Balmoral Castle has started accepting applications for new staff members as King Charles’s former butler gives advice on what to do during interviews. King Charles’s former butler has revealed the number one mistake people make in front of the Royal Family, as Balmoral Castle has started accepting applications for new staff members ahead of opening its doors to the public for the first time this summer.
Grant Harrold, who worked for King Charles for seven years, claimed that royals “want people to be themselves” around them and warned against “trying to be anything different” or having lessons on how to act saying the “biggest mistake” is trying to act a certain way. Speaking on behalf of Spin Genie, Mr Harrold said: “You should just be yourself in these roles, the one mistake people make is when they try to act or behave a certain way.
“The royals just want people to be themselves, be relaxed and friendly, and obviously be respectful but still be themselves. “Don’t try to have lessons on how to act around royals or anything, don’t try to be anything different, just be your normal self’. “You do need to dress appropriately for these roles, regardless if it’s for a position within the house, the gardens or the shop, always make sure you are dressed well, after all the King is technically your boss.”
The former royal butler also revealed that anyone working on a royal estate is “likely to bump into a member of the Royal Family” so everyone has to go through security and background checks. He explained: “You still have to go through the security aspects, and they still have to do background checks.
“For any staff on the estate, wherever you are you are likely to bump into a member of the Royal Family so that is why that is important.”
Speaking about his own experience of working with the royals, Mr Harrold said he went through “six months” of interviews before meeting the then Prince Charles and getting the job. He went on to stay with the family for seven years, between 2004 and 2011.
