The news that up to 100 employees at King Charles III’s former residence could lose their jobs has sparked criticism of the British monarchy just days after the proclamation of Queen Elizabeth II’s first-born son.
The British newspaper The Guardian reported on Tuesday that dozens of employees at Clarence House, Carlos’s former official residence, had been warned that their jobs were at stake.
According to the report, the reports came in the midst of a busy period of transition, when Charles and his wife Camilla, the queen consort, moved into Buckingham Palace following the death of Queen Elizabeth II last Thursday.
The Public and Commercial Services Union called the decision to inform staff about job losses during a period of mourning “downright heartless”.
“While some changes in the teams were to be expected as roles in the royal family will change, the scale and speed with which this has been announced is extremely insensitive,” said union secretary general Mark Serwotka.
The UK is in a national period of mourning until Monday, when the Queen’s State Funeral will take place.
In a statement, Clarence House explained that, following the King’s proclamation, the activities of Carlos and Camilla’s support teams “have ceased” and “as required by law, a consultation process has begun”.
“Our employees have served a long and loyal service, and while some layoffs are inevitable, we are urgently working to identify alternative roles for as many employees as possible,” the statement added.
“Everyone is downright furious (…) people were visibly shocked by this,” said an employee of Carlos in turn.who spoke to The Guardian on condition of anonymity.
Video of Carlos III angry with a pen goes viral
Also, two videos have been released in recent days that have caused controversy and have helped to reinforce the negative image of the 73-year-old monarch.
The videos in question, in which he is visibly annoyed with an ink-dripping pen and an inkwell, were widely shared on social media.
A video shows the King losing his cool with a fountain pen while signing a guestbook in Northern Ireland, which he visited this week.
“Oh God, I hate this! (…) I can’t take this nonsense anymore! (…) The same thing always happens”, ventilates the frost.
The video comes after another pen-related incident, when the new monarch was seen gesturing angrily to his assistant over an inkwell that got in the way of signing a document during his proclamation ceremony last Saturday.
Carlos has been under intense media scrutiny since his mother’s death in Scotland last Thursday and is subject to a grueling schedule.
Charles and Camilla flew from Scotland to London for their proclamation ceremony and a visit to Parliament, before returning to Scotland, where the King attended the Queen’s wake.
On Tuesday he flew to Northern Ireland and returned to London the same evening, in time for the funeral procession, being held today, from the Queen’s coffin from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall.
Today he has retired to his country house in Highgrove, about 100 miles from London.
Elizabeth II died on September 8 at the age of 96 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland after more than 70 years on the throne, the longest reign in British history.
The monarch’s urn is in a burning chamber at the Palace of Westminster until Monday’s state funeral at Westminster Abbey, also in London.
The hall where the urn is located will be open to the public 24 hours a day for the next four days.
After the death of the monarch, the eldest son, at the age of 73, assumed the functions of king as Charles III.
Source: DN
