King Charles to pay staff £600 cost of living payment ‘out of own pocket’

Bonuses will ‘total 10s of thousands’ of pounds

King Charles III is set to pay royal staff a one-off £600 cost of living payment, it has been reported.

The monarch is set to pay “10s of thousands” of pounds in bonuses to his staff from his private income to help with the cost of living crisis.

Royal staff including cleaners, servants and footmen will receive the bonus on top of this month’s salary, The Sun reports.

A source told the publication: “The King is giving money out of his own pocket to the lowest earners working for the household to help them cope with the cost of living crisis.

“It is being given on a ­sliding scale with those most in need and on lower wages getting the most money.

“It is to target where it is needed the most in the Royal Household and reflects the reality of the economic situation the country faces.

“The King is very much aware of the soaring energy bills people are facing and worried about the economic wellbeing of loyal palace staff and doing what he can.”

The Independent has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment.

In October the Buckingham Palace announced that the King’s coronation will be a scaled-back affair, with just 2,000 guests compared to the Queen’s 8,000 in 1952.

Celebrations will also be contained to just one day, Saturday 6 May, 2023, instead of across several days.

In a statement the Palace added: “The coronation will reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in long standing traditions and pageantry.”

A source told the Daily Mirror: “The King is very aware of the struggles felt by modern Britons so will see his wishes carried through that although his coronation ceremony should stay right and true to the long-held traditions of the past, it should also be representative of a monarchy in a modern world.

“The King has long been an advocate of a streamlined of a slimmed-down monarchy and this project could certainly be said to fit with his vision,” they continued.

“He has already spoken of his wish to continue his mother’s legacy and this includes continuing to recognise what the people are experiencing day by day.”