The Royal Butler

Grant Harrold's new book, The Royal Butler, was a birthday present from my daughter, riding on the coat-tails of The Residence which we both enjoyed so much. Not surprisingly, Harrold is a big fan of the monarchy, and his obsession with queens and castles began when he was a small child. Living with dyslexia, Harrold didn't do well at school, but that didn't deter him from writing to lots of people (aristocrats) and asking for work. Before long he'd landed a job in a grand house, one thing led to another, and he ended up working for many years as butler to Princes Charles (now the King) at his country estate at Highgrove. He was made redundant in the lead up to Charles taking the throne, but has successfully parlayed his experience into an etiquette school and a career in media commentary.

There is quite a bit of royal gossip here, a peek into the private lives of princes and monarchs (they're just like us! Only -- special) and fascinating detail about how these grand households operate. The sheer number of staff required to wait on a small family, or even just a couple, is mind-boggling. Harrold keeps pinching himself. Am I really sitting on the stairs of an ancient palace? Am I really dancing with the Queen herself at a workplace party? Did Prince Philip really just nod in my direction? Harrold freely admits this was his dream job, and he is thrilled for just about every minute of it.

There is an uneasy tightrope being walked here, between marvelling at how ordinary and friendly and approachable the royals can be, and the feeling of breathless reverence that Harrold still cherishes toward them. Harrold himself has a sweet, naive-seeming charm, but if the amounts of money spent on royalty make you feel queasy, maybe don't read this book.