A new book is stirring the royal pot. King Charles III’s former butler, Grant Harrold, remembers things differently. He doesn’t recall any family trouble involving Queen Camilla. This is a big contrast to what Prince Harry wrote in his memoir, Spare.
Harrold’s upcoming book, The Royal Butler: My Remarkable Life of Royal Service, gives royal fans a peek. He spent seven years working for a "very kind" Charles. When Harrold started, Charles, 76, and Camilla, 78, still lived apart. But they spent lots of time together.
Harrold shared a sweet memory from those days, as seen in The Telegraph on Monday, August 18. He once arrived at Camilla’s home late at night, close to 10 PM. Charles had asked him to drop something off. Camilla, without any police security around, opened an upstairs window. "Who’s there?" she called out. Harrold replied, "It’s Grant!" She seemed surprised, asking, "Grant, what on earth are you doing here at this hour?" Even at that late hour, she still tried to offer him tea.
Charles and Camilla first connected in 1986. At the time, Charles was still married to Princess Diana. After Charles and Diana divorced in 1996, he and Camilla waited almost ten years to marry.
On their wedding day in April 2005, Charles was "happier than ever," according to Harrold. After the celebrations, Charles and Camilla flew to Birkhall, part of the Balmoral estate. Everyone gathered to wave them off. William and Harry had a fun surprise. They decorated the car with "Just Married" signs. As the car drove away through arches, everyone cheered. The boys even ran after the car as it left.
Harry, now 40, painted a different picture in his 2023 book, Spare. He wrote about his "complex feelings" regarding Camilla joining the family. Both he and William, 43, apparently told their father: "We supported you. We supported Camilla. Please don’t marry her. Just be together, Dad." Harry claimed his father didn’t reply. But Camilla did, right away. According to Harry, after private meetings with them, she began "playing the long game." He suggested this was "a campaign aimed at marriage and, eventually, the Crown." He even assumed it had his father’s blessing.
Harrold, however, believes Harry, William, Charles, and Camilla "got along very well." This makes Harry’s version of a family split confusing to the former butler.
Harrold also spoke highly of his former boss, King Charles. He called him "very calm" and said the king "never raised his voice" during their time together. Harrold sees Charles as someone who "works hard and doesn’t tolerate fools." He added that Charles "gets along with everyone." While some might see him as out of touch, Harrold says, "that’s not the case."
The Royal Butler: My Remarkable Life of Royal Service will be available next month.