When it was announced that King Charles and Queen Camilla were confirmed to attend the Epsom Derby on the same day as his nephew Peter Phillips’s wedding, some royal watchers wondered if he’d be skipping the nuptials. But true to form, the smiling King and Queen arrived at the church in Kemble, England on Saturday before dashing off to the derby. It’s an approach The King’s former butler, Grant Harrold, says is markedly different from the late Queen.
Speaking on behalf of CasinoHawks, Harrold says King Charles has always “adored his nephew,” describing them as “very close.” He adds that even though it was a tight timeline, The King made sure that being at Peter’s wedding was a top priority, despite his scheduled royal duties.
“It would have been a logistical nightmare to make it work, but the King and his team would have gone to extreme lengths to ensure he could be there for the ceremony,” Harrold shares.
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King Charles and Queen Camilla arrive at Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling’s wedding.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Peter Phillips married Harriet Sperling on June 6.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Queen Elizabeth attends the 2019 Epsom Derby.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Queen Elizabeth was known for her incredible dedication to Crown and country, but at times, that came at the expense of her family, as Harrold points out. He calls The King attending Peter and Harriet’s wedding “interesting because it shows how different the King is to his mother.”
“The late Queen was always about duty first, family after,” he shares. “She missed many family occasions as she didn’t want to let people down at official engagements. However, The King is a bit more relaxed on this, and wants to make sure he’s there for the big moments in his family’s life.” Harrold describes his former boss as trying to keep “all the plates spinning.”
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“Where The Queen was Crown first, family second, the King works really hard to keep them equal,” he adds.
Although the King and Queen weren’t able to be there for Peter and Harriet’s wedding reception at Princess Anne’s home, Gatcombe Park, the bride and groom certainly would have understood.
“Many people took this as rude or a snub, but that couldn’t be further from the truth,” Harrold says of Their Majesties leaving early. “The King was due to present a trophy at the races, which is a huge engagement in the royal diary. And while for us, we wouldn’t feel bad about cancelling a work event for a close family member’s wedding, it’s of course very, very different from the royals.”