A former royal butler who worked at Highgrove with King Charles has disputed Earl Spencer's bombshell claim about the monarch's reaction to Princess Diana's death. Grant Harold, who served as butler at Highgrove, said he was 'fully aware' of what the King felt about the princess and disagreed with Spencer's account.
Butler rejects Spencer's claim
In his new book Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, Spencer claimed that Charles was 'giddily elated like a lottery winner' in a phone call after Diana died. He alleged that Charles's reaction 'must have been to think more of how this event might free him to marry the woman he loved', in reference to Queen Camilla.
Appearing on LBC radio on September 18, Harold told host Ben Kentish: 'I think it's a lie. I was obviously after Princess Diana, but I was fully aware of what the King felt about the princess, and I completely disagree with what Earl Spencer said. I think, to my mind, this is just about selling a book.'
Butler cites personal experience
Harold added: 'As a former butler at Highgrove and also being privy around conversations, I'm fully aware that that was certainly not the King's view. I'm aware of that.'
'As I said, if he did think that and he did have those views, then why did I witness and see things around him to remind him of his former wife the years after she had died?' he said.
Kentish presses on motive
Kentish responded: 'Obviously Earl Spencer will reject that, but your view is he is making things up to make money?'
The butler then confirmed: 'I think so.'
Sources have previously cast doubt on the allegations made in Spencer's book.
