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

    Former Butler Reveals the "Cheeky Prank" Prince William Played on Princess Kate—Involving a "Witch's Black Cat"— With the Help of the Royal Staff

    "William was just winding Kate up, and I was backing him up."

    Amy Mackelden#039;s avatar
    By Amy Mackelden
    Published 20 August 2025 In News

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

    Kate Middleton and Prince William both wear blazer jackets and can#039;t stop laughing
    (Image credit: CAMERON SMITH/POOL/AFP via 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

    Several members of the Royal Family have been known to play pranks on one another over the years. While Queen Elizabeth II once tricked American tourists in Balmoral, Princess Diana reportedly had a "really filthy" sense of humor. According to a former royal butler, Prince William has also been known to "play pranks" on wife Kate Middleton. In fact, royal staff apparently helped the Prince of Wales carry out one particular joke involving a black cat.

    Former royal butler Grant Harrold reflected on William and Kate's humorous relationship, telling Heart Bingo, "They do love playing pranks. When you say play pranks, it's more jokey; it's silly things they do to each other."

    Reflecting on his time with the Royal Family, Harrold explained, "I remember one occasion when I was working there, William was playing a joke on Kate and telling her there was a black cat on the estate, saying it was a witch's castle."

    Latest Videos FromMarie Claire
    Watch full video here:

    The former royal butler continued, "Kate wanted to see it, but we told her she kept missing it. William was just winding Kate up, and I was backing him up—and she was believing us."

    TOBERMORY, SCOTLAND - APRIL 29: Prince William, Prince of Wales, known as the Duke of Rothesay and Catherine, Princess of Wales, known as the Duchess of Rothesay when in Scotland, smile to well-wishers as they arrive for a visit to Aros Hall, a local community hub on April 29, 2025 in Tobermory, Scotland. The Prince and Princess of Wales are on a two-day visit to the Isles of Mull and Iona on the 29th and 30th of April to engage with rural island communities. During their time on the islands, they will connect with local residents, highlighting the value of social bonds and underscoring the importance of safeguarding and advocating for the natural environment. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

    Prince William reportedly enjoys playing pranks on Princess Kate.

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    According to Harrold, Prince William and Princess Kate's hijinks are all in good humor. "They definitely do have wind-ups, and they play practical jokes on each other," he told the outlet. "But it's just fun, they do it to the staff as well."

    You may like
    • 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 Queen Elizabeth Greeted Prince Philip "Wearing a False Beard"
    • 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 and Princess Kate standing with flight attendants on a British Airways flight Prince William and Princess Kate's Surprising Travel Rule Revealed

    Kate Middleton wearing a blue wrap dress and Prince William wearing a suit at their engagement announcement

    "But it's just fun, they do it to the staff as well."

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    As well as tricking each other, the royals "give each other silly gifts at Christmas, and have a bit of a giggle," Harrold explained. For instance, it was previously reported that Princess Kate once gave her brother-in-law Prince Harry a "Grow Your Own Girlfriend" kit, per the Mirror.

    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
    Princess Catherine Prince William
    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
    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"
    By Amy Mackelden
    Princess Kate Middleton has long wavy brown hair and wears a black polo neck sweater with a brown blazer
    Royals One Royal Has Become "Very Close" to Princess Kate
    By Amy Mackelden
     
     
    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
    Prince William Princess Kate dating
    Royals Royal Editor Reveals the “Sincere” Advice Given To Kate Middleton While Dating Prince William
    By Christine Ross
     
     
    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.