Buckingham Palace staff party ends with arrest and chaos
In December, holiday office parties commence right from the beginning of the month. The staff of Buckingham Palace also attended such a party. However, it had an unexpected ending.
After the Buckingham Palace staff's holiday party, an incident occurred that concluded with the arrest of one of the employees. According to "The Independent," a maid working at the London residence of the British monarch was detained on charges of assault, vandalism, and disturbing the peace.
Ending of the holiday party
Witnesses described the woman as "hysterical" and her behaviour as "shocking." The evening commenced with a party at Buckingham Palace, after which about 50 employees who had participated in the holiday gathering went to a nearby bar in the Victoria district in central London. Things spiralled out of control when the woman began smashing glasses and insulting the staff. According to reports, she even attempted to hit the manager.
As reported by CNN, among others, the intervening police officers detained and fined the aggressive woman. In addition, she was required to spend the next 24 hours in custody.
For the moment, however, it is uncertain whether the woman will face charges of assault and property damage. According to the London police, no complaint has been filed by the establishment.
The palace speaks up
A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace emphasised that the incident occurred off-site and did not occur during an official holiday party. A full investigation and appropriate disciplinary actions against the involved employees have been announced.
"We are aware of an incident outside the workplace involving a number of Household staff who had previously attended an early evening reception at the Palace. While this was an informal social gathering, not an official Palace Christmas party, the facts will be fully investigated, with a robust disciplinary process followed in relation to individual staff and appropriate action taken," admitted a Buckingham Palace spokesperson, as quoted by the BBC.
