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    1. Celebrity
    2. Royals

    King Charles Once Had to Have the Cops "Check" In During "Funny" Incident at Prince Harry and Prince William's Bonfire Night Party

    There was "panic" about one aspect of the event, per former royal butler Grant Harrold.

    Kristin Contino's avatar
    By Kristin Contino
    Published 5 November 2025 In News

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    Prince William, Prince Harry and King Charles sitting next to each other wearing ski outfits and laughing
    (Image credit: Getty Images)
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    November 5 marks Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Night in Great Britain, an annual commemoration of the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605—a plan that aimed to blow up the Houses of Parliament and kill King James I. Fireworks and bonfires take place every year, and former royal butler Grant Harrold recalls one Bonfire Night when Prince William and Prince Harry talked their dad, King Charles, into holding a party at Highgrove House.

    Speaking on behalf of Heart Bingo, Harrold—who worked for King Charles between 2004 and 2011—said, "I remember William and Harry once having a Bonfire Night party. It was so funny because they convinced their father, and the other people that were there, to have a bit of a firework display."

    Although "the royals are used to hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of elaborate fireworks displays at Buckingham Palace," as Harrold noted, the boys picked up a firework that the former butler said "was probably only around £100 from the local shop."

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    King Charles clapping next to Prince William and Prince Harry at a 2006 concert

    The King (then the Prince of Wales) is seen with William and Harry at a 2006 concert for The Prince's Trust.

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    Prince William and Prince Harry wearing coats and ties walking behind The King and Queen at Christmas 2008

    Prince William and Prince Harry are seen walking to church with the Royal Family on Christmas Day in 2008.

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    He continues, "They lit it, but it initially didn’t go off and there was that panic where people were saying ‘no, no don’t go back over there’ and of course they gave it long enough, but I think even the police had to come and check it over for safety reasons, and eventually they went and re-lit it and it went off and it was all fine."

    Harrold added that the casual party "was great, it was actually quite fun and The King enjoyed it. William and Harry’s friends had sparklers, The King, Camilla and the rest of the guests were just watching them. It was a party!"

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    And what does King Charles wear for a chilly November bonfire? Harrold said that His Majesty pulled out one of his "extraordinary" winter coats.

    "Everyone was wrapped up, including The King who was wearing one of his extraordinary jackets," he said. "They are like big overcoats, like something from Lawrence of Arabia."

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    Explore More
    Prince William Prince Harry King Charles
    Kristin Contino
    Kristin Contino
    Senior Royal and Celebrity Editor

    Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

    Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

    Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.

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