Royal decorator commits suicide after criticism from Charles III

Decorator Chris Eadie, who worked for the royal court for 30 years, committed suicide after King Charles criticized one of his latest works, the Daily Mail reports.

The 63-year-old Eadie worked on the Sandringham estate, completing projects for Elizabeth II and later her son, Charles III. One of his final commissions was to paint a mural above the Buddha statue in the gardens, using the colors specified by the king. According to relatives, the artist considered the colors "a bit garish," but nevertheless completed the work precisely as instructed. However, the king was reportedly dissatisfied with the result and ordered the work to be transferred to another contractor.

"After all this careful preparation, the job was assigned to someone else. Chris was devastated," the publication quotes the deceased's brother as saying.

Although Eadie had previously been assigned to "the most important jobs" at court, including painting Prince William and Kate Middleton's bedroom, in recent years, due to management changes and the addition of new contractors, his work on the estate has diminished. This has reportedly left Eadie "deeply upset," and the pagoda incident has become "a particular source of concern." He is known to have recently begun taking antidepressants to manage work-related anxiety and stress.

"The rich don't think when they act! This doesn't paint King Bean in the best light. Shame on him!", "So sad! Depression is a silent killer, and it's terrible!", "This is how you can describe the royal court under Charles! Lackeys decide that a professional's work isn't up to par. As if they could know that, pure arrogance!", the publication's readers wrote in response.

This isn't the first recent death by suicide at court. In 2024, Lady Gabriella's husband, 45-year-old financier Thomas Kingston, took his own life. In the summer of 2025, 20-year-old Rosie Roche, a member of the Baronial House of Fermoy and the granddaughter of Princess Diana's uncle and second cousin to Princes William and Harry, died under similar circumstances. It's worth noting that many at the time blamed the palace for Diana's own death.

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