Princes William and Harry will ‘never be a united family in public’ again, claims King’s former butler – but says Charles is ‘working towards seeing grandchildren Archie and Lilibet’

A former royal butler says it’s possible that the royals may never appear in public again as a ‘united family’.

Grant Harrold was a personal butler for King Charles at his private residence Highgrove for more than six years.

From 2004 to 2011, he also served Queen Camilla, Princes Harry and William and Kate.

Grant, who has written a new book titled The Royal Butler: My Remarkable Life of Royal Service, discussed the rift between Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, and the rest of the family with the Mirror.

‘I think we have to accept that there is a real possibility that we may never see them as a united family in public,’ he said, noting that ‘things are such a mess right now’.

There may yet be a reconciliation, he added, but it could take place behind closed doors.

Grant added: ‘I think families fall out and families can heal, but it’s never the same. So yes I can see a reconciliation, I can see Harry coming back, but not in the Firm as it used to be.’ 

He explained: ‘I don’t see Harry and Meghan ever on the Palace balcony for Trooping the Colour for example, but I can see the family patching things up behind closed doors and working towards the King seeing his grandchildren [Archie and Lilibet].’

According to the former royal butler, he thinks that a rapprochement behind the scenes is ‘what they’re trying to work toward’, and they the Royal Family may want to be a family away from the spotlight, not necessarily in the eyes of the public. 

He added that he sees King Charles as an ‘exceptionally compassionate man’, and believes the monarch could play an instrumental role in any potential future reconciliation.

Speaking about His Majesty in the past, Grant – who worked for the King and Queen Consort when they were still Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall between 2005 and 2011 – said the monarch displays certain tell-tale signs when he is unhappy.  

The royal insider said that while he never saw the King ‘angry’, he could tell when he was stressed and, to do this day, can tell just by watching the King on television if he is ‘unhappy’.

Speaking during an etiquette event in 2023, he said: ‘There was a documentary I watched a couple of years ago and the interviewer kept asking the same question.

‘You would probably never notice, but I could tell that he had had enough.’ 

While most would not notice the agitated King, the butler said it is clear through his mannerisms and the way he presents himself.

He told The Independent: ‘It’s in his mannerisms. He’ll just suddenly [look left and right], he’ll be fidgeting a little bit and kind of look all around, it’s quite interesting.

Prince Harry (pictured, left) and Prince William (pictured, right) attending the unveiling of a statue of their mother at The Sunken Garden in Kensington Palace in 2021

Grant Harrold (pictured) was a personal butler for King Charles at his private residence Highgrove for more than six years. Between 2004 to 2011, he also served Queen Camilla , Princes Harry and William and Kate Middleton

‘It looks like this, like he’s just getting comfortable [in his chair], but actually he’s not happy.’

In the days following the death of his mother, the King was seen on two occasions getting flustered over a leaking pen, with some onlookers claiming he appeared ‘petulant’.

The first pen mishap came during his proclamation in which he motioned frantically to an aide to move a pen box away from his desk.

The second incident happened while he was sitting at the royal residence of Hillborough Castle in Northern Ireland, when once again appeared flustered by ink dripping as he signed a book towards the end of the visit.

He old royal aides he ‘can’t bear the bloody thing’, adding ‘every stinking time’. as he furiously rubbed the ink away from his fingers.

Reflecting on watching the pen situations, the former butler said: ‘When the Queen died and we saw the pen incident, I really felt for him then.

‘Losing both parents so quickly, and then having to carry on doing stuff in front of people – that was probably the most stressed I’ve ever seen him.’