King Charles had a very special Christmas tradition with Prince Harry and Prince William before he married Queen Camilla, according to the monarch's former butler.
- King Charles III treated his staffers to a special present every Christmas before he married Queen Camilla, his former butler has revealed.
- His Majesty had a 'practical' side when it came to gift-giving, according to Grant Harrold.
- In other royal news, Kate Middleton's special new title that once belonged to Prince William.
King Charles III would 'always' treat his staff to a special Christmas present before he married Queen Camilla, the monarch's former butler has revealed.
Grant Harrold, who served Camilla and Charles at Highgrove House for seven years, has opened up about his ex-boss's kind festive gesture in a new interview.
Speaking to the Mirror, the British etiquette expert explained that the King 'always' gave his staffers at the Gloucestershire residence the same gift in celebration of the Christmas season.
"We would always get the famous Christmas card," he said. "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." It's understood the tradition stopped in 2005, however, after Charles married his long-term partner, Camilla Parker Bowles.
Harrold also revealed that Charles would leave "funny" gifts in his staffers' pigeonholes, where they would usually receive their letters in the mornings.
"One time he left a tin of salmon and one year I got a salt and pepper grinder wrapped in a ribbon," the 44-year-old recalled. "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."
Harrold said that despite finding these gestures "so bizarre", they also highlighted the monarch's "fun, practical side." Charles would also give "proper gifts", like "tea cups and saucers or whiskey glasses."
"One year I got a lovely water jug," Harrold added.
King Charles will soon head to Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, where the Royal Family traditionally spends Christmas Day and Boxing Day. He has already held a pre-Christmas lunch for the Royal Family at Windsor Castle, marking his first time hosting the festive event as monarch.
The Royal Family at Sandringham on Christmas Day in 2011
It's expected that His Majesty and the Queen Consort will be joined by several of their relatives at Sandringham, including the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children, Princess Anne and her husband, Sir Timothy Laurence, and Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have reportedly rejected the King's invitation to join the Royal Family for Christmas in England. It's understood that the Sussexes will instead spend their third Christmas in a row in California, with their two young children, Archie, 3, and one-year-old Lilibet. Harry and Meghan are reportedly still feuding with the King and Prince William following the release of their bombshell new Netflix series, which traces the couple's journey from early courtship to their high-profile royal withdrawal.
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