The Queen: Former royal staff reveals what the monarch is really like in person

A former royal butler Grant Harrold, who worked for Prince Charles for seven years, knows what the Queen is actually like behind closed doors. Grant Harrold went through an interview process of six months to gain a position in the royal household and here’s what he has to say about the 96-year-old monarch.

First impression

Talking about how you’d expect a monarch at her position to be of a particular stature, he claimed that she’s really short in person. He told Slingo magazine in an exclusive interview:

I remember thinking how short she was, you don't realise how short she is - that was the first thing.

Despite her position, Her Majesty made Grant Harrold feel really comfortable. He added:

The other thing I remember is the wonderful kind of way she had about her, she wasn't very regal or royal, but we had a really nice conversation and I felt really relaxed around her.

Is she funny?

Sharing an interesting feature about Her Majesty, Grant Harrold also said that she likes to crack a joke or two from time to time. The funny part is no one would know if she’s being funny or not. He said:

The other thing the Queen does, she would do something that was hysterical and nobody would laugh because they wouldn't know if she was being funny or not! And you'd all look at each other like, 'Did the Queen just make a joke?’

He then added:

Then eventually somebody would laugh and you'd all go [laughs]. She's wonderful at that and that is something that I absolutely loved. Our Queen has got a wicked sense of humour.

Prince Charles

Grant also shared how Prince Charles’s wedding with Camilla went in April 2005. He described the wedding as ‘amazing’ and said:

It was amazing! An amazing day, an amazing venue. There was a blessing, then they had the reception at Windsor Castle and that was a hell of a party.

It's not like your average party, there's the Queen, there's Princess Anne, Prince Edward, there's Stephen Fry. Every time I turned around there was another [famous face].

It was a joyous occasion and great fun. I was outside when you saw William and Harry chasing after the cars as they drove off.

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