Prince Harry And William 'May Never Never Be A United Family In Public Again,' Former Royal Butler Claims

Former royal butler Grant Harrold believes the public may never again see Prince William, Prince Harry, and the rest of the royal family united.

He described King Charles as compassionate and central to mending family rifts, noting the monarch's subtle signs of stress amid his health struggle.

The former royal butler also recalled Prince Harry's once-close bond with Kate Middleton, highlighting their outings together and the current state of their relationship.

A former royal aide has suggested that the public may never again see the Windsors present themselves as a fully united family.

Grant Harrold, who spent more than six years serving King Charles at Highgrove and also worked closely with Queen Camilla, Prince William, Prince Harry, and Princess Kate between 2004 and 2011, reflected on the ongoing rift in a conversation with The Mirror.

Harrold, now the author of "The Royal Butler: My Remarkable Life of Royal Service," said the chances of a complete public reunion appear slim.

"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 explained. "Things are such a mess right now."

While he believes some form of reconciliation is possible, Harrold suggested it would likely happen privately rather than on the Palace balcony.

"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 added: "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]."

Harrold also suggested that efforts are already being made to mend the rift, though largely out of public view.

He noted the Royal Family may prefer to rebuild their personal relationships privately rather than projecting unity under the spotlight.

The former butler, who served Charles and Camilla during their years as Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, described the King as "an exceptionally compassionate man" and believes that quality could make him central to mending strained relationships within the family.

Reflecting on his years of service, Harrold said Charles rarely showed anger, but there were always subtle signs when he was under stress. Even now, he claims he can detect the monarch's mood simply by watching him on television.

At an etiquette event in 2023, he recalled a documentary in which Charles was asked the same question repeatedly. "You would probably never notice," he said, "but I could tell he'd had enough."

Speaking to The Independent, Harrold explained that Charles's unease often shows through mannerisms that the public might miss.

"It's in his mannerisms," he said, per the Daily Mail. "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. It looks like this, like he's just getting comfortable [in his chair], but actually he's not happy."

That tendency became especially visible in the days following Queen Elizabeth II's death. Twice, Charles was seen struggling with pens in moments that went viral.

During his proclamation, he abruptly signaled to an aide to remove a pen tray from his desk. Days later, at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland, he appeared visibly irritated as a leaking pen left ink on his fingers while he signed a visitors' book.

At that second appearance, microphones even caught him muttering in irritation, calling the pen "bloody" and complaining that it smudged "every stinking time" as he wiped his hands.

Harrold admitted he felt sympathy for the King: "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."

Harrold also shed light on the close relationship Harry once shared with Kate, long before tensions between the royal brothers changed the dynamic.

Harrold recalls how Harry and Kate often spent time together, even when William was away.

"They involved him," he noted, per The Telegraph. "He used to go out with Kate. William would be away, and Kate and Harry would be off doing stuff together."

Though the public often saw William, Kate, and Harry as a trio, Harrold insists that Harry and Kate shared their own strong bond. They would go shopping or visit pubs together.

Harrold also noted that Harry's then-girlfriend, Chelsy Davy, was part of his, William's, and Kate's circle, and she got along well with the princess.

"I think when people say, 'Oh, he was left out,' he really wasn't. But also, he was with Chelsy, and Chelsy was always around. Chelsy and Kate got on really well," the former royal butler explained.

Even after Harry's relationship with William soured, there have been signs that he and Kate retained some of that earlier closeness.

In 2021, following the birth of his daughter Lilibet, Harry reportedly reached out to Kate directly.

According to the Daily Mail, a Palace source said Harry texted Kate to share the news, a gesture viewed as "cementing her role as a bridge between him and his brother."