Queen Elizabeth II was renowned for her wicked sense of humor, her ability to deliver sharp retorts, and her willingness to play pranks on just about anyone. As a result, it's entirely unsurprising that one former royal employee has claimed that the late Queen was the "smartest" member of the Royal Family. However, since Elizabeth's death on September 8, 2022, another royal relative may have taken the cleverness crown, a former royal butler has suggested.
"The smartest in my mind would have been Queen Elizabeth II, and the reason I say that is not just intelligence; she was witty, ruled a country for over 70 years, and knew about sports," former royal butler Grant Harrold told online learning platform Study Dog, via the Express. "Right behind her, I would say The King because he speaks several languages, but he is also very intelligent with numbers, and his command of the English language is extraordinary."
Harrold continued, "[King Charles is] super intelligent, so if you're talking about the royals now, he'd be top of that pile without any question. But I would also put Princess Anne up there; she is a knowledgeable lady."
"She was witty, ruled a country for over 70 years, and knew about sports."
During the same interview, Harrold discussed the future of the monarchy, and what education Prince William and Kate Middleton's three children—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—might receive.
"I don't think it would [be frowned upon] these days [if they didn't attend college]," Harrold told the outlet. "We may find that George, Charlotte, and Louis might not all go to university. They may go straight to somewhere like [Royal Military Academy] Sandhurst."
"George...will have to go through that military training."
The former butler continued, "In particular, George, as it is seen as vital for future kings to have had some sort of military training, so you can guarantee that George, whether he likes it or not, will have to go through that military training."
