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

    Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis Are "Very Savvy" Online Shoppers

    Kate Middleton and Prince William need to check their credit card statements.

    Amy Mackelden#039;s avatar
    By Amy Mackelden
    Published 9 December 2024 In News

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

    Prince George and Prince Louis wear matching suits with white shirt and red ties, while Princess Charlotte wears a red coat to attend Kate Middleton#039;s Christmas carol concert
    (Image credit: Aaron Chown - WPA Pool/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

    Kate Middleton and Prince William's children are apparently extremely professional when it comes to online shopping for Christmas presents.

    King Charles' former royal butler, Grant Harrold, has opened up about the Royal Family's Christmas shopping habits. And according to Harrold, some members of the family have turned to online shopping to discreetly get their gifts delivered in time for the holidays.

    In an interview with the Mirror, Harrold explained, "The younger ones, especially, are very savvy with online shopping, making Christmas shopping easier." It's certainly fun to imagine Princess Charlotte, Prince George, and Prince Louis using their parents credit cards to shop for gifts on the internet.

    Latest Videos FromMarie Claire
    Watch full video here:

    However, Harrold isn't certain that all members of the Royal Family do their own present wrapping. "I can easily see Kate, William, and even Anne wrapping their own presents but not the King," Harrold told the outlet. "He'll have someone do that for him."

    Princess Charlotte lighting a candle with Prince Louis sitting at a carol concert

    "The younger ones, especially, are very savvy with online shopping, making Christmas shopping easier."

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    Harrold also discussed King Charles' preferences when receiving gifts. "The King hates being given anything extravagant and expensive," the former royal butler said. "He'd be embarrassed if you spent a fortune on him. He'd say, 'That's lovely but you really shouldn't have.'"

    You may like
    • Prince William wears red military uniform and has a bald head and a beard, and stands next to wife Princess Middleton who wears a baby blue coat dress and matching hat, and their three kids Prince William Jokes About George, Charlotte, and Louis
    • Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis at their first day of school at Lambrook Prince William and Princess Kate’s “Hands-On” Birthday Party Plans Revealed By Fellow School Parents
    • Prince William Princess Kate Royal Source Reveals Prince William and Princess Kate’s Unprecedented Choice for Prince George Is "Strategic"

    Instead, King Charles reportedly prefers to receive simple and inexpensive gifts. "So, at Christmas, I used to give him books on Victorian gardening or honey-based products because I know how much he loves honey," said Harrold.

    Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Princess Kate, Duchess Sophie holding candles and standing up during a carol concert

    "I can easily see Kate, William, and even Anne wrapping their own presents."

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    The former butler also noted that even members of the Royal Family like to save money where they can, which is sure to surprise some people. "Everyone assumes the royals only shop in the poshest stores," Harrold explained. "But they go to the same shops that we do."

    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.

    Of course, Christmas shopping in public is probably quite tricky for members of the British Royal Family. But according to Harrold, even Queen Elizabeth was known to shop in her favorite stores, on occasion. "I'm not saying they never go to Harrods—it's said the late Queen did some Christmas shopping there with her cousin (the Duchess of Kent) in the 1950s but she would often nip to her local shops in Ballater village, near Balmoral," Harrold said. "The royals enjoy a bargain."

    Explore More
    Princess Charlotte Prince Louis Prince George
    Amy Mackelden
    Amy Mackelden
    Social Links Navigation
    Weekend Editor

    Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.

    Read more
    Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Prince George, Prince William, and Princess Kate in Scotland on August 1, 2026
    Royals Princess Kate and Prince William Aren't "Lazy"
    By Amy Mackelden
    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
    By Amy Mackelden
     
     
    Princess Kate smiling and holding an umbrella with Prince George
    Royals Prince William, Princess Kate and Prince George Take the Same Fashion Risk
    By Kristin Contino
    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
     
     
    Latest in Royals
    Grace Kelly wearing a white dress
    Royals Grace Kelly "Understood Quiet Luxury" Before the Term Was Invented
    Princess Lilibet, Prince Archie and Prince Harry walking through grass at Althorp
    Royals Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet Are Changing Schools After Just 2 Days
     
     
    Princess Anne wearing a coat and paisley scarf
    Royals Princess Anne Gets a "Round of A-Paws" from Sheep Dogs in Timeless Paisley Look
    Meghan Markle wearing a blue striped shirt
    Royals Meghan Markle Transforms Her Wardrobe from California to Cotswolds
     
     
    Latest in News
    Ayo Edebiri 2026 Emmys red carpet
    Celebrity Style Ayo Edebiri Sticks to Her Winning Red Carpet Formula at the Emmys
    a white woman in a gold dress with dark brown hair
    Nails Selena Gomez's 2026 Emmys Manicure Is All About a "Frosted Sunset" Finish
     
     
    US actress Zendaya presents the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series award to US actress Jean Smart onstage during the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theatre at LA Live in Los Angeles on September 14, 2026.
    Culture We're Tracking Every Can't-Miss Moment From the 2026 Emmys
    Grace Gummer and Louisa Jacobson red carpet looks at the 2026 Emmy Awards
    Celebrity Style Meryl Streep's Daughters Make Their Mom Proud on the 2026 Emmys Red Carpet
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    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.