Ex-royal house employee reveals staff treatment inside palace, describes one member as 'incredibly horrible'

She added that during the COVID-19 pandemic, she was temporarily permitted to assist with housekeeping responsibilities.

An anonymous former employee of the British Royal Household has made a series of claims about working conditions and staff treatment within the monarchy during a question-and-answer session on Reddit. The post, which attracted significant online attention, has since been deleted.

The individual participated in an AMA-style discussion on the “Royals Gossip” subreddit, describing her experience working for what she referred to as “The Firm”. While she did not disclose her name or exact job title, moderators of the subreddit confirmed that she privately shared evidence of her employment, which they said verified that she had previously worked for the Royal Family.

Moneycontrol.com has not independently verified the claims made in the post.

According to her account, the woman was employed by the Royal Household for approximately four years, with her service ending around three to four years ago. She said she worked in the household’s “food branch” and declined to provide further detail, stating that doing so could reveal her identity.

She added that during the COVID-19 pandemic, she was temporarily permitted to assist with housekeeping responsibilities. “During Covid, I was allowed to work temporarily in housekeeping as well, which was interesting,” she wrote, saying the experience offered insight into the daily operations of the household beyond her usual duties.

Interactions with senior royals:

The former staff member said she had the most direct contact with the late Queen Elizabeth II, describing her as “nice, polite” and someone who would make an effort to speak with staff, even if the exchanges felt uncomfortable at times.

Her interactions with other members of the Royal Family were described as limited, largely occurring during official events or while travelling. “I met most of them at events or during travels to different locations and most of them were nice besides a few,” she stated.

She said Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, were consistently courteous, describing them as “polite” and “friendly” in their dealings with staff.

Claims about King Charles III and Queen Camilla:

Addressing long-standing speculation about King Charles III’s working habits, the former employee said stories about his demanding routines were accurate. “All the rumours about his level of demands are true,” she wrote.

She claimed that his personal items were arranged to precise standards, including pressed shoelaces and carefully laid-out clothing. She further alleged that a colleague was required to squeeze toothpaste onto his toothbrush and prepare his bath according to specific preferences.

Queen Camilla was described as “harmless enough” but “not personable” and “quite awkward”, according to the post.

Allegations concerning Prince Andrew:

The strongest allegations in the deleted Reddit post were directed at Prince Andrew.

The former staff member described him as “incredibly horrible and abusive to staff”, claiming he was frequently rude and spent much of his time watching television. She further alleged that he made inappropriate remarks to young female housemaids.

“He was incredibly horrible and abusive to staff, which was already a major flag, and there were reports of him saying inappropriate things to young housemaids,” she wrote.

She claimed that complaints raised against him were not addressed in a meaningful way. “Nothing was ever done about this and usually, if anyone made a complaint, it was dealt with by pushing out the complaining staff member,” she alleged.

When asked by another Reddit user whether accounts of Prince Andrew shouting at employees were accurate, she replied, “Yes, pretty much.” Responding to a separate question about his behaviour towards staff, she added, “Beyond rude doesn’t even cover it.”

Prince Andrew was stripped of his military affiliations and royal patronages following public backlash over his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a controversy that continues to affect perceptions of his role within the monarchy.