'Anti-British!' BBC to cut Remembrance Day and Royal events broadcast team to just ONE staffer

The team has previously organised coverage of the Queen's funeral, King Charles's coronation and the annual Cenotaph service on Remembrance Sunday.

But only Claire Popplewell, behind the coverage of major events including Nelson Mandela's funeral and the royal weddings of the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, is set to remain - with freelance workers making up the numbers.

One source familiar with the planned job cuts told The Times they were "desperately short-sighted".

They added: "It is literally the crown jewel of live British broadcasting. They would never do this for premier football events, so what is it about national life that they don't value?

"Surely this decision must be paused until it can be reassessed by the incoming director-general."

Further sources say the cuts are being "sneaked through" during leadership turmoil, with outgoing director general Tim Davie formally leaving this week and his replacement, Matt Brittin, not arriving until May.

As well as football, critics have accused the corporation of favouring events like Glastonbury Festival over traditional national occasions such as Trooping the Colour.

Former Attorney General Sir Michael Ellis KC branded the move "another disgraceful anti-British decision from the BBC."

"Somehow they can find unlimited resources to send an absurd retinue of 550 staff to the Glastonbury Festival - but they want to cut the excellent team who have won awards for their coverage of important ceremonial and key State events in the life of this nation," he said.

Sir Michael, who served as Arts Minister under Theresa May, added: "Their coverage of such wonderful events as Trooping the Colour and the State Opening of Parliament have been enjoyed and admired around the world.

"Yet that is the department they have chosen to slash."

He argued the cuts represent a departure from the BBC's founding principles and questioned whether the licence fee remains justified.

Meanwhile, Tory MP Esther McVey described the cuts as "insulting to the memory of veterans."

"It is outrageous that the BBC sees fit to send 550 members of staff to cover Glastonbury, particularly given the controversy around the Bob Vylan performance last year, while at the same time is making cuts to the department responsible for bringing some of the most significant events in history and dates in the diary to the public," she said.

Ms McVey called it "distasteful" that a music festival was being prioritised over occasions honouring those who gave their lives for the country.

And former Conservative chief Sir Iain Duncan Smith said he was "surprised" by the decision.

"The BBC's coverage of royal events, funerals, weddings and other state occasions goes around the world, it is the crown jewels of BBC output," he said.

The changes follow a slew of recent controversial programming decisions by BBC bosses.

Earlier this month, live coverage of the Commonwealth Day Service was dropped from BBC One, replaced by an episode of Escape to the Country, with bosses citing "funding challenges."

The broadcaster also confirmed it would not show the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race on television or radio next weekend, ending a century-long tradition.

A BBC spokesman maintained that viewers would not notice any difference in coverage quality.

"As a prudent commercial business with a mandate to maximise returns to the BBC, we regularly look at how we're set up and where we can work more efficiently," the spokesman said.