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    Prince Harry "Used to Try and Escape" and "Disappear" From One Element of Royal Life, Per Former Royal Butler

    "He didn't want them around."

    Amy Mackelden's avatar
    By Amy Mackelden
    Published 5 September 2026 In News

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    Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, has red hair and a short beard and wears a suit and tie and attends the Kyiv Security Forum, in Kyiv on April 23, 2026
    (Image credit: Genya Savilov / AFP via Getty Images)
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    Prince Harry recently moved back to the U.K. from California with his wife Meghan Markle, and their two children—Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Discussing the Duke of Sussex's decision to relocate, a former royal butler has shared details about the prince's past.

    During an appearance on "The Royals Uncensored" show (via the Express), Grant Harrold—who previously worked for the Royal Family as a butler—said of Harry, "Of course it was a long time ago I was there, but I always remember the whole security thing."

    Harrold continued, "He had a close protection officer, there were a couple of back-ups that would follow them around, but I remember he used to try and avoid them."

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    According to the former butler, "He used to try and escape them. He didn't want them around."

    Prince WIlliam showing his phone to King Charles and Prince Harry while they laugh

    "He used to disappear round the back of the house..."

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    As for how Prince Harry managed to evade his security officers when he was younger, Harrold shared, "He used to disappear round the back of the house and you'd have a police protection officer say 'Where has he gone?'"

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    Basically, it appears as though Prince Harry had quite the talent for escaping from authority figures when he needed to.

    Meghan Markle holding hands with Prince Harry

    "He used to try and escape them. He didn't want them around."

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    In many ways, it's understandable that a young Prince Harry might have tried to escape from his protection officers from time to time. Still, it's amusing to imagine the Duke of Sussex managing to successfully hide from royal employees who were searching for him.

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    Weekend Editor

    Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.

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