20 December 2023 , 11:47
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The Royal Family are known for exchanging cheap gag gifts at Christmas, but they also dish out "funny" pressies to their staff.
And now a former employee of King Charles - Grant Harrold - has revealed just what kind of thing his old boss used to give to them all during the festive season.
Harrold, who worked as a butler for Charles for seven years at his Gloucestershire home of Highgrove, has admitted that some of these Christmas gifts were even a little "bizarre" and that they would be slipped into the lockers of the staff members each year.
Harrold explained to the Mirror previously that the staff at Highgrove had pigeon holes, into which Charles would ensure their presents were slipped for them.
"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," he explained. "One time he left a tin of salmon and one year I got a salt and pepper grinder wrapped in a ribbon. 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."
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Harrold also said that the staff members enjoyed receiving Christmas cards from the royals. "At Christmas, we would always get the famous Christmas card. 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".
These weren't the only presents that the staff used to receive during his tenure as a royal butler, he also claimed that they were given "proper gifts" as well as the "bizarre" small things that were put in their lockers.
"For actual proper gifts would be things like tea cups and saucers or whiskey glasses. One year I got a lovely water jug," he explained. "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."
Now Charles is monarch, he likely is responsible for arranging gifts for even more members of staff than he was as Prince of Wales. The late Queen was reported to buy over 600 presents for her staff members, as well as giving out an incredible 1500 Christmas puddings.
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