Members of the Royal Family might be able to afford anything they want for Christmas, but instead of lavish presents, they have a tradition of giving each other silly gag gifts on Christmas Eve. Some highlights over the years include the "grow your own girlfriend" kit that Princess Kate once gave to Prince Harry, a leopard-print bath mat that Princess Diana presented to Sarah Ferguson, and a shower cap reading "Ain’t life a bitch" that Prince Harry once gifted Queen Elizabeth. But former royal butler Paul Burrell says that along with joke gifts, Prince Harry and Prince William had other pranks up their sleeves.
Speaking to OLBG, Burrell—who served as Princess Diana's butler for the decade preceding her 1997 death—shares that in the days before online shopping, he used to "have to go out shopping to Selfridges, Harrods and Fortnum and Mason and all the top stores and find things that were unusual or funny for William and Harry to give."
He would then come back to Kensington Palace with some options and then sit down with Diana, William and Harry to make selections. Burrell recalls that one year, "William and Harry went straight for the whoopee cushion" with the intent to give it to none other than the late Queen.
A young Prince William and Prince Harry are seen standing with Princess Diana behind Queen Elizabeth (in red) on Christmas Day 1991.
The late Queen is pictured meeting a corgi in 2010.
"They said to the princess, 'This would be great to put under Granny's cushion when she sits down,' and the princess looked at them both and said, 'Do you think that's wise?'" Burrell says.
The former butler shares that Diana directed them to instead give the gift to their grandfather, Prince Philip, who "loved it." Although Princess Diana wisely turned them away from giving Queen Elizabeth a whoopee cushion, it seems she was on board with one other practical joke.
Prince Harry, Princess Diana and Prince William are pictured on Christmas morning in 1994.
Burrell says William and Harry got a kick out of "fake dog poo" and used it to trick their dog-loving grandmother. He recalls that the boys "loved" leaving plastic poop "in the corridor for Granny, and then they'd go running and say, ‘Granny, there's a mess in the corridor. It has to be one of the corgis!'"
Apparently, Queen Elizabeth "would come out alarmed," but also "thought that was hilarious because she'd never seen anything quite like that before."
Perhaps Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis can get in on the fake poo action with their canine aficionado grandparents, King Charles and Queen Camilla, this year...if their dad hasn't already shown them the ropes.
