Late Queen and Philip exchanged romantic 'love notes' - but Charles is different

14 February 2024 , 07:00

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The Queen and Philip exchanged 'love notes' (Image: Press Association via Getty Imag)

During their 74-year-long marriage, the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip used to exchange sweet "love notes" as a way of expressing their affection for one another in a private way. But this kind of thing isn't the style of King Charles and Queen Camilla, a former member of the royal household has revealed.

The "love notes" were a way for the "reserved" Queen and Philip to stay connected during their decades-long marriage, during which their royal duties would often have kept them apart with conflicting schedules. This kind of private gesture was the only way the couple could express their romance due to the rigid formality expected of them when they were in public, the expert has claimed.

Grant Harrold, who worked for the royals for seven years as a butler, explained on behalf of Slingo that in his view, the late Queen was a "believer in romance" but because of her very public role as monarch and head of state, she wasn't able to let out her romantic side much, at least in public.

Instead, she and her long-term love Prince Philip opted for more private signifiers of their affection for one another, Harrold explained, "She did love Philip and loved being in love. She and Philip were very connected for the whole time they had together. I know they used to give each other notes occasionally, which is so pure and just tells you how much they cared for each other."

However, this kind of thing wasn't something that Harrold witnessed during his tenure working at Highgrove House - Charles's long-time Gloucestershire residence. "I never saw any love notes lying around," the former butler said, "but the King is very traditional and old-fashioned."

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The butler claimed Charles and Camilla didn't indulge in love notes (Getty Images)

Harrold also noted that the times have changed significantly since Queen Elizabeth took the throne, and even in the last couple of decades there is more public appetite to witness the royals being romantic or affectionate with each other, something that he believes didn't exist before.

"They didn't dare express themselves 20 years ago. It wasn't acceptable," the expert claimed, explaining "It's interesting because the royals never used to show emotion to one another, especially in public. But now they do, and they talk about each other affectionately."

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Emma Mackenzie