Prince Harry will soon be heading to the U.K. to mark one year until the Invictus Games in Birmingham, and the Duke of Sussex is hoping to bring his kids Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet with him, pending his ongoing security issues. But once upon a time Harry was a young boy himself, and Princess Diana’s former butler, Paul Burrell, has shared a sweet story about the royal’s childhood—and how he differs from brother Prince William.
“My fondest memory of Harry is when he used to build snowmen in the gardens of Windsor and Highgrove with my boys,” Burrell, who shares sons Alexander and Nicholas with his ex-wife, Maria Cosgrove, shares.
Speaking on behalf of Casino.org, the former butler describes Prince Harry as being “a generous and sensitive boy,” recalling that the “kind” prince used to share his wealth with the boys.
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Burrell (third row, right) rides behind Prince William and Prince Harry on a rollercoaster at Alton Towers amusement park in 1994.
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Prince William and Prince Harry wear coordinating suits for a visit to Great Ormond Street Hospital in 1992.
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“He would like nothing better than to give my boys a ‘Pink Granny’ or a ‘Blue Granny,’” Burrell says of Prince Harry, explaining that the nicknames were what Harry called bank notes since they featured Queen Elizabeth’s image on them.
“Now you’d prefer a pink granny, because that was a £50 note and that’s what he called it—it had his Granny’s face on it,” Burrell says. “So now if anyone ever offers you a pink or a blue granny, definitely take the pink granny.”
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Burrell and his then-wife, Maria, pose outside of Buckingham Palace with their two sons in November 1997 after her received the Royal Victorian Medal.
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The Royal Insider: My Life With The Queen, The King and Princess Diana
The Royal Insider author continues that Harry “used to give out notes to my boys so they could save for a PlayStation or something. He was very kind.” However, Burrell claims that Prince Harry’s big brother, Prince William, wasn’t quite as generous as his little brother.
“William wouldn’t have done that, because William would be saving his money for something important,” he shares.
Princess Diana tried to raise her boys as equals, but as the “spare,” Prince Harry was able to get away with more than the future King. Burrell notes the differences between the two as children, sharing, “I remember Harry riding his chopper bike through the estate at Highgrove, coming down to play football with my boys, and William arriving in his model Aston Martin car. Harry would have holes in his jeans, and William would be immaculately dressed.”
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Prince William
Prince Harry