Prince William and Princess Catherine have been described as being “fun to be around” by former royal butler Grant Harrold. The couple are celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary today, with the former aide revealing exactly what it was like to work alongside them between 2004 and 2011.
Speaking on behalf of Heart Bingo Online, Mr Harrold shares that he was “lucky” to get to know the couple before their wedding day. He said: “They were just fun to be around and were like any other couple. They would have a laugh, and you could have a joke with them in the early days.
“They weren’t married at that point, so I was lucky to get to know them when they were dating. I remember when they briefly split in 2007, I was horrified because I really liked Kate and got on well with her.”
Referring to their brief split in 2007, he added: “When they did get back together, I was really pleased. They got back together at the time of the King’s 60th birthday.”
He then recalled an event where “nobody knew who Catherine was”, adding: “There was an event, where Rod Stewart was performing, and I remember Kate came in and nobody spoke to her because nobody knew who she was.
“Can you imagine doing that now? It just wouldn’t happen. I went over to her because that’s the relationship I had.”
Catherine and William tied the knot on this day in 2011, and have since welcomed three children – Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, who will turn 11 on May 2, and eight-year-old Prince Louis.
The Mirror’s Royal editor Russell Myers delved into the couple’s 15-year marriage in his book which was released earlier this year.
He said: “Their partnership is one based on mutual respect and understanding. They support each other at home and at work. They are each other’s sounding boards, and that matters.
“William always knew Catherine would be a great support to him and thrive in a public role, but she has exceeded that. While we may not see William and Catherine doing a huge number of public engagements compared to the previous generation, their work behind the scenes is helping to shape the institution for the future.”