and the King wished for visitors to see high standards everywhere. On a more immediate level, they added to the demands faced by staff. On one occasion, a gardener took the opportunity during a walkabout to tell Charles that if he wanted to cultivate his magnolias in a particular way, he would need a specialised — that is, a new — member of staff. Later, according to the grievance, Innemée summoned this person, allegedly 'screaming' at them and subjecting them to a 'humiliating' dressing-down. Innemée insists he was firm on this occasion but did not overstep the mark. The subsequent report did not make a finding either way. 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'. Charles was, at the least, aware of the staffing shortages. He proposed remedying them with elderly volunteers, who he said had done a terrific job at Ray Mill, his wife Camilla's home in Wiltshire, or refugees from the war in Ukraine. The estate duly put out a call to 'local green-fingered enthusiasts' who could 'play their part in caring for our green space'. In keeping with Charles's suggestion, Highgrove said it was specifically searching for 'semi-retired and retired men and women'. The King would be updated on individual staff departures and where they were leaving for. By August 2023, one senior gardener had had enough, submitting a grievance claiming that: 'There is little management of HMTK expectations, and I know I would not be allowed to say we are understaffed. I once gave advice regarding a staffing requirement for propagation and I was shouted at by [Innemée] and reprimanded after the walkabout. There has been an ongoing issue with staff shortages and this has created negativity and low morale within the team.' The King's Foundation retained the services of WorkNest, an independent HR consultancy, to investigate the allegations. It did not uphold personal complaints about Innemée, who denied his conduct amounted to bullying or harassment, but upheld the fact that there were severe staff shortages and poor management practices, including in relation to the man who made the error about magnolias. Its final report recommended Highgrove provide 'management training for all managers'; offer 'all employees' mental health support and counselling; manage probation periods in a 'fair' way; and review pay if it continues to be 'an issue for recruitment and retention'. Those who remain at the gardens say similar issues persist. The gardens are now on their third head gardener in as many years, the deputy role has never been filled and two gardeners are said to have left late last year. One person told us they could not bear to discuss their time at Highgrove, saying that for mental health reasons they had to consign that period in their life to the past. Meanwhile, accounts for The King's Foundation for the last financial year stated that 'trading income exceeded donation income for the first time due to strong retail and garden tour sales'. They singled out Highgrove, where turnover, at almost £6 million, was higher than any of Charles's other properties. In a statement, the foundation cited many 'positive' developments at Highgrove since assuming management including higher profits and visitor numbers. It said the public 'enjoy discovering' the King's 'personal impact' on the estate, adding that there were 'high satisfaction rates' among staff. The King remains as committed to his estate as ever. Despite all the money, and legal complexity, he has always had a simple recipe for the estate: 'harmony' — between humanity and nature, if not always between his own staff.
