King embroiled in row over Highgrove gardens
Gardeners at the King's Gloucestershire residence have reportedly quit while managers were told to offer mental health support and counselling to staff following an investigation into a complaint by one of the workers.
The Sunday Times reported that two staff walked out earlier this year and that most of the full time gardeners who worked at Highgrove in 2022 have now left.
The King has spent 45 years transforming the gardens at Highgrove, near Tetbury, and last weekend hosted a 'Harmony Summit' at the house to celebrate the connection between nature and humanity.
He still regularly spends time at the nine-bedroom private residence where he tends to the exotic flowers and plants in the gardens, which are known as some of the most spectacular in the country.
Before his accession to the throne in 2022, Charles transferred the land surrounding his personal residence to the Prince's Foundation, which became the King's Foundation. This preserved his influence over the property when he became King as it was due to be inherited by Prince William.
According to an investigation by The Sunday Times, since March 2022, 11 of 12 full-time gardening staff have left, including two heads and a deputy head. The newspaper said that at the start of this year two staff walked out and that until recently the gardens were still advertising vacancies.
One probationary gardener is said to have left after Charles complained 'Don't put that man in front of me again' when he made a factual error about a flower.
Sources at the King's Foundation say the gardener failed to meet expectations and was not up to the job.
The monarch's involvement with the gardens is said to include specific and emotional requests ranging from the size of peaches to the shade of roses. When in residence at Highgrove he makes daily walkabouts and when he is away he reportedly pens memos written in thick red ink.
Formal complaint
In 2023, a gardener launched a formal grievance against management claiming the team was overwhelmed, under-resourced and struggling to fulfil the King's requests.
The complaint alleged that staff had been injured trying to keep up and morale was low.
'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,' he reportedly said.
As a result of the complaint, WorkNest, a HR consultancy, was brought in to review the evidence of the management and conduct of the gardens' executive director.
In late 2023 it upheld claims about staff shortages, inadequate management practices and low pay contributing to poor recruitment and retention. Many gardeners were paid minimum wage and complained that remuneration was well below industry standards.
However, it did not uphold personal complaints about the director, who denied his conduct amounted to bullying or harassment. It is also understood that staff turnover is less than half the national average.
Only one grievance was reported in the year 2024 to 2025 and staff pay is reviewed on an annual basis. On average, staff pay rises each year since 2022 have totalled, cumulatively, between 15 to 19 per cent.
A spokesman for The King's Foundation said: 'At The King's Foundation, we take staff welfare extremely seriously and strive to be an exemplary employer. 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.'
Sources close to both the King and the Foundation suggested it was 'perfectly reasonable' that the monarch, as the visionary behind Highgrove Gardens, and one who is known for his passion for horticulture, would make suggestions in relation to their management and presentation.
The charity's trustees are said to welcome his input, which ensures the integrity of the gardens is maintained, and visitors appreciate his personal involvement.
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