A former royal butler, who worked for King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla, has claimed it was “probably best” for the monarch not to mention Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in his Christmas Day speech.
The country waited with bated breath to see if King Charles would mention his youngest son in his inaugural festive broadcast following their controversial exit from their Royal duties and their recent Netflix documentary series.
The controversial series follows their romance from the beginning to their marriage, and the challenges that led to them ultimately turn their back on their full-time roles with the Royal Family.
Addressing the nation on Christmas Day, Charles discussed The Queen and Prince Philip, and shared his condolences with those who have lost loved ones this year, and mentioned the cost of living crisis.
And while William and Kate got a mention, there were no words from Charles about Harry and Meghan.
Former royal butler Grant Harrold, who worked at Charles' Highgrove estate for seven years, has said the decision “made sense”.
The monarch, 74, surprised some with the lack of mention for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Grant claimed it was the “sensible move”.
Speaking to GB News he said: “I think the reality is that for the King, he obviously talked about the Prince and Princess of Wales and their recent visit to Wales, which was a significant moment for the Royal family.
“I think with everything that's gone on recently, it was probably best not to mention Harry and Meghan. They're not working into the Royal family so there isn't any real reason to mention them as such, because they haven't done anything of significance as working members of the Royal family. So, it probably made sense not to mention them, to be honest.”
In their bombshell Netflix series, Prince Harry said it was his decision, not Meghan's, to quit the UK after plans for a reduced royal life were rejected during a family meeting at Sandringham.
He claimed his father said things that "just simply weren't true" while his grandmother 'looked on'.
In 2020 the Sussexes went to Sandringham to discuss scenarios for the couple's royal role with King Charles – then Prince Charles – William and the late Queen.
Recalling how the meeting went, Harry claimed: "It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me and my father say things that just simply weren't true, and my grandmother quietly sit there and sort of take it all in."
He added: "But you have to understand that, from the family’s perspective, especially from hers, there are ways of doing things and her ultimate, sort of, mission, goal/responsibility is the institution."
