Former royal butler Paul Burrell has said there is only one person who can say no to King Charles as another former royal employee speculates about the monarch’s reaction to Meghan Markle’s Veteran’s Day post
Former royal butler Paul Burrell has claimed there is only one person who can say no to King Charles as he shared his opinions on the current state of the Royal Family.
Paul started his career as a footman at Buckingham Palace at the age of 18 and went on to work for Princess Diana for 10 years.
Writing in his book The Royal Insider: My Life with the Queen, the King and Princess Diana, Paul, 67, said the one person who could say no to the monarch is his wife of 20 years, Queen Camilla.
Paul described the Queen as a “non-negotiable” who rarely asks for much, yet is given everything.
He explained: “Charles has always lived in a world where all his household and staff bow and call him ‘your Royal Highness’. Now, of course, it is ‘Your Majesty’. Nobody says no. If you do, you’re out.
“He lives in a gilded bubble and is served whatever he wants, whenever he wants and by whom he wants.
“The only person that can say ‘no’ is Camilla. She is and always will be a non-negotiable. Perhaps her no-nonsense approach is what Charles needs. She’s the steady hand on the tiller of the royal ship now, like it or not.
“She is at the helm. She rarely asks for anything but is given everything and now has the ultimate position as queen.”
As well as highlighting the one person who can say no to the 76-year-old monarch, Paul also claimed that Charles’ routines have not changed much over the years.
He wrote: “His routines have never changed. His toothpaste is squeezed onto his toothbrush every morning and he uses a silver key which winds down the tube to avoid any waste.
“His pyjamas are laundered or pressed every day, the drawstring tapes pressed flat like his shoelaces. He, again like his father, likes his dress shoes to be ‘spit-and-polished’ to a mirror finish.”
While Paul commented on Charles’ historic everyday habits, another former butler addressed how the King might have viewed a military-related social media post by Prince Harry ’s wife, Meghan Markle, posted earlier this week.
Meghan shared the video to mark Veterans Day, the US equivalent of Remembrance Day, commemorating the efforts of her husband and all service personnel.
On what Charles may have thought of the post, former royal butler Grant Harrold told ReachPlc that he believes the King would have welcomed it.
He explained: “It’s a very powerful video, and a very emotive post. It’s definitely showing Meghan’s move to a more ‘celebrity’ approach to social media, sharing the video she wants and feels are important on key days. It’s a really nice post. I don’t think the Royal Family will feel badly about it at all; I think they will approve it.
“She’s marking Veterans Day—which is America’s version of Remembrance Day—and showing her pride in the active service her husband undertook.
“The King was extremely proud of his son serving in Afghanistan, and he will be glad at Meghan acknowledging and respecting this.”
