King Charles’ camp reacts after 11 gardeners quit Highgrove over demands

King Charles’s camp has rejected claims of a toxic workplace environment at Highgrove following a mass exodus that saw 11 of his 12 full-time gardeners quit the lavish grounds in the last year.

The monarch, 76, was left licking his wounds after multiple frustrated staffers claimed they were “overwhelmed and underpaid” — allegations that have since been confirmed by an investigation commissioned by the King’s Foundation, the Sunday Times reported.

After workers accused His Majesty of spewing out unattainable demands, in addition to staff shortages, low wages and and an even-lower morale, insiders of Charles’s camp have spurned the claims.

“There seems to be quite a few disgruntled former staff members who are out to make trouble for the King’s Foundation,” a source close to the king told Vanity Fair.

“The King loves Highgrove and is very proud of everything he has created here,” the insider said of the estate, which Charles purchased in 1980.

Disgruntled or not, an investigation conducted by independent HR consultancy WorkNest has found evidence of “staff shortages” and “poor” management practice, confirming that pay was “an issue for recruitment and retention.”

Despite generating more than $8 million in turnover last financial year — higher than any other royal residence — the gardens continue to operate with minimal resources, The Post understands.

Still, the probe’s discoveries, coupled with the tallying complaints, have been rejected by some of the king’s former staffers, including his former senior gardener, Jack Stooks.

Stooks, who had worked at Highgrove for more than 20 years, exclusively told The Post that while Charles does oversee the foundation and its employees, the claims against him are “unfair.”

“I think the stance toward the king is unfair,” Stooks told The Post, saying he’s never had an issue with Charles.

“I don’t think this should be aimed quite at him. He’s employed the foundation, and, yes, he’s part of the foundation, but they are running the garden.”

“The king is putting his trust in them to run it — if they’re running it incorrectly or unsuitably, that’s not actually on the king, it’s on them,” he continued. “If there are problems, the king can now fix these and I’m sure that’s exactly what he’ll now be doing as a result.”

The mass resignations followed hot on the heels of the departure of one staffer who had worked for the king at Highgrove for decades.

Another quit when he failed his probation after revealing insufficient knowledge about a particular type of flower, reportedly losing the king’s trust.

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“Don’t put that man in front of me again,” Charles allegedly said of the staffer.

Following the allegations, the King’s Foundation has spoken out, telling The Post that it takes “staff welfare extremely seriously.”

“We strive to be an exemplary employer,” a spokesperson for the organization said. “We are proud to regularly report very high satisfaction rates in our annual staff survey.”

“Our staff turnover is well below the national average, as is the number of formal grievances raised. For the gardening team at Highgrove specifically, we regularly review guidance from the Professional Gardeners Guild for pay benchmarking.”

“Highgrove has also seen many positive developments since The King’s Foundation became the charitable custodian of the gardens,” the statement went on.

“Since 2022, the operating profit has more than doubled, a new education facility teaching traditional heritage skills to hundreds of students has been established, and visitor numbers continue to reach over 40,000 annually.”

Buckingham Palace has yet to respond to The Post’s request for comment.