Former Royal Butler Reveals the "Code Names" Staff Used for Royals—And What Princess Kate Asked Him to Call Her
"I think it was so when you were out and about in public, you could talk more openly without worrying about people overhearing."
Working for King Charles, former butler Grant Harrold got a unique insight into the inner workings of the Royal Family, and this includes their special nicknames. Harrold served The King at Highgrove House between 2004 and 2011, and he says there were three members of the family who insisted on less formal greetings—and others had their own secret code names.
Speaking on behalf of Smooth Spins Casino, Harrold said, “When speaking directly to members of the Royal Family, we used their official titles unless told otherwise. However it was only William, Harry and Kate who wanted the less formal name option.”
The former butler says that the now-Princess of Wales “was always known as Kate” behind the scenes when he worked for King Charles, and that “William always called her Kate.” When Harrold first met Middleton, who was dating Prince William at the time, “she introduced herself to me as Kate—and asked me to call her that,” he says.
Harrold worked as a butler at The King's country estate, Highgrove House.
Queen Camilla and King Charles are pictured in 2006.
“This Catherine thing only began after the wedding,” he added. “I think after their coronation, she will be Queen Catherine. But until then, it was always Kate behind the scenes.”
In his memoir, Spare, Prince Harry reflected on the Kate versus Catherine issue, noting he “flinched” when The King called her that in one passage from the book. “I remembered the time he and Camilla wanted Kate to change the spelling of her name, because there were already two royal cyphers with a C and a crown above,” Harry wrote. “Charles and Camilla. It would be too confusing to have another. Make it Katherine with a K, they suggested. I wondered now what came of that suggestion.”
As for King Charles and Queen Camilla, Harrold says they “would call each other ‘Sweetheart’ and ‘Darling’” at home. But when staff were speaking about members of the Royal Family, they used special names to keep things more private.
Harrold says Princess Kate didn't start going by Catherine until after her wedding to Prince William.
Harrold says, “We always called King Charles— who was Prince Charles at the time—‘The Boss,’ and it was the same for the late Queen. We referred to Camilla as ‘The Duchess.’ I think it was so when you were out and about in public, you could talk more openly without worrying about people overhearing.”
“However, when Princes William and Harry were around, we just referred to them by their first names. And it was the same with Kate,” he adds.
