Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
CASTLE JOB CULL
King Charles to axe some of his late mother’s most loyal staff at Windsor
THE King is to axe a number of the late Queen’s staff at Windsor Castle in a radical overhaul of workers at royal residences.
It is believed that staff numbers across the Windsor estate will be cut in the coming weeks.
A source told The Mirror that many royal workers are “extremely worried about their futures” and fear being made redundant before the new year amid the dire financial climate.
Buckingham Palace did not respond to the claim. It comes after the King put 100 staff at Clarence House – his former official residence – on notice of redundancy. The Windsor insider said: “It’s a really testing time. Many are already resigned to leaving jobs they have cherished for years. It’s left a real sense of dread among staff.”
The King and Queen Consort are understood not to have stayed at Windsor since the death of his mother in September. Staff say the castle “feels eerily quiet”.
The late Queen’s ladies in waiting and personal staff at the Royal Stud in Sandringham, Norfolk, are also thought to be in line to leave.
The King has still not revealed his plans for the equine breeding facility, despite agreeing to the sale of 14 of his late mother’s horses.
Many Windsor staff had been preparing to welcome the Queen back from her summer break at Balmoral when she died. She had spent much of her time there since the pandemic. Insiders say the King and Camilla have “no desire” to stay at the castle in the near future.
William and Kate, who moved to a cottage on the Windsor estate to be closer to the Queen, are also said to be unwilling to move in.
Royal watchers now wonder whether the King will keep the castle for weekends, as well as Sandringham. He also has homes at Balmoral, Highgrove, Gloucs, and a cottage in Wales. Camilla also has a sixbedroom house in Wiltshire for when her family visits.