Royal butler makes bombshell claim about monarchy's future after William and Kate’s house move
Throughout his seven-year career as King Charles' right-hand man, Grant Harrold claims he witnessed a plethora of shifts in both traditions and tones within the monarchy.
That said, however, the former royal butler insists the biggest transition is yet to come - more specifically, when Prince William and Kate Middleton ascend to the throne.
"Their take on royal life is very different to King Charles' and Queen Elizabeth's," Harrold exclusively told Tyla this week, following the release of his debut memoir, The Royal Butler: My Remarkable Life in Royal Service.
"William has talked about 'Royal' starting with a lower 'r', as well as describing their new house as their 'forever home'."
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Harrold's latest comments come just weeks after high-profile insiders confirmed that the Wales' would be relocating deeper into the Windsor countryside in the coming months.
William and Kate, both 43, currently reside in an an eight-bedroom mansion known as Forest Lodge - where they moved from Kensington Palace in 2022 - but plan to set up shop in a Grade II listed four-bedroom property, named Adelaide Cottage before Christmas.
Joined by their three children - Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis - the couple reportedly plan to make the move 'long-term', with a royal source previously telling press: "It's their intention to stay in Forest Lodge once he becomes King."
If true, this would mark a considerable break from tradition for William and Kate, who'd become the first UK rulers not to reside in a palace or castle - and according to Harrold, this decision is completely conscious.
"I have a theory that the court is going to move to Windsor one day in the coming years," he confessed this week. "I think it’ll become the hub of the monarchy once again. It was only during Queen Victoria’s rule that Buckingham Palace became the focal point of the monarchy."
As such, the bestselling writer and etiquette coach believes Buckingham Palace will once again take a backseat, and 'could become similar to the Palace of Versailles'.
"It’ll be open to the public," Harrold predicted. "And it’ll probably host royal ceremonies, but I think we’ll see more royal activity from Windsor."
As for the reason behind the Wales' sudden desire to cut back on the extravagance that has long been associated with the British monarchy, Harrold says it's largely a money matter.
"Cost is a big thing - the Wales’ are aware of the cost-of-living crisis in the UK," he revealed. "We’ve also seen William fronting campaigns surrounding homelessness.
"He and Kate are aware that, more so now than ever, people are calling into question why these Royals are residing in palaces and castles that cost millions to run.
The ex-butler continued: "It’s difficult to stand on the world’s stage saying, 'I want to eradicate homelessness', when you’ve got an eight-bedroom palace to live in. It doesn’t look good.
"The thing is, William is trying to move in this more trimmed-down direction, but he’s not yet king."
Harrold concluded: "I think, when he’s king, we’ll see massive moves away from opulence.
"They’ll try to show that they're a very modern royal family."
Grant Harrold's The Royal Butler: My Remarkable Life of Royal Service is available to purchase now from Amazon and Waterstones.
Topics: Royal Family, Kate Middleton, UK News, Prince William
Rhianna Benson