Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

UK monarchy criticised over staff redundancy notices

Around 100 members of staff at the King's former household have received written notice of redundancies.

UK monarchy criticised over staff redundancy notices

Household staff who served King Charles while he was heir to the British throne have already been told they could lose their jobs, drawing criticism from a labour union that called the move "heartless" before Queen Elizabeth is even buried.

Charles, who succeeded his mother on her death last Thursday, and his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, will be moving from Clarence House, his London home for decades, to the monarch's main official residence, Buckingham Palace.


A Clarence House spokesman said operations there had ceased and a consultation process with staff over redundancies had begun.

"Our staff have given long and loyal service and while some redundancies will be unavoidable, we are working urgently to identify alternative roles for the greatest possible number of staff," the spokesman said.

The Guardian newspaper reported that up 100 employees had been told they could lose their jobs, some who had worked there for decades. They include personal servants such as footmen, valets, dressers and cooks, as well as clerical staff.

The notifications were issued even as they were working to assist the new king during the accession process -- including while a thanksgiving service for his mother was under way in Edinburgh, it said. Monday will be a national holiday for the queen's funeral.

The Public and Commercial Services Union condemned the decision to announce redundancies during the mourning period as "heartless".

"While some changes across the households were to be expected, as roles across the Royal Family change, the scale and speed at which this has been announced is callous in the extreme," union general secretary Mark Serwotka said.

The Clarence House spokesman said the law required staff to be made aware of the situation at the earliest opportunity.

"Despite every effort to delay until after the funeral the advice remained the same," he said. "Any staff being made redundant will be offered enhanced redundancy payments."

No staff would be affected for at least three months, he added.

(Reuters)

More For You

british-muslims-iStock

The study noted that this identification was not due to any doctrinal obligation but was influenced by the perception that many Muslims do not feel fully accepted as British. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Majority of British Muslims identify by faith first, study finds

A STUDY by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) has found that most British Muslims identify primarily with their religion rather than their nationality.

The research, based on a survey of 815 British Muslim adults by Whitestone Insight, revealed that 71 per cent of respondents identified as Muslim first, while 27 per cent identified as British, English, or Scottish first.

Keep ReadingShow less
Car Tax Changes: EV Owners Now Required to Pay for the First Time

Owners of electric vehicles registered on or after 1 April 2025 will pay £10 for the first year, followed by the standard VED rate of £195 from the second year. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Car tax changes take effect: EV owners to pay for first time

FROM today, 1 April 2025, electric cars, vans, and motorcycles in the UK will be subject to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for the first time.

The change, introduced in the 2022 Autumn Statement by former Conservative Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, aims to make motoring taxation fairer.

Keep ReadingShow less
scotland-minimum-wages-iStock

Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will receive an annual pay increase of £1,400 in real terms. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Wage increase takes effect for thousands of workers in Scotland

HUNDREDS of thousands of workers in Scotland will see a pay increase as new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates take effect from Tuesday.

The changes will benefit approximately 220,000 people, according to STV News.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk-energy-bill-iStock

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

April bill increases put financial strain on single parents

A RANGE of essential household bills are increasing from April, with Citizens Advice warning that single parents will be among the hardest hit.

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased, BBC reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools
Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper in 'Adolescence'
Netflix

Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools

THE NETFLIX drama Adolescence will be shown in UK secondary schools as part of efforts to address harmful online influences on young boys, officials announced on Monday.

The show has sparked debate over the impact of toxic and misogynistic content on the internet. Prime minister Keir Starmer met the show's creators, charities, and young people at Downing Street, calling the initiative an important step in starting discussions about the content teenagers are exposed to online.

Keep ReadingShow less