King Charles doesn’t like to receive gifts that are “extravagant and expensive” for Christmas, former royal butler Grant Harrold has revealed.
The 76-year-old is currently gearing up to spend the festive period at the Sandringham estate with the Royal Family – something that was loved by his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
Much like families across the world, the royal send one another sweet and meaningful presents – but there is something that the King doesn’t like to receive.
As reported by the Mirror, Mr Harrold said: “The King hates being given anything extravagant and expensive. He’d be embarrassed if you spent a fortune on him. He’d say, ‘That’s lovely but you really shouldn’t have.'”
Speaking of what he used to gift the monarch at Christmas, he added: “So, at Christmas, I used to give him books on Victorian gardening or honey-based products because I know how much he loves honey.”
Speaking of the Royal Family’s surprising shopping habits, he added: “Everyone assumes the royals only shop in the poshest stores. But they go to the same shops that we do.
“I’m not saying they never go to Harrods – it’s said the late Queen did some Christmas shopping there with her cousin (the Duchess of Kent) in the 1950s but she would often nip to her local shops in Ballater village, near Balmoral. The royals enjoy a bargain.”
Claiming that some of the royals may do online shopping, he also named a few royal that he could see even wrapping their own gifts.
He added: “I can easily see Kate, William and even Anne wrapping their own presents but not the King. He’ll have someone do that for him.”
Discussing how the royals get their gifts in public, he added: “The royals are very discreet. They always have a bodyguard for protection, but people don’t recognise them because you don’t expect to see a King or a future Queen browsing in your local store.”
