Bonfire of the Palace flunkies
King ‘to axe one in f ive middle managers because too many are doing similar jobs’
THE King is planning to axe an estimated one in five of his middlemanagement staff to boost the Royal Household’s efficiency, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
Charles and Camilla are said to be dismayed by what they believe are too many staff doing similar jobs.
Nearly a year into his reign, the King is also weary of senior courtiers telling him: ‘But that’s how the Queen did it.’
The cuts will hit Buckingham Palace, Sandringham, Windsor Castle and Balmoral – which employ hundreds between them – and form part of the King’s long-held ambition to streamline and modernise the Monarchy. Dozens of workers could be affected.
For years, a leaner Monarchy with fewer working Royals – potentially seven rather than 11 – has been a priority. But the King realises this involves staff reductions. He is said to be acutely conscious of the financial burden a vast household places on the taxpayer.
‘There is a real feeling that the staffing at all the palaces is too heavy,’ said one insider. ‘There are far too many assistants to assistants. The King and Queen would prefer to pay people proper wages top to bottom but have less people.
‘For instance, there are chefs for them and chefs for the staff. Why, they ask, can’t there be one lot of kitchen staff for everyone?’
Camilla has made it clear that ‘a levelling-up of Royal staff’ is needed. She will have a key role in overseeing any changes. ‘Her Majesty cannot abide too many people doing the same jobs. Senior housekeeper, executive housekeepers and juniors,’ said a source.
She has raised the matter with the Master of the Household, Vice-Admiral Sir Tony Johnstone-Burt.
Last week the King was welcomed to Balmoral by a guard of honour for the first time since he came to the Throne as he took up residence there for his summer break.
Although it was his mother’s favourite residence, it does not find the same favour with Camilla. The Mail on Sunday has been told that she has made a conscious decision to stay at nearby Birkhall, the home she has shared with Charles for years in Scotland, because she cannot abide Balmoral’s ‘flummery’.
A source said: ‘She is dipping in and dipping out while the King is staying at Balmoral. She is staying at Birkhall where she has a limited number of loyal staff – her people.’
Charles has made no secret of his preference for a slimmed-down Monarchy with no ‘hangers-on’. In addition to himself and Camilla, this tight-knit team would likely include the Prince and Princess of Wales, Princess Anne, Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex. But in May Princess Anne told a Canadian news channel that scaling back the Monarchy didn’t sound like a good idea, suggesting the Royal Family was already streamlined enough with Harry, Meghan and Andrew no longer carrying out official duties.
‘I think “slimmed-down” was said in a day when there were a few more people around to make that seem like a justifiable comment,’ she said in a rare interview.
‘It doesn’t sound like a good idea from where I’m standing.’
The King also wants to reduce the number of houses in the royal portfolio and has reportedly asked Andrew to leave Royal Lodge in Windsor. In March, Harry and Meghan were evicted from Frogmore Cottage as part of the plans.
After the Queen’s death, Charles notified up to 100 staff at Clarence House, his former official residence, that they could lose their jobs. Many had assumed they would move into the King’s new household at Buckingham Palace, but Sir Clive Alderton, the King’s top aide, informed staff that some roles would ‘no longer be needed’.
Private secretaries, the finance office, the communications team and household staff were understood to be affected.
This year’s annual
Sovereign Grant report, which details royal spending, showed
£444,000 went on ‘exit packages’ to 16 members of the late Queen’s staff who lost their jobs.
Just under 500 permanent workers were employed by the Monarchy at the end of March across the royal households, including Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and Kensington Palace.
In October last year, Camilla axed the centuries-old post of ladies-inwaiting as she thought having a
‘Why can’t there be one lot of kitchen staff?’
smaller number of staff was ‘more with the times’. Her existing staff instead took on the traditional duties of the Monarch’s official companions in what was lightheartedly described as a ‘two for the price of one’ deal.
The late Queen had seven devoted ladies-in-waiting when she died.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment last night.