Buckingham Palace Staff Receive Alcohol Awareness Training
Royal household employees have undergone sessions focused on mindful drinking and handling intoxicated colleagues.
Staff at Buckingham Palace have received an alcohol awareness course aimed at educating them on responsible drinking and how to manage colleagues who may be under the influence.
The training sessions were conducted by consultants from Alcohol Change UK, a charity that offers educational programs on alcohol-related issues.
According to the charity's chief executive, Richard Piper, Buckingham Palace was among the organizations that requested these seminars. The course content included raising awareness about mindful drinking and 'grey area drinking,' a term used to describe individuals who consume excessive amounts of alcohol without necessarily being dependent.
Participants were also trained on how to address situations involving intoxicated colleagues in the workplace, which was framed as a "safeguarding issue."
These sessions reportedly took place several years ago as part of a broader series of wellbeing initiatives organized by the royal household's human resources department.
The training comes after an incident in 2024 when a maid was arrested following a staff Christmas party. Reports indicated that the party, which began at the Palace, continued at a bar where a drink-fueled altercation occurred, resulting in the maid allegedly punching a manager and throwing glasses.
Alcohol Change UK aims to promote healthier attitudes toward alcohol and ensure inclusivity in workplaces, noting that a significant portion of the population abstains from drinking alcohol. Piper emphasized that their approach focuses on health and individual well-being rather than moral judgments about drinking.
