What appeared to be a sweet throwback moment from early in Prince William and Kate Middleton‘s relationship turned into a social media headache for one of King Charles III‘s former staffers.
Grant Harrold, a former royal butler who frequently shares stories from his years serving senior members of The Firm, found himself on the defensive after posting a photo that appeared to show a young Prince and Princess of Wales embracing while casually clad in jeans and white T-shirts.
But after followers questioned whether the image was authentic or had been generated by artificial intelligence, Harrold issued a public statement explaining how the mistake happened.
Questions about the image
Controversy erupted after Harrold shared the image on Instagram and X on May 23.
The photo shows Kate sitting on William’s lap with her arms wrapped around his neck. Both are seated on the floor of what looks like a modestly furnished living room with a couch in the background.
Alongside the image, Harrold wrote, “This wonderful photo of the Prince and Princess of Wales was taken when I first met them back in 2004. A true royal love story.”
The image quickly sparked debate among royal watchers, many of whom questioned whether it was genuine.
Several followers suggested the picture may have been AI-generated rather than an authentic photograph from the early days of William and Kate’s relationship, which began shortly after they met as students at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.
Harrold explains what happened
Prince William and Kate Middleton’s Kensington Palace office has not commented on the photo debacle. By: James Whatling / MEGA
As speculation mounted, Harrold addressed the issue in a statement he posted to his Instagram Stories on May 26.
In his message, Harrold said he’d believed the image was authentic at the time he shared it.
“It has come to my attention that the authenticity of a recent image I shared has been questioned to be AI. I love sharing my experiences and memories of working with the royal family, and I strive for my content to be a reflection of the great years I spent as part of the household,” he wrote.
Harrold also clarified that the image did not belong to him and was not one he had personally taken.
“I did not take or own the image of William and Kate that I posted. I always try to do my due diligence before sharing any posts — to me, I only saw in this image a young William and Kate that reminded me so much of how they were when I first had the pleasure of working for them,” he explained.
“I genuinely mistook this to be an authentic image of the pair. On seeing it, it made me smile, and I wanted to share this joy with you.”
The challenge of spotting AI
Grant Harrold served as butler to King Charles III and Queen Camilla between 2004 and 2011 before becoming a royal commentator. By: @RoyalsUncensored/YouTube
While acknowledging the concerns, Harrold also noted the growing difficulty of identifying AI-created images.
“While I may be adept at telling my dinner knife from my butter knife, AI, as I’m sure you can all agree, can be harder to detect,” he explained in his post.
The onetime royal servant promised his followers that the experience would make him more careful in the future.
“Moving forward,” Harrold wrote, “I will be more cautious of the content I choose to share with my followers and will endeavor to ensure my platform remains an authentic and positive space that celebrates the royal family.”
Harrold signed the statement “Grant Harrold, The Royal Butler” — the branding he uses for his media work and the inspiration for the title of his 2025 book, The Royal Butler: My Remarkable Life in Royal Service.
A familiar face from Charles’ household
Harrold — who now works as an etiquette expert and co-hosts Piers Morgan‘s “The Royals Uncensored” podcast, which launched in April — spent years working inside the royal household.
He served as butler to Charles and Queen Camilla, based at Highgrove House — the monarch’s country residence — between 2004 and 2011, during which time he also served William, Kate, Prince Harry and other members of the royal family.
According to his website, he also occasionally attended to the late Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip.