A former royal butler has claimed that the publication of Queen Elizabeth II’s biography would be a devastating blow to King Charles III’s reign, as he would be unable to match her legacy.
According to Express, Paula Burrell, who served as a butler to Diana, Princess of Wales, and was close to the Queen, said that the late monarch’s life story would be “dynamite” and “upset” the King and Queen Camilla.
He told Slingo: “I think that would be dynamite right now, I think her legacy is still incredibly strong so it would crush the King’s reign because she is an impossible act to follow. There is much that can be said in the Queen’s own words after her passing that would upset the King and Queen.”
Burrell speculated that the biography may be written by William Shawcross, who wrote the Queen Mother’s biography, or by a female author. However, he added: “You can bet if it is written it will be edited and redacted by the King so we may never know the real truth.”
The former royal butler also described Charles as a “caretaker” King who would keep a “low profile” until Prince William was ready to take over.
He said: “I have seen the King keeping quite a low profile in his first year as a caretaker monarch, as I like to call it. Because he is keeping the shop ticking over, he is looking after the business but not expanding on it or changing it radically.”
Burrell’s comments echo those of another former royal butler, Grant Harrold, who worked for Charles from 2004 to 2011, when he was Prince of Wales. Harrold, who is now an etiquette expert and broadcaster, said that Charles faced a challenge he could not overcome as 70 years on the throne was “an impossible act to follow”.
He told MyLondon: “I think he knows that his mother’s reign will always overshadow his own. He knows that he will never be able to do what she did because she had such a long time on the throne.”
Harrold also said that Charles was not changing his main views but rather “adapting them slightly” to keep the “family firm ticking over”. He said: “He has always been very passionate about certain things like climate change and organic farming. He is not going to change those views but he is going to adapt them slightly so they are more in line with what people want today.”
Charles became King on September 8, 2022, following the death of his mother at the age of 95. He was officially proclaimed King at St James’s Palace in London, in front of a ceremonial body known as the Accession Council. He was crowned on May 6, 2023, at Westminster Abbey. He is the oldest monarch to ascend to the throne in British history.
Charles has faced some controversies during his first year as King, such as his decision to grant his wife Camilla the title of Queen Consort, which was opposed by some who still remembered her role in his divorce from Diana. He also had to deal with the ongoing rift with his younger son Prince Harry, who had made some “deeply hurtful” remarks about Camilla in an interview with Oprah Winfrey.
However, Charles has also received some praise for his efforts to modernise the monarchy and make it more relevant to the public. He has reduced the number of working royals and streamlined their expenses. He has also supported various causes such as environmentalism, interfaith dialogue, and youth empowerment. He has visited several Commonwealth countries and met with various leaders and dignitaries.
Charles’s reign is expected to last for at least another decade, as he is in good health and shows no signs of slowing down. However, whether he will be able to overcome the shadow of his mother and secure his legacy remains to be seen
