Marie Claire Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Fashion Month
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career Money
    • Health Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes amp; Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • NYFW
    • Life In Plastic
    • Cari Champion
    • New Books
    • Postpartum Psychosis
    1. Celebrity
    2. Royals

    King Charles Once Had to Have the Cops "Check" In During "Funny" Incident at Prince Harry and Prince William's Bonfire Night Party

    There was "panic" about one aspect of the event, per former royal butler Grant Harrold.

    Kristin Contino#039;s avatar
    By Kristin Contino
    Published 5 November 2025 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Prince William, Prince Harry and King Charles sitting next to each other wearing ski outfits and laughing
    (Image credit: Getty Images)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    November 5 marks Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Night in Great Britain, an annual commemoration of the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605—a plan that aimed to blow up the Houses of Parliament and kill King James I. Fireworks and bonfires take place every year, and former royal butler Grant Harrold recalls one Bonfire Night when Prince William and Prince Harry talked their dad, King Charles, into holding a party at Highgrove House.

    Speaking on behalf of Heart Bingo, Harrold—who worked for King Charles between 2004 and 2011—said, "I remember William and Harry once having a Bonfire Night party. It was so funny because they convinced their father, and the other people that were there, to have a bit of a firework display."

    Although "the royals are used to hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of elaborate fireworks displays at Buckingham Palace," as Harrold noted, the boys picked up a firework that the former butler said "was probably only around £100 from the local shop."

    Latest Videos FromMarie Claire
    Watch full video here:

    King Charles clapping next to Prince William and Prince Harry at a 2006 concert

    The King (then the Prince of Wales) is seen with William and Harry at a 2006 concert for The Prince's Trust.

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    Prince William and Prince Harry wearing coats and ties walking behind The King and Queen at Christmas 2008

    Prince William and Prince Harry are seen walking to church with the Royal Family on Christmas Day in 2008.

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    He continues, "They lit it, but it initially didn’t go off and there was that panic where people were saying ‘no, no don’t go back over there’ and of course they gave it long enough, but I think even the police had to come and check it over for safety reasons, and eventually they went and re-lit it and it went off and it was all fine."

    Harrold added that the casual party "was great, it was actually quite fun and The King enjoyed it. William and Harry’s friends had sparklers, The King, Camilla and the rest of the guests were just watching them. It was a party!"

    You may like
    • Prince William and Prince Harry walking on rocks at Balmoral Royal Butler Recalls William and Harry's Staff-Free Summertime Fun
    • Prince Harry is a man with ginger hair, and a slight smirk on his face, wearing a black suit with military medals attached to the lapel Why Prince Harry Once Apologized for "Being a Bit Silly"
    • Prince William, King Charles and Queen Camilla at the Order of the Thistle King Charles Held a Palace "Dine and Sleep" With Prince William, Prince Edward and Princess Anne

    And what does King Charles wear for a chilly November bonfire? Harrold said that His Majesty pulled out one of his "extraordinary" winter coats.

    "Everyone was wrapped up, including The King who was wearing one of his extraordinary jackets," he said. "They are like big overcoats, like something from Lawrence of Arabia."

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
    Explore More
    Prince William Prince Harry King Charles
    Kristin Contino
    Kristin Contino
    Senior Royal and Celebrity Editor

    Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

    Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

    Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.

    Read more
    King Charles waving in a blue suit; Prince George wearing his Eton College uniform
    Royals King Charles Could Recreate One of Queen Elizabeth's Eton Rituals
    By Kristin Contino
    Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, has red hair and a short beard and wears a suit and tie and attends the Kyiv Security Forum, in Kyiv on April 23, 2026
    Royals Prince Harry "Used to Try and Escape" and "Disappear"
    By Amy Mackelden
     
     
    Prince William at King Harald#039;s funeral
    Royals Prince William Pivots From Eton Dropoff to King Harald's Funeral
    By Kristin Contino
    King Charles wearing a crown at his coronation
    Royals King Charles's Former Gardener Reveals What Changed After He Became King
    By Kristin Contino
     
     
    Latest in Royals
    Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana (1961 - 1997) and Prince Charles at Victoria Station, London, where they will welcome a state delegation from Nigeria, March 1989.
    Royals Why Queen Elizabeth "Was Furious" With Princess Diana
    King Charles wearing a crown at his coronation
    Royals Royal Fans Help "Fix" an "Embarrassing" King Charles Mistake
     
     
    Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Prince George, Prince William, and Princess Kate in Scotland on August 1, 2026
    Royals How Kate and William Have "Chosen Schools" for Their Kids
    Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip attend the launch of The Queen#039;s Baton Relay for the XXI Commonwealth Games at Buckingham Palace on March 13, 2017
    Royals Queen Elizabeth Greeted Prince Philip "Wearing a False Beard"
     
     
    Latest in News
    Jennifer Lopez wears a brown leotard with rare Nike sneakers, embracing Hailey Bieber#039;s jelly shoe sneaker hybrid trend.
    Celebrity Style Jennifer Lopez Is Embracing the Jelly Shoe Hybrid Trend
    Michelle Obama was spotted attending Celine Dion’s concert in Paris, where she made a stylish appearance in a Diotima dress and carried a Liffner bag
    Celebrity Style Michelle Obama Hops on Fall 2026's Suede Bag Trend
     
     
    Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana (1961 - 1997) and Prince Charles at Victoria Station, London, where they will welcome a state delegation from Nigeria, March 1989.
    Royals Why Queen Elizabeth "Was Furious" With Princess Diana
    King Charles wearing a crown at his coronation
    Royals Royal Fans Help "Fix" an "Embarrassing" King Charles Mistake
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.