November 5 marks Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Night in Great Britain, an annual commemoration of the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605—a plan that aimed to blow up the Houses of Parliament and kill King James I. Fireworks and bonfires take place every year, and former royal butler Grant Harrold recalls one Bonfire Night when Prince William and Prince Harry talked their dad, King Charles, into holding a party at Highgrove House.
Speaking on behalf of Heart Bingo, Harrold—who worked for King Charles between 2004 and 2011—said, "I remember William and Harry once having a Bonfire Night party. It was so funny because they convinced their father, and the other people that were there, to have a bit of a firework display."
Although "the royals are used to hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of elaborate fireworks displays at Buckingham Palace," as Harrold noted, the boys picked up a firework that the former butler said "was probably only around £100 from the local shop."
He continues, "They lit it, but it initially didn’t go off and there was that panic where people were saying ‘no, no don’t go back over there’ and of course they gave it long enough, but I think even the police had to come and check it over for safety reasons, and eventually they went and re-lit it and it went off and it was all fine."
Harrold added that the casual party "was great, it was actually quite fun and The King enjoyed it. William and Harry’s friends had sparklers, The King, Camilla and the rest of the guests were just watching them. It was a party!"
And what does King Charles wear for a chilly November bonfire? Harrold said that His Majesty pulled out one of his "extraordinary" winter coats.
"Everyone was wrapped up, including The King who was wearing one of his extraordinary jackets," he said. "They are like big overcoats, like something from Lawrence of Arabia."
