The newly crowned King wasted no time getting fired up.
Approximately 100 employees of the King Charles III‘s now former official residence, Clarence House, were notified during a church service for the late Queen that they will likely be demoted or lose their jobs entirely, as initially reported on Monday by The Guardian. Many of those employees have worked for decades and are presently working around the clock during the present period of mourning and the King’s ascension to the throne.
Although some roles were expected to be diminished or terminated entirely, the number of employees soon to be let go, as well as the poor timing of the notifications, have caused an understandable outrage of reactions.
The general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union, Mark Serwotka, said, “The scale and speed at which this has been announced is callous and extreme.”
A source that spoke to The Guardian said, “Everyone is absolutely livid, including private secretaries and the senior team.”
Serwotka also pointed out that they do not yet know how much staffing is going to be required for the incoming Prince of Wales and his family, thus the idea of notifying anyone of potentially losing their job when a vast majority can be retained for employment elsewhere within the Royal family, is not exactly ideal.
There was apparently no indication whatsoever that any such change would be forthcoming, until the King’s top aide, Sir Clive Alderton, delivered the disheartening letter which read, in part:
“The former Prince of Wales’ personal interests, former activities, and household operations, will no longer be carried out. It is therefore expected that the need for the posts principally based at Clarence House, whose work supports these areas, will no longer be needed.”
A civil service trade union called the move “nothing short of heartless,” adding that this is especially concerning considering it was done during a period of mourning.
Social media wasn’t exactly silent either. Even a parody account had to chime in, though that account, @BBCLauraKT, has recently been less parody and more social commentary, due to such recent events.
Some of the replies were also, well, heartless towards the crown, as to be expected.
Even so, there were some defending the move.
Mark Serwotka also said, “This is a significant majority in the household and many of these staff will be the same people who have so diligently supported the new king in his period of mourning.”
Speaking for the Union, he called for “an immediate halt to the redundancy process.”
