Work holiday parties: typically the stuff of forced small talk and awkward Secret Santa exchanges. But if you're on staff with Prince William and Princess Kate? Consider your workplace Christmas filed under "actually enjoyable."
Despite their busy schedule over the holidays—which includes the Princess of Wales's annual carol concert, The King's Christmas lunch and a huge gathering at Sandringham—the Waleses take the time out to pay tribute to their staff during the festive season.
Royal biographer Robert Lacey discussed the couple's Christmas work philosophy in his book Battle of Brothers. In the book, he wrote (via the Sun), that Prince William's private secretary, Christian Jones, had told him how William and Kate "are paternalistic with their staff."
“They copy The Queen in that respect with all her Christmas parties and Christmas presents to her people," Lacey continued. "They’re proud to treat their staff like family."
While you might think working for the royals is a high-paid gig, it's actually quite the opposite. That being said, the Prince and Princess of Wales keep that in mind with their staff, especially during the holiday season. “They recognize that they don’t get paid loads of money, so they are just really nice to them," Lacey added of William and Kate's strategy as bosses.
Although the details of this year's KP Christmas party are unclear, we do know that in 2017 it was held at Notting Hill fave restaurant Beach Blanket Babylon, although apparently, per the Daily Mail, it was BYOB since the venue's liquor license had been revoked. The Kensington Palace staff party also caused Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to realize that their offices, which had previously worked together as one, were splitting.
In the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's Netflix documentary, Harry & Meghan, James Holt—who currently serves as executive director of the Archewell Foundation but used to work for the Royal Foundation—recalled how everyone was "gearing for one big party and very shortly before the party, it became two parties.”
“Actually, that was the point that you realized that these offices are separating," he added.
Speaking of Christmas parties, the Buckingham Palace staffers apparently went a bit wild following a recent holiday gathering. According to the Sun, roughly 50 employees headed to All Bar One in London after a reception at the palace, and the event got "out of control."
"A woman believed to be a housemaid aimed a punch at the manager, smashed glasses and was arrested," the outlet reported. A source went on to tell the Sun, "I've never seen one person get that crazy during a night out. She was on another level."
Somehow we have a feeling the Kensington Palace party was on the much tamer side.
