Grant Harrold has revealed his first impressions of a young Princess Kate, and how she resembled the late Princess Diana in one key way
A former royal butler has revealed his first impressions of a young Kate Middleton when they met during the early years of her relationship with Prince William.
Grant Harrold, who worked at Highgrove as King Charles ’ butler between 2004 and 2011, first met Kate when she had been in a relationship with her then boyfriend William for just three years.
In his first meetings with Kate and spending much one-on-one time with her, Harrold revealed exclusively to The Mirror that he saw her royal potential from the very start, and how she often resembled the late Princess Diana in one wholesome way. It comes as royal expert shares warning over William’s plans for slimmed-down monarchy.
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The royal butler revealed that Kate, at just 22 years old, was the perfect fit for a life inside the royal family, sharing how her compassionate and down-to-earth demeanour made her the perfect partner for William, and the perfect person to support the throne.
Harrold said: “That girl was a Queen in waiting in every aspect. She is the perfect Queen material, and you can so obviously see that. Everything about her – the way she carried herself, the way she spoke, the way she interacted with people, her kindness, her beauty.
“She was, if I can say, the modern day Princess Diana. She was everything you can imagine, she is a beautiful and intelligent woman.”
Grant went on to share how Kate was like the woman who would’ve been her mother-in-law, as she interacted with royal staff in a friendly and jovial way, despite her royal status.
The royal butler recalled: “Diana used to do things at Sandringham to make the staff laugh by poking her head out the window and pulling faces, and Kate was doing the same kind of thing.”
Since Kate and William tied the knot in 2011, she has quickly become a fan favourite member of the royal family with her humble personality and unwavering commitment to the Firm.
The Princess of Wales has long had a large number of philanthropic ventures that are close to her heart, such as the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, that she has dedicated much of her royal life to.
In recent years, Kate has also been an honest spokesperson for those undergoing cancer treatment, after enduring her own struggle with the disease after a shock diagnosis in 2024.
Grant Harrold’s book The Royal Butler: My Remarkable Life of Royal Service is available from August 28th.