King Charles III’s former gardener, Jack Stooks, has opened up about working for His Majesty for 21 years at Highgrove House, and he’s lifted the lid on what it’s really like behind the scenes.
Speaking on behalf of Prime Casino, he told Cambridgeshire Live: “I think for me it’s just the normality of how they are as people.”
He then revealed King Charles’ attention to detail. “He was very much on the ball all the time. If he came home at the weekend, he would be out in the garden checking what’s been done, what hasn’t been done,” Jack said.
Jack also took the opportunity to defend the monarchy by saying: “I think when people are looking in from outside, they go, ‘Oh, why do we have to give them our little bit of money every year? We shouldn’t have to do that, how dare they, he’s not our King, he is not this, he’s not that’, but the amount of work they do for the country is just immense.”
Speaking about the King specifically, he said: “You see the amount of work he’s still doing and he’s just not giving up. He could just say, you know, ‘I’m ill, I can’t do this,’ and the country will go, ‘Okay, fine.’ But he’s like, ‘No, I’ve got a sense of duty.'”
Jack has previously spoken to HELLO! to share his top tips for keeping your garden thriving. He shared an array of advice for keeping your garden free of pests, including the strategic use of kale leaves, how to use nematodes and why you need to invest in a garlic spray.
Garden goals
Charles’ Highgrove garden in Gloucestershire is one of his favourites. He has spent the last three decades transforming the land into an organic farm, strictly limiting the use of antibiotics and other harmful chemicals.
The gorgeous grounds are open for visitors to tour, and the public adores seeing his wonderful work.
But in addition, the King finds solace in his sanctuary, away from the royal limelight. In the royal book, Charles III by Robert Hardman, he writes: “In good times and bad, as both the Prince of Wales and now as King, he likes to retreat to his ‘sanctuary’, his tiny chapel in the grounds of Highgrove, to gather his thoughts.”
This special chapel is believed to be where the King did a lot of his grieving for his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
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