King Charles’ former butler has revealed the one Christmas ornament the Royals never use on their Christmas trees.
Grant Harrold worked for King Charles between 2004 and 2011 at his Gloucestershire residence, Highgrove.
Speaking to the Mirror, the former royal butler spoke about the royal family’s Christmas traditions.
The insider said the Royal Family try not to overdo it with the decorations and would never use garlands.
Kensington Palace released this photo of the Princess of Wales standing in front of her elegantly decorated Christmas tree. The tree was decorated with velvet ribbons and silver ornaments
He said: “Everyone gets the garlands, but if you go to a royal house it’s a lot more greenery and trinkets and lights, no garlands.”
Earlier this week, Kensington Palace released a new photo of the Princess of Wales standing proudly in front of her tree at what appears to be the family’s London residence.
As Grant predicted, the elegantly decorated tree does not feature a piece of garland.
Instead, the mother-of-three opted for brown velvet bows, silver embellishments and a garland of lights instead.
The Queen Consort invited children supported by two of her patronages to help decorate her Christmas tree at Clarence House earlier this month. The tree was only decorated with red and white ornaments and fairy lights without a piece of garland
Former royal butler Grant Harrold worked for King Charles at Highgrove from 2004 to 2011.
Meanwhile, the Queen Consort welcomed seriously ill children to Clarence House earlier this month to help decorate her tree.
The children – who are supported by two of his sponsorships, Helen & Douglas House and Roald Dahl’s Marvelous Children’s Charity – chose from a selection of red and white decorations to hang on the branches, including mini stockings and angels.
Although the Queen has been said to take a strict approach with her own Christmas trees, Grant said the late monarch has a sweet tradition for the younger members of the Royal Family.
He continued: ‘I heard that at Sandringham the Queen used to have one of the trees in one of the rooms left bare for the children to decorate.
It was said that the Queen left a tree in Sandringham bare for younger members of the Royal Family to decorate as they pleased. The late monarch pictured in 2019
The Princess of Wales pictured in front of her Christmas tree in London earlier this month
“It was a tradition that she started and the grandkids would come in and they would all do a little decorating, which I think was always a good idea.”
This year marks the first time the Royal Family will celebrate Christmas without the Queen after she died aged 96 in September.
Members of the Royal Family are still expected to attend a service at St Mary Magdalene Church on the Sandringham Estate before returning home for their Christmas meal.
In November, it was reported that King Charles had invited Meghan Markle and Prince Harry to the family’s Christmas celebrations, despite stepping down from royal duties nearly three years ago.
The Royal Family are still expected to spend Christmas at the Sandringham Estate (pictured) as usual
But a source close to the king said: “They are unlikely to attend.”
This will be the first time Charles has hosted the annual family reunion and Christmas holiday at the private estate in Norfolk.
The Prince and Princess of Wales will be there, staying close to Anmer Hall, the home given to them by the Queen.
Other family members are expected to join the King and Queen Consort on their walk to church on Christmas morning.
The Royal Family have made Sandringham their base for Christmas and New Years since 1988.
Although the family traditionally spends the holidays at the country house, the past few years have seen a change in routine due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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