King Charles Worried His Annual Christmas Tradition Is 'Under Threat' Amid Growing Protests
After dealing with 'the Andrew issue,' King Charles now faces a fresh problem. On November 7, reports emerged that Charles's Christmas celebrations in Sandringham were in jeopardy after choir members from the church service walked out on an event. Their anger is said to stem from the departure of Dr. Claire Stewart, the church's director of music, who took many stress-related leaves, casting a dark shadow over the employees' working conditions.
According to The Telegraph, the choristers' boycott threatens to disrupt the annual Christmas service, which the royal family traditionally attends. Dr. Stewart, a stalwart of the church for 13 years, left her post after a feud with the church's vicar over their alleged creative differences. Rev. Paul Williams, the King's domestic chaplain and rector of Sandringham since 2022, had advocated for modernizing the choir and raising its musical standards. To achieve this, he enlisted Tansy Castledine, then director of music at Peterborough Cathedral, to spearhead an 18-month review of the 25-member volunteer choir. In the scathing 16-page report, Castledine concluded that the choristers had "no knowledge of music or singing technique" and should "aspire to higher standards."
In response to the report, Dr. Stewart allegedly submitted a hard-hitting 28-page dossier, countering the claims, before taking a leave of absence and eventually resigning from her role. Since her departure, the number of choir members has dropped significantly. Earlier this year, two choirgirls walked out of rehearsals after clashing with the stand-in choirmaster, who had instructed them to move up and down the nave, waving 'jazz hands.' Following the incident, Rev. Williams reportedly issued an ultimatum to the members' parents, asking them to decide for themselves if they wished to keep their children in the choir.
As for Dr. Stewart's departure, a concerned parent told the outlet, "Dr. Stewart has been an amazing teacher and choir mistress who has supported the children through the years immensely, helping to shape them into the incredible young ladies they now are." Meanwhile, Charles, who is reportedly aware of the dispute, declined to comment. In response to the chaos, a diocesan spokesperson said, "There is a full schedule of services planned at Sandringham to celebrate the joy of Christmas so that parishioners, including the choir, can come together to sing of the wonder of the gift of Jesus to the world."
The dispute has cast a looming shadow over the staff's working conditions. Charles has already faced criticism in the past for alleged toxic workplace environment claims with gardeners at Highgrove. If choir numbers continue to dwindle, the King risks finding himself back in the headlines, once again for all the wrong reasons, potentially overshadowing his Christmas celebrations. Traditionally, the royal family gathers at 1 pm on Christmas Day for a festive meal filled with laughter and good cheer, before retiring to the Saloon Room to relax, sip Veuve Clicquot champagne, and enjoy each other's company.