Hundreds of Clarence House staff have been put on notice of the threat of redundancy as they work around the clock in the wake of the King’s accession, The Guardian has revealed. Private secretaries, the finance office, the communications team and other loyal household staff were among those who received the letter, while the thanksgiving service for the Queen was held at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh on Monday. The Union of Public and Commercial Services (PCS) has condemned the decision to announce bereavement redundancies as “nothing short of heartless”. Charles’ office will move from Clarence House to the monarchy’s nearby central complex, Buckingham Palace, after the Queen’s death. The king’s top aide, his principal private secretary, Sir Clive Alderton, said, in a letter seen by The Guardian, that the change in the role of Charles and Camilla, now Queen Consort, meant that Clarence House would “close ».
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He said the personal interests and past activities of the former Prince of Wales would no longer take place. The Guardian reported that staff were left outraged and shocked by the announcement. A spokesman for Clarence House said: “Following last week’s accession, the work of the Household of the former Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall has ceased and, as required by law, a consultation process has begun. “Our staff have given long and loyal service and while some redundancies will be inevitable, we are working urgently to identify alternative roles for as many staff as possible.” All staff made redundant will be offered enhanced severance pay and no staff will be affected for at least three months. The households of the Queen Mother and the Duke of Edinburgh were closed after their deaths. It is understood that legal advice received by the household required that the information be shared with staff as soon as possible, despite attempts to delay it until after the Queen’s funeral. PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “The decision by Clarence House to announce bereavement redundancies is nothing short of heartless. “The staff themselves have been working tirelessly during this time to support the new King’s activities and ensure continuity across the Prince of Wales’s estates. “While some household changes were to be expected as roles across the royal family change, the scale and speed at which this has been announced is extremely harsh. “Not least because we don’t know what staff the incoming Prince of Wales and his family might need. “PCS will continue to work with the Royal Households to ensure these staff have full job security. “We remain committed to supporting those colleagues across the wider Royal Family estate whose futures are disrupted by this announcement at this already difficult time.”
