King Charles’ Former Assistant Explains the Monarch’s ‘Snub’ When He Left Royal Wedding in a Hurry
Several members of the British royal family gathered for Peter Phillips‘ wedding to Harriet Sperling on June 6, including King Charles and Queen Camilla, Prince William and the Princess of Wales (formerly known as Kate Middleton), as well as Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh.
However, the king and queen are receiving criticism for leaving the moment the ceremony concluded. They made a swift exit before the other guests departed, leading many to wonder what was so important that the monarch had to leave in a rush and skip the reception that followed his nephew’s nuptials.
Now, someone who used to work for King Charles is weighing in on why his former boss needed to leave when he did.
Why King Charles left the wedding early
Grant Harrold was King Charles’ personal butler for seven years. During his time working for the now-monarch, Harrold’s duties also included those of valet, housekeeper, house manager, and driver. Since leaving the royal household, he’s become one of the U.K.’s leading etiquette experts, a best-selling author, and a royal commentator.
Speaking on behalf of CasinoHawks, Harrold told Showbiz Cheat Sheet, “Many people took this as rude or a snub, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Both the king and queen had other engagements booked in long before the wedding date was picked. The king was due to present a trophy at the races, which is a huge engagement in the royal diary. And while for us, we wouldn’t feel bad about canceling a work event for a close family member’s wedding, it’s of course very, very different from the royals.
“The king adores his nephew. They’re very close, and he would have wanted to be there on his wedding day … the king and his team would have gone to extreme lengths to ensure he could be there for the ceremony … The king works really hard and keeps all the plates spinning and he wants to be happy — that’s why he’s always so busy.”
The royals no one was sure would show up, and the royals who didn’t
Leading up to the big day, there was talk about whether Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie would attend, considering that their parents, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson, are no longer welcome at such royal events. The women did attend with their husbands and were greeted warmly by other members of the family.
“It was lovely to see Beatrice and Eugenie back in the fold,” Harrold said. “They were greeted with so much love by all the family. There were lots of hugs and kisses. It looked like Zara in particular made a real effort. The king seems keen to still have them there. They are Peter’s cousins, and they were always very close growing up.”
Two royals who did not attend were Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle. But Harrold expected that would be the case.
The former royal employee explained, “I’m not surprised that we didn’t see Harry and Meghan there, but it’s still quite sad. It really does highlight how much things have changed in the last five years. Peter and Harry were really close, but there have been reports that they haven’t spoken in years – which is very sad. Peter is such a diplomatic person that I think he would have called Harry to discuss it. There would have been a conversation.
“Harry knows that if he attended, that would have been the main story of the day. It would have completely overshadowed the whole wedding, and everyone knows a wedding should be about the bride. Despite everything that’s happened, Harry really cares about Peter, and he wouldn’t want to ruin his day. While it’s still very sad and it shows there is a long way to go before Harry is welcomed back into the fold, I think it was the right decision. He’s considering their feelings, which is good.”
