The Presents Kate Will Receive From Prince William and King Charles for Her Birthday
The Princess of Wales’ (formerly known as Kate Middleton) birthday is on Jan. 9. Many wonder just how she’ll celebrate her special day with the royals and what presents she’ll receive from the family.
Now, someone who used to work for the royals is sharing those details.
How members of the royal family celebrate their birthdays
Grant Harrold was King Charles’s butler from 2004 to 2011. During his time working for the now-monarch, his duties included not only those of a butler but also valet, housekeeper, house manager, and driver. In addition to serving Charles and Queen Camilla, Harrold also looked after Prince Harry, Prince William, and Kate whenever they stayed at Highgrove House.
Speaking on behalf of Heart Bingo, Harrold told Showbiz Cheat Sheet, “All royal birthdays are celebrated in some shape and form, even if the birthdays aren’t big celebrations. When I worked for the king, he would certainly have a private dinner. It wouldn’t be a big family gathering; it’d just be a private dinner.
“I don’t think they’ve changed much at all. From what I understand and from my inside knowledge, royal birthdays are celebrated the same way as they always were. They’re kind of set in stone … I can almost guarantee that the king will still host a birthday party for his daughter-in-law. It’s possible that it will be on the actual day of the birthday, unless William’s got something private arranged. There’ll be a celebration, and food-wise, she will be eating some of the things that she likes.”
The gifts Kate will likely get from Prince William and King Charles
As for what presents Kate will get from her husband and her father-in-law, Harrold said, “The king and queen would definitely give a joint gift. It could be a hand-me-down from his mother. It could be something from his private collection of things that he likes to give family members. When I say private things, it’s things that are sentimental to him. When he was the Prince of Wales, he would give things that had the insignia on them, depending on who it was. It’s possible that he could do something like that.
“Or it might be something he’s advised from the Royal collection, maybe something that’s a family heirloom that he’s allowed to pass on. You’ve got to remember family heirlooms — a lot of the items do personally belong to the king. Some of them are not personally owned by the king, but they’re in the royal collection. He could still give something that remains in the royal collection. I think again the king may give her something that he knows she wants. We talk about jewels, but there might be something practical she wants. Like a bench or some roses for her garden.”
When it comes to Prince William’s birthday gifts to his wife, Harrold explains, “There are a couple of options for presents from William. It could either be something jewelry-based or it could be something that she needs for the home, or it could be a mixture of both … A piece of jewelry or something quite personal, maybe even a trip away because we know that they do like to have their time away as a couple as well.
“He might even give her a pair of washing-up gloves, because that’s happened. A pair of marigolds have been given in the royal household in the past. ”
