Royal Family's First Christmas Without Queen Elizabeth Will Be 'Emotional,' Former Butler Shares: 'Tears Will Be Shed'
Dec. 20 2022, Published 6:09 p.m. ET
Though the royal family is excited for the holiday season, it doesn't mean that everything will be dandy, as they will be thinking of Queen Elizabeth, who died on September 8.
"I think for them it will very emotional this year and I've no doubt there are tears that will be shed on the day or the night before because they will be remembering her," Grant Harrold, who previously worked for King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla, said in a new interview. "But I'm sure as well it will be a fun time for the youngsters and it will also carry on how the Queen would have wanted it to."
Since Charles is now in charge, Harrold doesn't think anything will change, and he'll keep with his mother's traditions. "Knowing what the King is like, I think he will try to mirror everything that has been done in the past," he shared. "But what is interesting is, I don't think he will stay [at Sandringham] until February like the Queen used to do to mark her own father's passing. I don't see him doing that, and I don't think his schedule will allow it."
Harrold wouldn't be surprised if Charles decides to switch things up in other ways. "It will be interesting to see what happens this year for New Year, whether the King stays in Sandringham like the Queen used to do or whether he keeps up the tradition of going up to Scotland," he said. "He may feel he should stay at Sandringham because that is what the Queen did but then he loves Scotland like his mother did. From memory, New Year was always quite private, of course, he would have friends come around, but it was always quite low-key."
It looks like Meghan Markle and Prince Harry won't make the trip, especially since their recent Netflix docuseries pushed the brood over the edge.
Now, they have to gear up for the prince's upcoming memoir, which will drop on January 10.
According to U.K.’s The Times, the forthcoming memoir “is widely expected to be even more inflammatory than the couple’s [Harry & Meghan] Netflix series.”
The Mirror interviewed Harrold.