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Former Royal Butler Grant Harrold Describes What Prince Charles Was Like as a Boss: ‘Great Sense of Humor’

No horrible bosses here! Grant Harrold, a former butler who worked for Prince Charles from 2004 to 2011, has nothing but fond memories of the time he spent waiting on the Prince of Wales.

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“It was unbelievable,” the British etiquette expert, 41, told Us Weekly on Thursday, February 20. “I used to pinch myself for about a year, because I couldn’t believe it.”

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Grant Harrold at Eastington Park, near Stroud, Gloucsestershire. Susie Mackie/Shutterstock

Even though he ultimately worked for the future king of England, 71, for about seven years, Harrold never lost sight of how special and privileged his job was. “To actually have somebody like the Prince of Wales as your employer was just an extraordinary situation and, I’m not just saying this, he was a very kind, considerate and passionate employer.”

Harrold also noted that Charles had a “great sense of humor,” which came in handy during one funny mishap early on in Harrold’s royal career.

“I remember when I first started working for [Prince Charles], on one of my first days, I bumped into him and I was a bit worried [about] what to do,” Harrold told Us, noting that Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, was also present. “I dived into a cupboard because I didn’t know what the etiquette was!”

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Camilla Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Charles at the White Rose Primary School, New Tredegar on July 4, 2019. Tim Rooke/Shutterstock

Harrold found the interaction “quite humorous” and was able to find his way out of the cupboard thanks to a nearby staircase, where he saw Charles and Camilla, 72, once again. “I kind of then looked at them and said, ‘Oh, good morning, your highnesses,’ and nodded my head.

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Thankfully, Harrold said the royal pair got a kick out of the whole situation. “They found this hysterical and there was a lot of laughter about it,” he explained.

The incident, he told Us, showed him how “down-to-earth and normal and fun” the couple can be. “That was exactly what it was like for my whole time there,” he explained. “I was very lucky.”

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Harrold also considered himself fortunate because his job allowed him to observe many politicians and foreign dignitaries up close, including former president Barack Obama and his Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. According to the onetime royal staff member, Clinton, 72, stands out as one of his most memorable encounters. “[She] was absolutely wonderful. She actually came and thanked all of us,” he recalled. “The royals do that, but you don’t normally have world leaders or politicians doing that. So it always stuck in mind, that one, I was very impressed.”

Watch the complete video above to hear more from Harrold, including his sweet story about dancing with Queen Elizabeth II!

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