King Charles held the Prince of Wales title for more than 60 years. Following his mother Queen Elizabeth II’s death, he addressed the nation and bestowed the title on his heir Prince William saying: “Today, I am proud to create him Prince of Wales, Tywysog Cymru, the country whose title I have been so greatly privileged to bear during so much of my life and duty.
But someone who used to work for the monarch says the king had a difficult time handing that Prince of Wales title and the responsibilities that go with it to his oldest son. Here’s more on that and what kind of job the king’s former employee thinks he has done so far.
Grant Harrold was King Charles’ butler from 2004 to 2011. During his time working for then-Prince Charles and his wife (formerly Camilla Parker Bowles) Harrold’s duties included not only that of butler but also valet, housekeeper, house manager, and driver. He recently talked about how it wasn’t easy for his former boss to let go of the title he held for more than six decades.
Speaking on behalf of Spin Genie Harrold explained: “It can’t have been easy letting go of his title of Prince of Wales. He no doubt will have found that hard. Even though he’s handed it over to Prince William, he still very much keeps his hand in all the pies.
“[The king] wants to be involved and be relatable too. His charity and the foundation is his baby. So, even though he’s handed it over, he will still be actively keeping an eye on it. I’m sure that eventually he will cut all ties, leaving it to William and Kate and it will be their full responsibility. But at the minute, they’re all working on supporting each other. It’s very much a team effort at the moment.”
Harrold also spoke about what kind of job the king has done thus far in his reign and if he thinks the monarch is pleased with how he’s handled things.
“I think everyone agrees that he’s doing a good job,” Harrold opined. “He will be feeling happy that he’s keeping it all ticking along. People seem to be liking what he’s doing. He’s keeping the traditions of his parents where he can, I think he wants to do that for them. But he’s also bringing new ways of how to run the country. He’s been making modern changes here and there, but that’s a good thing.
“He won’t ever be a replacement for the [late] queen — they are hard shoes to fill. But he’s doing it in his own way and people are supportive of that. It’s been a natural transition from what we’ve seen so far.”
