The queen has sacked a member of the Buckingham Palace staff for offering for sale on eBay one of the Christmas puddings she hands out to staff during the festive season, the Daily Mirror reported on Friday.
Ben Church, who worked in the department responsible for palace maintenance, was frogmarched off the premises earlier this week, the left-wing tabloid said.
Church (25) is reported to have used official palace documents in the advert for the pudding, which he offered for £20 (about R220). He had been working at the palace for just seven weeks.
”He’s gutted. He had no idea he was doing anything wrong. He didn’t make a secret of it and it was treated as a joke in the office,” an unnamed staff member told the Mirror.
”It’s really mean and petty to sack him so close to Christmas, all for the sake of a pudding,” he added.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson confirmed that ”disciplinary action” was taken, adding that the use of palace documents was the reason behind the sacking.
The pudding is available from royal grocer Fortnum and Mason for £6,25 (about R69). — Sapa-DPA