King Charles III’s foundation is under fire over the treatment of gardeners at his country estate, with allegations he said of one employee: “Do not put that man in front of me again.”
Highgrove has always been a cherished home for the king in the Gloucestershire countryside, so much so that it was his sanctuary during his one day of rest after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022.
However, an article in The Sunday Times has accused the king of mistreating gardeners employed by his charity, The King’s Foundation, which manages the estate’s gardens.
Why It Matters
The story, which does not name its sources, suggests that 11 of the 12 gardeners employed in 2022 have since moved on, citing a combination of minimum wage and the high demands of the king.
The foundation, though, defended its record, stating: “Our staff turnover is well below the national average, as is the number of formal grievances raised.”
It is not the first time the Foundation has been in the news. The Sunday Times spearheaded the cash for honors scandal, in which a former chief executive resigned following allegations he offered to help a Saudi tycoon secure a knighthood in exchange for charity donations.
King Charles at Highgrove House, in Tetbury, England, on May 13, 2019.
King Charles at Highgrove House, in Tetbury, England, on May 13, 2019.
Chris Jackson/Getty Images For Clarence House
What The Sunday Times Article Says
Charles is accused by The Sunday Times of leaving notes for staff about the performance of the gardens, ranging from the effusively positive to the searingly negative. Reportedly, one piece of feedback suggested the failure of the gardeners to cultivate his delphiniums had spoiled one of his favorite moments of the summer.
At another point, a deputy head gardener failed his probation after being unable to answer Charles’ questions about a particular flower.
According to The Sunday Times, Charles told a member of staff: “Don’t put that man in front of me again.”
The story, however, does not specify what the employee’s experience was or what questions he had failed to answer, making it more difficult to assess whether the decision was fair or not.
What The King’s Foundation Says
A spokesperson for The King’s Foundation said in a statement to Newsweek: “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.
Meanwhile, one grievance was raised among 500 staff members between 2024 and 2025, and staff pay rises since 2022 have cumulatively added up to between 15 and 19 percent.
Highgrove is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, a property portfolio that exists to fund the Prince of Wales. At the time it was acquired, that was Prince Charles. However, the duchy passed on to Prince William when Charles became king on the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.
However, knowing succession would come at some stage, the King’s Foundation took on management of Highgrove Gardens in 2021.
“Highgrove has also seen many positive developments since The King’s Foundation became the charitable custodian of the gardens,” the foundation’s statement said.
“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.”
What a King Charles Biographer Says
Newsweek asked Robert Jobson, author of Charles at 70, whether he thought the allegation would damage the king.
“I don’t think so,” he said. “The public know that he and the royals live extraordinary lives. It makes him love indulged and entitled, but that said, it comes with the territory.”
King Charles and the Cash for Honors Scandal
Michael Fawcett, former chief executive of the foundation, resigned after allegations in The Sunday Times and Mail on Sunday suggesting he offered to help a Saudi billionaire secure a knighthood and British citizenship in exchange for charity donations.
A letter from Fawcett to the tycoon’s aide, dated August 17, 2017, was printed in the Mail and read: “In light of the ongoing and most recent generosity of His Excellency, Sheikh Marei Mubarak Mahfouz bin Mahfouz I am happy to confirm to you, in confidence, that we are willing and happy to support and contribute to the application for Citizenship.
“I can further confirm that we are willing to make [an] application to increase His Excellency’s honor from Honorary CBE to that of KBE in accordance with Her Majesty’s Honors Committee.
“Both of these applications will be made in response to the most recent and anticipated support of the Trust and in connection with his ongoing commitment generally within the United Kingdom. I hope this confirmation is sufficient in allowing us to go forward.”
An internal investigation by the charity in 2021 found that: “With respect to the allegation of securing honors for a donor in exchange for donations, there is evidence that communication and coordination took place between the CEO at the time and so-called ‘fixers’ regarding honorary nominations for a donor between 2014-18.
“There is no evidence that trustees at the time were aware of these communications.”
The matter was referred to the Metropolitan Police in 2021, but in 2023, officers announced they would take no further action following advice from Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service.
Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek’s The Royals Facebook page.
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