‘I worked as King Charles’ butler – there’s one type of gift he hates at Christmas’

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From last-minute presents or supporting small businesses, the royal family’s shopping habits are surprisingly similar to our own, especially when it comes to their children

King Charles’ former butler, Grant Harrold, has given his top tips on what to get a man who seemingly has it all – something practical, fun, and most importantly, affordable. Revealing the monarch’s modest taste, he said, “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.”

Your everyday Royal might enjoy festive shopping just as much as anyone else, with habits that strike a chord with us non-royals. Grant Harrold shares, “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.” The Princess of Wales is no stranger to smart deals, having been sighted grabbing last-minute gifts at The Range in King’s Lynn. Alongside Prince William, Kate has also dropped by Bakers and Larners, a Holt department store cherished for its delicious hampers and rustic goods.

Meanwhile, Queen Camilla showcases her knack for early gift prep. On an official trip to Nairobi last year, she bagged a “rather large haul” of unique finds from a market, scoring items like blankets, jewellery, and an intriguing pot of cashew butter, which Harrold reveals she boasted as “one up on peanut butter.”

Queen Elizabeth II had a unique Christmas shopping method, according to her former footman Paul Burrell. A mini ‘shop’ was set up in a drawing room at Windsor Castle where John Lewis would deliver a selection of almost everything they had in stock, This allowed the Queen to leisurely pick out gifts, often late at night after dinner. Grant Harrold suggests that while the royals could easily ask staff to purchase gifts for them, it’s not uncommon to see them mingling among the public.

“Princess Beatrice attends the Glastonbury festival most summers!” he exclaims. What’s truly astonishing is how often they shop right under our noses without us realising. “In the past, stores would close for Princess Diana. That doesn’t happen now,” Grant explains. “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 convenience of Amazon hasn’t escaped the royals either. “The younger ones, especially, are very savvy with online shopping, making Christmas shopping easier,” says Grant. However, don’t expect to see the monarch struggling with Sellotape. “I can easily see Kate, William and even Anne wrapping their own presents but not the King. He’ll have someone do that for him.” The royals are known for gathering at 6pm on 24 December at Sandringham to exchange gifts, a tradition that harks back to the German custom of Heiligabend Bescherung – ‘Christmas Eve time for exchanging gifts’. The presents are displayed on a long table draped in white cloth, with each pile marked by a name card.

The scene is lit only by the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree. In his book Spare, Prince Harry describes the festive chaos: “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’s one rule: each gift must be cheap and cheerful. Royal expert Duncan Larcombe says, “They don’t spend much money on gifts,” but they do put a lot of thought into their choices, with the funnier and quirkier, the better. Harry once received a pen with a rubber fish attached from his great-aunt Princess Margaret.

It’s rumoured that he gifted the late Queen a plastic singing sea bass and a shower cap emblazoned with the slogan, Ain’t life a b***h! , while his brother presented his grandmother with slippers featuring her face. King Charles reportedly received a white leather loo seat from his sister, while Harry was gifted a ‘Grow your own Girlfriend’ kit from Kate. Princess Diana initially missed the memo on ‘silly gifts’, opting to give cashmere sweaters to the family.

However, she got it right the following year, choosing a leopard print bath mat for Sarah, Duchess of York. “There are serious gifts given, too,” says Grant. “You’ll see the royal ladies wearing 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 kids are encouraged to send letters to Lapland and, when George was four, William personally delivered his son’s list to Santa Claus at a festive market in Finland’s Helsinki. George’s wish? A police car. “Money isn’t an object for William and Kate, but they’re not indulgent,” says Duncan. “So the younger royals won’t be showered with very, very expensive gifts.” While you might assume that’s the influence of Kate’s parents, former Royal security chief Ken Wharfe points out that William and Harry were never over-indulged 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 was all about keeping the Santa sparkle alive. When a young lad once quizzed her, “Do you believe in Father Christmas? ” she deftly answered: “I like to believe in Father Christmas, yes.” And it seems her son is following suit. On a trip to a West London shopping centre, the King couldn’t hide his joy meeting Santa Claus. Saint Nick himself spilled the beans later, saying he assured the King that he’s on Santa’s ‘very good boy’ list”. Spot on!