Grant Harrold, a former royal butler for King Charles and Queen Camilla, has given more insight into King Charles’ fun and festive personality. He claims that the royal would often leave funny gifts for staff members to find but would also give them a proper gift at Christmas to show his appreciation.
This year will be the first Christmas the Royal Family will be able to return to their holiday home Sandringham since the pandemic, where they will be able to celebrate the holidays together and follow their festive traditions.
It’s been known by royal fans that the Royal Family like to exchange cheap and fun gifts with each other on Christmas Eve, an annual event that used to be organised by Prince Philip.
In an interview with the Mirror, Grant Harrod, the former royal butler to King Charles, remarked on this tradition and said: “With the actual Christmas presents, I’ve been told they give fun gifts because what do you give a royal who’s got everything?”
The butler, who worked with the Royal Family for several years, has also now revealed that the royal eccentric gift-giving is not just reserved for family and that the monarch would often leave him “funny little things” at Christmas time alongside a “proper” present.
Grant Harrod said King Charles would tease him by leaving jokey gifts in pigeonholes at Highgrove, where Grant would receive the post each morning.
He said: “One time he left a tin of salmon and one year I got a salt and pepper grinder wrapped in a ribbon. He had probably been given a hamper and sometimes there would be a lot in them and he would give some of the bits to us.”
“I just thought it was so bizarre because you don’t expect those little things. It shows that they’ve got that fun, practical side to them.”
However, Grant also got a more formal gift from the royals as well.
He added: “For actual proper gifts would be things like tea cups and saucers or whiskey glasses. One year I got a lovely water jug.”
READ MORE: King keeps up Christmas tradition with most of the family there
Grant also revealed he would receive Christmas cards from other royals as well, and said: “At Christmas, we would always get the famous Christmas card.
“Before he was married to the now Queen Consort, I remember getting Christmas cards from him, William and Harry and that was always quite special.”
He also said that he would write King Charles a Christmas card and get him a gift, and disclosed the kind of present His Majesty enjoys during the holidays.
The former butler said: “There was no point in trying to give something fancy. It’s difficult when the person has everything.
“But I knew he loves honey so I used to give him a jar of honey or honey fudge or something that I knew he would quite enjoy.”
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Even though it seems the royals enjoy amusing gifts, Grant also believes they exchange more serious presents as well away from the public eye.
He said: ”I also believe they also give each other nice gifts because even though they do the fun thing, the younger royals for example like William and Catherine, will give each other nice gifts to each other at Christmas, I have no doubt about that at all.
“I also like to think that on Christmas Day the kids will have Father Christmas come and they will get traditional presents under the tree, I think that’s probably when you will find that’s when the serious presents will be given to each other.
“And I do think they give serious things but unfortunately I don’t know what unless we maybe see Catherine wearing some new jewellery or something like that.
“When I see her in a new necklace or something, I often wonder if it’s a Christmas gift but we never really know unless they tell us.”
