Prince Harry’s former butler has warned the Duke and Duchess of Sussex ‘cannot afford to get anything wrong’, following the couple’s decision to ‘step back’ as senior members of the Royal Family.
Grant Harrold, 41, said Prince Harry and Meghan are ‘becoming celebrities’ and they need to be ‘careful’.
The couple issued the bombshell statement on Wednesday, announcing they plan to divide their time between the UK and North America.
Grant Harrold (pictured), 41, warned the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are ‘becoming celebrities’, following the couple’s bombshell announcement on Wednesday evening
Mr Harrold, who was a butler for Prince Charles and his sons for seven years after Princess Diana’s death, told talkRADIO: ‘The dangerous bit is, someone said to me the other day, that they’re becoming celebrities. That is not what it’s supposed to be about.
‘Of course part of it becomes about that, but I think they’ve just got to be a bit careful.
‘All that worries me is everyone is watching what’s gone on and they can’t afford to get anything wrong.’
Earlier in the interview, which took place today, he said: ‘They’ve got to be so careful, I’ve always said this and obviously I’ve had the privilege of working for them and getting to know them.
‘But I think when it comes to this kind of thing, we’ve seen over the years that the public have been very supportive and I think it’s important they’ve just got to get things right.
‘The last thing they want is to do any long lasting kind of damage.
Prince Harry and Meghan (pictured) announced they will be ‘stepping down’ as senior members of the Royal Family and will ‘work to become financially independent’
‘Especially the Queen, they’ve done so well at getting everything right, and suddenly we’ve had this extraordinary sequence of events over the last couple of days.’
In reference to Meghan’s interview with ITV’s Tom Bradby, the etiquette expert added: ‘When I was a youngster I was always an admirer, especially of the Queen, which is one of the reasons why I went to work for the Royal Family.
‘You’d never get the Queen saying things, I don’t think she’s ever given an interview.
‘You kind of think if they’re going to do their job as a royal, it’s important to follow how it’s been done by them, that’s why it’s worked so well for so long.’
The former royal butler to Prince Charles and his sons told radio presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer (pictured) that Prince Harry and Meghan ‘cannot afford to get anything wrong’
On Wednesday evening Prince Harry and Meghan took to the Sussex Royal Instagram account to announce the decision that they would be stepping back from royal duties and focus on low-key charity work.
Sharing a picture of their engagement announcement in November 2017, their statement reads: ‘After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution.
‘We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen.’
It continues: ‘It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment. We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages.
The Sussexes made the announcement on their Instagram page, saying they will ‘work to become financially independent’ and will focus on low-key charity work
Buckingham Palace later released a statement confirming that discussions with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were at an ‘early stage’
‘This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity.
‘We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course, as we continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties. Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support – The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’.
Buckingham Palace later released a statement confirming that discussions with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were at an ‘early stage’.
It added: ‘We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through.’