{"id":993111,"date":"2026-05-29T22:38:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T22:38:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/993111\/"},"modified":"2026-05-29T22:38:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T22:38:19","slug":"king-charles-butler-backtracks-after-posting-odd-photo-of-kate-middleton-and-prince-william","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/993111\/","title":{"rendered":"King Charles\u2019 butler backtracks after posting odd photo of Kate Middleton and Prince William"},"content":{"rendered":"

What appeared to be a sweet throwback moment from early in Prince William<\/strong> and Kate Middleton<\/strong>\u2018s relationship turned into a social media headache for one of King Charles III<\/strong>\u2018s former staffers.<\/p>\n

Grant Harrold<\/strong>, a former royal butler who frequently shares stories from his years serving senior members of The Firm, found himself on the defensive after posting a photo that appeared to show a young Prince and Princess of Wales embracing while casually clad in jeans and white T-shirts.<\/p>\n

But after followers questioned whether the image was authentic or had been generated by artificial intelligence, Harrold issued a public statement explaining how the mistake happened.<\/p>\n

Questions about the image<\/p>\n

Controversy erupted after Harrold shared the image on Instagram<\/a> and X on May 23.<\/p>\n

The photo shows Kate sitting on William\u2019s lap with her arms wrapped around his neck. Both are seated on the floor of what looks like a modestly furnished living room with a couch in the background.<\/p>\n

Alongside the image, Harrold wrote, \u201cThis wonderful photo of the Prince and Princess of Wales was taken when I first met them back in 2004. A true royal love story.\u201d<\/p>\n

The image quickly sparked debate among royal watchers, many of whom questioned whether it was genuine.<\/p>\n

Several followers suggested the picture may have been AI-generated rather than an authentic photograph from the early days of William and Kate\u2019s relationship, which began shortly after they met as students at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.<\/p>\n

Harrold explains what happened\"Prince<\/p>\n

Prince William and Kate Middleton\u2019s Kensington Palace office has not commented on the photo debacle. By: James Whatling \/ MEGA<\/p>\n

As speculation mounted, Harrold addressed the issue in a statement he posted to his Instagram Stories on May 26.<\/p>\n

In his message, Harrold said he\u2019d believed the image was authentic at the time he shared it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has come to my attention that the authenticity of a recent image I shared has been questioned to be AI. I love sharing my experiences and memories of working with the royal family, and I strive for my content to be a reflection of the great years I spent as part of the household,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n

Harrold also clarified that the image did not belong to him and was not one he had personally taken.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did not take or own the image of William and Kate that I posted. I always try to do my due diligence before sharing any posts \u2014 to me, I only saw in this image a young William and Kate that reminded me so much of how they were when I first had the pleasure of working for them,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cI genuinely mistook this to be an authentic image of the pair. On seeing it, it made me smile, and I wanted to share this joy with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

The challenge of spotting AI\"Grant<\/p>\n

Grant Harrold served as butler to King Charles III and Queen Camilla between 2004 and 2011 before becoming a royal commentator. By: @RoyalsUncensored\/YouTube<\/p>\n

While acknowledging the concerns, Harrold also noted the growing difficulty of identifying AI-created images.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile I may be adept at telling my dinner knife from my butter knife, AI, as I\u2019m sure you can all agree, can be harder to detect,\u201d he explained in his post.<\/p>\n

The onetime royal servant promised his followers that the experience would make him more careful in the future.<\/p>\n

\u201cMoving forward,\u201d Harrold wrote, \u201cI will be more cautious of the content I choose to share with my followers and will endeavor to ensure my platform remains an authentic and positive space that celebrates the royal family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Harrold signed the statement \u201cGrant Harrold, The Royal Butler\u201d \u2014 the branding he uses for his media work and the inspiration for the title of his 2025 book, The Royal Butler: My Remarkable Life in Royal Service.<\/p>\n

A familiar face from Charles\u2019 household<\/p>\n

Harrold \u2014 who now works as an etiquette expert and co-hosts Piers Morgan<\/strong>\u2018s \u201cThe Royals Uncensored\u201d podcast, which launched in April \u2014 spent years working inside the royal household.<\/p>\n

He served as butler to Charles and Queen Camilla<\/strong>, based at Highgrove House \u2014 the monarch\u2019s country residence \u2014 between 2004 and 2011, during which time he also served William, Kate, Prince Harry<\/strong> and other members of the royal family.<\/p>\n

According to his website, he also occasionally attended to the late Queen Elizabeth II<\/strong> and her husband, Prince Philip<\/strong>.<\/p>\n