Former Royal Butler Says This Unexpected Royal Is "One of the Most Laid-Back" Members of the Family, But Don't Get On Her Wrong Side
Grant Harrold shares that even though this person is "lovely," you don't want to cross her.
Members of the Royal Family don’t always get to show off their lighter sides, but former Highgrove House butler Grant Harrold said that there’s a surprising royal who is actually quite “laid back.”
Princess Anne might be perceived as all business, but Harrold, speaking on behalf of OLBG, says that the “workaholic” sister of King Charles is actually one of the most relaxed Windsors. Discussing her weekend appearance at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, The King’s former butler says it’s “nice to see her more laid back.”
“We usually see her dressed to impress and in work mode, but she has really stripped it back,” Harrold says of her casual appearance. “I think she is starting to lean into the new era of the Royal Family and the modern way they are doing things.”
The Princess Royal continually ranks as one of the hardest working royals in the family, racking up hundreds of royal engagements each year. “But while she is often in work mode, she is also one of the most laid-back members of the Royal Family, but don’t let that catch you off guard,” Harrold notes. “She is very much like her father—she will catch you out.”
Princess Anne and her husband, Sir Tim Laurence, join Hugh Graham, Commonwealth Sport Vice President, at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Princess Anne attends King George Day at Ascot Racecourse on July 25.
Like the late Prince Philip, Princess Anne is known to be extremely direct, but she's also fuss-free and unfailingly dedicated to her charities. “She is absolutely lovely, but you don’t want to get on the wrong side of her,” Harrold shares. As for her impressive number of royal commitments each year, Harrold says he doesn't “really see any sign of Princess Anne slowing down her royal duties.”
“She is a workaholic. If you look over the past couple of years, she hasn’t stopped.” As the Princess Royal continues to “step up” for The King, the former butler to King Charles says that Anne “has always been very detail-oriented, like her mother, Queen Elizabeth.”
“I truly think she will continue working like her mother up until a very old age,” he adds.
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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.