Claims that King Charles was difficult to work for at Highgrove have been pushed back by friends and former staff, following a media report that cited discontent among the estate’s gardening team.
The report drew on interviews with eight sources described as either royal gardeners or people with “detailed knowledge of the estate’s inner workings”. However, friends of the King have questioned some of the more critical assertions.
One claim that caused upset was the suggestion that Charles had rebuked a gardener for not knowing the name of a flower. But according to a source familiar with the incident, this was not the reason for the King’s frustration.
“He was not being beastly to this man,” the source told the Mail. “The fact is he was ambushed over a matter, and it was this that he was cross about.” The alleged issue, they said, was that the gardener had requested the King hire a friend of his with no gardening experience.
King’s friends slam ‘unfair’ gardening scandal as insiders say he’s ‘amazingly wonderful’
|GETTY
Another detail under scrutiny is a controversy surrounding the removal of ragwort. The Sunday Times reported that a single plant was flagged for removal in a part of the garden not maintained by the team, but friends of the King disputed this.
“It is an invasive and noxious weed and hardly seems unreasonable to request its removal,” one friend said, noting ragwort’s potential to harm animals.
As monarch, Charles no longer spends as much time at Highgrove as he once did. When he was the Prince of Wales, he often based his team at the estate to maximise his time in the garden.
Now, in addition to his ongoing cancer treatment, he must divide his attention across several royal residences, including Sandringham and Balmoral, where he has also taken an active interest in the gardens.
King Charles privately bought Highgrove House in 1980
| PA“He sees the gardens as an important part of his legacy,” one close friend explained.
Some insiders believe the issues at Highgrove stem in part from the departure of his long-serving aide, Michael Fawcett. Once a trusted personal assistant, Fawcett resigned in 2021 after becoming embroiled in a “cash for honours” scandal. Since then, friends say, Charles’s inner circle has not quite run as smoothly.
“Michael would never have allowed the complaints from the gardeners to reach Charles’s ears because he would have handled them himself,” one former associate claimed.
Despite recent reports, insiders insist there is no widespread dissatisfaction among staff. Only one grievance was lodged in 2024/5, they said, despite Charles employing nearly 500 people. Staff turnover is reportedly less than half the national average, and workers have received cumulative pay rises of 15 to 19 per cent since 2022.
Princess Diana pictured with the King, William and Harry at Highgrove in 1986
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King Charles and Prince William pictured at Highgrove in 2000
| PAFew former gardeners have spoken publicly about the row, but Jack Stooks, who worked at Highgrove for 20 years and was a senior gardener, said he believed some of the criticism was unjustified.
“The world of gardening is known for its low pay, and I myself ended up leaving Highgrove after 20 years,” he said. “I had a back operation and, for want of a better word, did experience getting burnt out as a result, as you would doing certain jobs regularly.
"Things had changed. The [King’s] Foundation took the garden on so it was the right time for me to leave. I never had an issue with the King or with his family, they are all amazingly wonderful people.
“I don’t think this should be aimed quite at him. He’s employed the Foundation and, yes, he’s part of the Foundation, but they are running the garden. If there are problems, the King can now fix these and I’m sure he’ll be doing that now as we speak.”