Working for the Royal Family can be a very full-on experience, but when it comes time for Christmas, palace staffers certainly get the royal treatment. Former royal gardener Jack Stooks, who worked for King Charles (then the Prince of Wales) for two decades, has opened up about what really happened inside staff Christmas parties.
Stooks worked at The King’s beloved country house, Highgrove, and he shared memories from the many festive parties over the years while speaking to Heart Bingo.
“We used to go to St James’ Palace for our staff Christmas parties,” Stooks said. Since it was roughly a two-and-a-half hour drive from the Gloucestershire estate, the Royal Family would arrange a bus to take everyone into London.
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“It was normally quieter on the way down, but on the way back, after the party, it was a lot more rowdy,” the former palace gardener admitted. “There used to be dancing and people would play music on their phones. It was definitely more fun on the way back from what I remember!”
Stooks tended the gardens at King Charles’s country home, Highgrove.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
After going through security checks, guests would “be offered something to drink on arrival and then all of the staff would mingle together,” Stooks said. But the party wasn’t just about mixing and mingling, as Stooks said they would be treated to special entertainment, too.
“There would be a magician and they would go around doing card tricks with everyone or pretending to take someone’s watch,” he said. And during the seated dinner, comedians like Alfie Boe or Omid Djalili would keep guests laughing.
Members of the Royal Family would also attend the party. King Charles and Queen Camilla “were there every single year, and would mingle with the staff,” Stooks said. He added that Prince William and Prince Harry—who once created their own secret bar at Highgrove—would also stop by.
“During the night, we would all get to chat to the family to get to know them a bit better,” he added.
The King is pictured during his 2024 Christmas speech.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Highgrove employees also received special gifts from The King each year. “Previously I was given salt, pepper and mustard cruets, tea cups and saucers, water glasses, water jugs, trays, tea plates and glasses,” Stooks shared, explaining most of the items were “decorated with the Prince of Wales feathers.”
Although the Highgrove parties were certainly fun, in 2024, one Buckingham Palace staffer took the festive celebrations a bit too far. A 24-year-old Buckingham Palace maid was arrested for assault, criminal damage and drunken and disorderly conduct after partying with roughly 50 palace employees at a bar close to the palace last year.
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