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King Charles’ former butler, Grant Harrold, has shared some wise advice on selecting presents for someone who seems to have everything. He recommended opting for something “practical, fun, and most importantly, affordable.”
Revealing King Charles’ preference for understated gifts, Harrold disclosed, “The King hates being given anything extravagant and expensive. He’d be embarrassed if you spent a fortune on him. He’d say, ‘That’s lovely but you really shouldn’t have.’ So, at Christmas, I used to give him books on Victorian gardening or honey-based products because I know how much he loves honey.”
Despite their Royal status, it appears that the Royals might share common ground with the general public when it comes to shopping for the festive season. Grant Harrold notes, “Everyone assumes the royals only shop in the poshest stores. But they go to the same shops that we do. I’m not saying they never go to Harrods – it’s said the late Queen did some Christmas shopping there with her cousin (the Duchess of Kent) in the 1950s but she would often nip to her local shops in Ballater village, near Balmoral. The royals enjoy a bargain.”
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Notably, the Princess of Wales is also known to appreciate a good deal, having been seen picking up last-minute bargains at The Range in King’s Lynn.
Moreover, alongside Prince William, Kate has made visits to Bakers and Larners of Holt, a beloved department store renowned for its delightful hampers and traditional offerings, reports the Mirror.
Queen Camilla has been spotted getting ahead with her festive presents. During an official journey to Nairobi last year, she returned with a “rather large haul” from a market, snapping up items like cosy blankets, handcrafted jewellery, and intriguingly, a jar of cashew butter – which she claimed was “one up on peanut butter.”
as per insights from Harrold.
Contrastingly, Queen Elizabeth II indulged in a very different approach to Christmas shopping, former footman Paul Burrell spilled the details. A temporary ‘shop’ filled with wares from John Lewis would pop up in a Windsor Castle drawing room, offering the Queen a chance to select gifts, often opting for late night browsing post-dinner.
Grant Harrold pointed out that despite having the option to send staff on gift-buying errands, seeing royals in high-street shops isn’t unheard of. “Princess Beatrice attends the Glastonbury festival most summers! “, he shared excitedly, noting how they go unnoticed during public shopping trips.
“In the past, stores would close for Princess Diana. That doesn’t happen now,” Grant elaborated. “The royals are very discreet. They always have a bodyguard for protection, but people don’t recognise them because you don’t expect to see a King or a future Queen browsing in your local store.”
The royals, it seems, are not immune to the allure of Amazon’s convenience. “The younger ones, especially, are very savvy with online shopping, making Christmas shopping easier,” Grant reveals.
But don’t expect to catch a glimpse of the monarch wrestling with wrapping paper. “I can easily see Kate, William and even Anne taking on the task of wrapping their own gifts, but not the King. He’ll have someone do that for him,” he adds.
The Royal family upholds the tradition of gathering at 6pm on Christmas Eve at Sandringham to exchange presents, a nod to the German custom of Heiligabend Bescherung, which translates to ‘Christmas Eve time for exchanging gifts’. Gifts are meticulously arranged on a table cloaked in white linen, each person’s share demarcated by name cards.
The only illumination comes from the soft glow of the Christmas tree lights. Prince Harry recounts the festive frenzy in his memoir ‘Spare’: “By custom, at the start of the night, each of us located our place [and] stood before our mound of presents. Then suddenly, everyone began opening at the same time. A free-for-all, with scores of family members talking at once and pulling at bows and tearing at wrapping paper.”
There is, however, one steadfast rule: the gifts must be inexpensive yet jolly.
Royal commentator Duncan Larcombe notes, “They don’t spend much money on gifts,” but they do invest considerable thought into them, aiming for the more humorous and unusual, the better. Among the memorable gifts, Harry once received a pen adorned with a rubber fish from his great-aunt Princess Margaret.
Rumour has it that he once presented the late Queen with a plastic singing sea bass and a shower cap bearing the slogan, Ain’t life a b***h!, while his brother gifted their grandmother slippers adorned with her face. King Charles is said to have received a white leather toilet seat from his sister, while Harry was given a ‘Grow your own Girlfriend’ kit by Kate.
Princess Diana initially missed the memo on ‘silly gifts’, choosing to gift cashmere sweaters to the family. However, she nailed it the following year, opting for a leopard print bath mat for Sarah, Duchess of York.
“There are serious gifts given, too,” Grant reveals. “You’ll see the Royal ladies sporting a new necklace and you’ll just know it was a Christmas present. And, of course, Santa still visits Sandringham. I like to think that on Christmas Day morning the children will have lots of presents in their stockings or under the tree.”
The Wales children are encouraged to send letters to Lapland and, when George was four, William personally handed over his son’s list to Santa Claus at a festive market in Helsinki, Finland.
George’s wish? A police car. “Money isn’t an object for William and Kate, but they’re not indulgent,” Duncan comments.
“So the younger royals won’t be showered with very, very expensive gifts.”
While one might assume that’s due to the influence of Kate’s parents, former Royal security chief Ken Wharfe notes that William and Harry were never spoilt as children.
“Diana was very careful to ensure that they weren’t flooded with gifts,” he explains. “Gifts did appear from unknown sources but they were often returned or given to charity because they didn’t need them.”
Her late Majesty cherished the essence of Santa’s magic.
When once asked by a youngster, “Do you believe in Father Christmas? ” she gracefully replied: “I like to believe in Father Christmas, yes.”
It seems her son is taking after her. During a visit to a shopping centre in West London, the King was visibly delighted to meet Santa Claus.
Santa revealed afterwards that he reassured the King that he was indeed on Santa’s ‘very good boy’ list”. Spot on!
