Former Gardener Breaks Silence on King Charles’ Strict Instructions Amid Staff Exodus: ‘He Would...’
As questions swirl over staffing issues at the estate, a former gardener recently shed light on what it was like working under the monarch’s watchful eye.
Gardening often conjures images of quiet solitude, but when the flowerbeds belong to a king with a hands-on approach, even the calmest grounds can stir up a bit of drama. Tucked behind the gates of Highgrove House, King Charles’s famed country estate in Gloucestershire, has seen a flurry of departures, and insider accounts have recently put the spotlight on what’s required to keep those royal borders trim and tidy. As questions swirl over staffing issues at the estate, a former gardener recently shed light on what it was like working under the monarch’s watchful eye.
Jack Stooks, a longtime gardener who worked at Highgrove, recently offered a glimpse into the routine and expectations set by the King himself. Stooks revealed that the King likes to manage things even when away. He said, "The King would always know what's going on in the garden. I think that’s the nature of the job he does, and the nature of how the royal family runs everything. They've got to know what's going on every week because otherwise things would just fall apart, or they'd lose sight of what was going on."
As reported by PEOPLE, Stooks added that the King would confer weekly with the head gardener, exchanging notes and instructions both in writing and face-to-face. “There would always be two-way conversations going on... He would say, 'Oh, great, this has been done. But can this be done?' ...We would then work to make sure that all the jobs were done and kept trying to achieve those goals.”
Stooks’s revelations come as the working conditions at Highgrove have drawn immense backlash. The Sunday Times reported that almost the entire gardening team, 11 out of 12 staff, have resigned since March 2022. The reasons cited ranged from low wages to demanding expectations and burnout. Some staff described receiving marked-up, very specific memos from the King and feeling physically exhausted trying to meet the high standards. Others mentioned sustaining injuries from the fast-paced workload and suffering from low morale.
In response, The King’s Foundation, now overseeing Highgrove’s operations, commissioned a human resources review. The outcome confirmed persistent issues with staffing levels, pay, and management practices. The Foundation responded to the claims, stating that only one grievance had been formally reported between 2024 and 2025 out of nearly 500 staff. A spokesperson said, “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.” The King's pals have also taken it upon themselves to defend the sovereign by calling him a man with an unwavering eye for detail.
Before the drama, the property, famous for its organic, sustainable practices, was seen as a labor of love for the King since he acquired the estate in 1980. Following decades of hands-on involvement, the gardens are hailed as among the country’s best, attracting more than 40,000 visitors a year.
