King Charles III‘s former butler, Grant Harrold, opened up about “bizarre” Christmas gifts the monarch has reportedly given to royal staff over the years. “We all used to have these pigeon holes where I’d get my post in the mornings and what he used to do at Christmas, he used to leave funny little things,” Grant, 45, said in an interview published on Wednesday, December 20.
“One time he left a tin of salmon and one year I got a salt and pepper grinder wrapped in a ribbon,” he told the Mirror of the now-monarch’s gift-giving habits. “He had probably been given a hamper and sometimes there would be a lot in them and he would give some of the bits to us. I just thought it was so bizarre because you don’t expect those little things. It shows that they’ve got that fun, practical side to them.”
Grant also explained why he felt certain Christmas cards from the past were special. “At Christmas, we would always get the famous Christmas card,” he recalled. “Before he was married to the now Queen Consort, I remember getting Christmas cards from him, William and Harry and that was always quite special”. Of course, the former butler was speaking of the King’s marriage to Queen Camilla, and his sons Prince William, 41, and Prince Harry, 39.
But the eccentric little gifts weren’t the only Christmas offerings from the royal patriarch — Grant also explained that Charles always made sure to give “proper” gifts as well. “For actual proper gifts would be things like tea cups and saucers or whiskey glasses,” he divulged to the outlet. “One year I got a lovely water jug. What would happen is, for example with the teacups, you would get them maybe two or three years in a row because there would be a whole set to collect.”
The outlet included that before her death, the late Queen Elizabeth was reported to have annually presided over the giving of 600 staff gifts and a mind-boggling 1500 traditional Christmas puddings.