What King Charles' Former Butler Has Spilled About The Royal Family
The royal family's former butlers have often complicated the monarchy's quest for privacy. Paul Burrell, Princess Diana's former butler has released scandalous secrets about the late royal over the years, including a very interesting claim about her penchant for befriending prostitutes. In recent years, Grand Harrold, who served as King Charles III's butler from 2005-2011, has taken up the mantle as the talkative former employee. Harrold has spoken on everything from King Charles and Prince Harry's strained relationship relationship to the reason Meghan Markle skipped visiting Charles after he announced his cancer diagnosis. (If you were wondering, Harrold told the New York Post he believed that Meghan felt Harry needed to visit his estranged father alone.)
It's not all family gossip, though. Harrold has said some promising things about the royals, too. During an interview with Entertainment Tonight, he had nothing but wonderful things to say about King Charles III. "He's an amazing man. He's like his mother. He's funny, he's witty, he's about tradition," Harrold revealed. "... I think he will be a good king, personally, because I've seen what he's like as a person." However, the former butler also spoke on Charles' weakness for being publicly scrutinized. "The problem he's got is everybody loved the Queen, even if you didn't like the monarchy, everybody loves the Queen." Hmm, if only he had stopped there!
King Charles grew frustrated with the royal family amid his cancer diagnosis
Grant Harrold made some bold claims about King Charles III's thoughts about the state of the royal family as both he and Kate Middleton undergo treatment for cancer. "Behind closed doors, it's all a bit of a muddle," Harrold told the New York Post of the situation in March 2024. "Obviously, the king is trying to get better, that's going to be the big focus." Charles' inability to work at his usual pace, as he deals with a health crisis, has reportedly caused him frustration. "I think Charles will find it very frustrating that he's not able to work as much, I can believe that — I know what he's like, he's a workaholic," Harrold said before underlining Charles' concern with the monarchy not showing a stronger face to the public.
In February, the former butler revealed how King Charles III's staff felt following his first public appearance after announcing his diagnosis. According to the royal insider, who spoke with GB News, members of Charles' household were eager for him to return home, thanks to their close working relationship. However, they were also concerned about his health. "And when they're not well it does concern you, like it does with everybody within the household," Harrold said. He also exalted Charles' work ethic. "I remember in the morning, I'd go in to start my duties and he was already working, and going to bed in the evening he was still working."
King Charles III loves giving funny Christmas gifts, but hates waste
Grant Harrold has also shared some less invasive opinions about his former boss. For example, King Charles reportedly enjoyed giving out odd gifts to his family and staff members. "We all used to have these pigeon holes where I'd get my post in the mornings and what he used to do at Christmas, he used to leave funny little things," Harrold shared with The Mirror in December 2023. "One time he left a tin of salmon and one year I got a salt and pepper grinder wrapped in a ribbon." The former palace staffer also revealed that he felt the situation was bizarre, because no one ever expected it.
Earlier in the year, Harrold took time to shut down a nearly two-decade-old claim by author Jeremy Paxman that King Charles III was so picky about the way his eggs were boiled, that his staff would cook him several eggs to satisfy him. "The reason I don't believe it is because [Charles] hates waste, absolutely hates any waste," Harrold revealed to The Independent. "So it wouldn't make sense if he suddenly started having [seven boiled eggs], it just doesn't make sense." Harrold also revealed that, while he was aware of Charles' love of eggs, he'd never actually witnessed him request multiple boiled eggs from his staffers.