Royal guards banned from state palace after ‘full with little Hitlers remark’
After one officer allegedly said a state palace was ‘full with little Hitlers’, a number of royal guards have been hit with bans due to allegations of concerning comments and misconduct
Five royal guards were hit with bans (Image: Getty Images)
Five royal guards have been hit with bans after a female member of staff made complaints about them at Kensington Palace.
The ban came after the Met Police launched an investigation into allegations of misogynistic behaviour from its Royalty and Specialist Protection officers. The female staff member complained the cops made a string of “inappropriate” comments leading to the ban.
One of the cops stated the West London palace was “full of little Hitlers”. After the Met probe cops in the Royalty and Specialist Protection (RaSP) unit were instructed to learn from their actions as some of their behaviour did not hit the threshold for misconduct.
It has been reported William and Kate had no direct involvement in the officers’ banning.
A former royal protection officer has voiced their surprise at the number of officers involved in the ungraceful ordeal triggering fears of “culture of misogyny” in the force. The development comes after claims officers in the RaSP unit have been spotted sleeping on duty at Windsor Castle.
Around 23 staffers have been hit with misconduct notices and 21 have been placed on restricted duties. Another two boys in blue have been removed from palace deployments.
A Kensington Palace royal household staff worker initially complained about the officers’ concerning behaviour back in October 2024. She claimed the cops made “inappropriate” comments between August 2023 and September 2024. One cop is alleged to have joked that Kensington Palace was “full of little Hitlers” when he was asked to move his stuff.
Another cop is said to have tried to become mates with a female employee on Facebook. The female employee found this action inappropriate. Speaking to the Sun a source has said: “Comments from the officers were perceived as misogynistic though the allegations were tame and none were sexual in nature.”
The case was not treated as criminal and did not hit the threshold for misconduct. After the case concluded all cops were cleared to return to their duties. A Met spokesman 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.”
Despite this the Royal Household took further action. A source said: “A decision was taken that the officers were not wanted back again.” It is understood the officer are now working at other armed duties in the force.
Former Met royalty protection operational head Dai Davies has stated: “I’m surprised there are so many of them who received complaints and it raises the question of whether there is a culture of misogyny. Given the sensitivity of the job the officers must be above reproach and behave with decorum at all times.”
Former detective chief inspector Mick Neville also said: “A few years ago, banter and silly comments were acceptable in many work environments, including the police. But I am not surprised to find that royalty protection officers at Kensington Palace found themselves in hot water for remarks which offended one of the staff.
“In this day and age, it is wise to keep off-colour comments to close family and friends – you just never know who will take offence. It doesn’t even have to be the person at whom they directed – some individuals can get offended on their behalf.”
He added: “I can’t help wondering what Prince Philip would have made of it all?”
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