After an incredibly tough year for the Royal Family with regards to health diagnoses, King Charles’ former butler anticipates a “celebratory” Christmas for the Royal Family this week.
Grant Harrold, who served as the King’s butler from 2004-2011, predicts this year will be “different”.
Speaking on behalf of Slingo, he said: “This year will be different for the Royal Family from last year as I’m guessing that both Charles and Catherine knew things weren’t quite right and while they would’ve put on a brave face, there would’ve been some uncertainty there as they didn’t know what the future would hold.”
Buckingham Palace released a statement about 76-year-old monarch’s cancer diagnosis earlier this year, and his daughter-in-law, Princess Kate’s cancer diagnosis, was revealed via a personal video in March 2024.
Grant continued: “But it seems, God willing, that both are on the road to recovery so it should be more ‘normal’ for them and more of a celebratory one.”
Talking about the family dynamics between the King and the Princess of Wales, Grant said the pair will be “looking after each other”, with Charles set to make sure there is no “pressure” for Catherine.
During William’s attendance at a festive gathering in Wiltshire for the families of the 1st Battalion Mercian Regiment, he shared in a light-hearted moment about how hectic Christmas Day might be: “We’ll be in Norfolk, at Sandringham. We’ll be 45 for Christmas. It won’t be quiet, it will be noisy.”
The Prince and Princess of Wales skipped the King’s pre-Christmas lunch on December 19 as they had previously made plans to be in Norfolk at the start of the school winter holidays ready for the celebrations this week.
This year, the Royal Family is gearing up for a big Christmas Day with 45 family members expected to join in the celebrations at the Sandringham Estate.
William’s cousin, Princess Beatrice, will also be attending the festivities, having previously made plans to be abroad with her in-laws. Under doctor’s orders, Beatrice has been told to stay at home in the UK, in case travelling endangers her baby. Beatrice, 36, is in the final few months of her pregnancy with her second child, and is expecting the baby “in early spring”.
Meanwhile, after Christmas, King Charles’s cancer treatment will continue into 2025 and is moving “in a positive direction”.
A Buckingham Palace insider told Sky News: “His treatment has been moving in a positive direction, and as a managed condition, the treatment cycle will continue into next year.”
Throughout the course of the busy year, the King has received regular treatment which he paused with the approval of doctors in October to allow himself and Queen Camilla to complete their jam-packed royal tour of Australia and Samoa. He then resumed the treatment when he returned to the UK.
After the tour, it was announced that Charles, 76, would continue a full royal tour in 2025 if it gained medical approval.
