King Charles left staff “surprised” with his choice of regnal name when he ascended to the throne, a former royal butler has said.
Grant Harrold, who worked for the then-Prince of Wales between 2004 and 2011, revealed why he felt the monarch had made the move in favour of his grandson, Prince George.
The former royal butler explained he and other staff working for Charles were “convinced” he would not go by Charles III when his time to be crowned came.
However, the now King defied their expectations by following in his mother Queen Elizabeth’s footsteps by using his given name as his regnal name.
King Charles ‘surprised’ his former butler and staff by choosing to reign as King Charles III
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“He explained to me about the different titles he could use. And we, myself and other colleagues, discussed it and we were all convinced he would (become) George VII,” Mr Harrold said.
The King’s full name is Charles Philip Arthur George, which led his staff to speculate he may have opted to take his grandfather’s regnal name – King George VI, who reigned until 1952.
However, Mr Harrold believed the monarch may have made have made the move for the benefit of Prince George, who was born in 2013 and is second in line to the throne behind Prince William.
“With his grandson George, maybe he felt he should be the next George VII,” the King’s former servant said.
The King defied the expectations of some of his staff by not choosing the title King George VII
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“Maybe he feels that it would be a nice thing to let him have that – be the next George – because it makes sense for Charles to go with Charles.
“It would make more sense for his grandson to have that name,” he determined.
Adding to the former butler’s “surprise” at the King’s decision was the spotty historical record of previous monarch’s bearing the name Charles.
“Charles II had a reputation as a womaniser and Charles I lost his head, after he was tried and convicted of treason,” the King’s former worker reminded.
Mr Harrold believed the King had made the move for the benefit of his grandson, Prince George
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“So when he picked Charles, I was quite surprised because that was not the impression I got,” Mr Harrold said at the launch of his book The Royal Butler, The Express reported.
Prince Charles became King Charles II on September 8, 2022, after the death of Queen Elizabeth at Balmoral Castle.
On the third anniversary of her death last week, Charles privately observed the occasion at the royal residence in Scotland.
This annual observance of his mother’s death and his day of ascension was another tradition established by the late queen.
King Charles’s own grandfather and Queen Elizabeth’s father, King George VI, was the monarch to bear the name George
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Queen Elizabeth would mark February 6 each year at Sandringham House in Norfolk, the residence where her own father, King George VI, died in 1952.
September 8 was also observed by Prince William and Prince Harry last week, with the Prince of Wales honouring her at a gathering of the Women’s Institute, which the late queen treasured, alongside Princess Kate.
Prince Harry, immediately upon landing in the UK on Monday, travelled to his grandmother’s final resting place at St George’s Chapel.
US President Donald Trump will also lay a wreath in her honour during his State Visit next week.