Five protection officers have been banned from working at Kensington Palace after complaints of misogynistic behaviour.
The officers, all part of the Royalty and Specialist Protection team, were subject to an internal Metropolitan Police investigation after an official complaint by a female member of staff at the palace.
It is understood to refer to a series of “inappropriate” comments made between August 2023 and September 2024.
One officer “moaned” that Kensington Palace – the primary workplace of the Prince and Princess of Wales – was “full of little Hitlers”, The Sun on Sunday reported. Another officer also attempted to add a female member of household staff as a “friend” on Facebook.
An official complaint was filed in October 2024.
It is understood that the behaviour of the officers was not found to meet the threshold for misconduct.
However, senior Royal household staff decided to stop them from working at any palaces in the future by removing their access passes.
The Prince and Princess were not involved in the decision, but have been informed.
‘Trust is a priority’
A spokesman for the Met said: “The reported behaviour falls below the high standards expected of officers, particularly those in frontline protective roles.
“As a result of our internal investigation into this matter, the officers received reflective practice to consider their actions and identify learning for the future.
“It remains a priority for the Met to ensure all officers and staff uphold the highest standards of professionalism, so we can continue to build trust and confidence with those we serve.”
The officers were placed on restricted duties while an investigation took place, and went on to be cleared to return to full duties.
They are understood to now be working in similar armed duties outside the Royal household.
“Comments from the officers were perceived as misogynistic though the allegations were tame and none were sexual in nature,” a source said.
The decision follows separate allegations that officers in the protection unit were caught sleeping while on duty at Windsor Castle.
Of the 23 who were served misconduct notices, 21 have been placed on restricted duties and two have been removed from working in the Royal household, The Sun reported.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.telegraph.co.uk ’
