Prince William and Princess Kate are celebrating their 14th wedding anniversary on April 29, and the couple has weathered plenty of storms since their 2011 wedding. Whether it was facing the Princess of Wales and King Charles being diagnosed with cancer at the same time or losing Queen Elizabeth, it's not been an easy few years for the Waleses. And while Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip aren't the first people you'd think of to compare Prince William and Princess Kate to, one former butler has said that the Waleses remind him "so much of" the late couple—while differing in one key way.
Speaking on behalf of Prime Casino, former royal butler Grant Harrold—who worked for King Charles between 2004 and 2011—said that William and Kate "are just the best of friends."
“I used to be traveling round the U.K. with them and they just had an amazing relationship," he said. "People always used to ask me to describe it, and I always used to say, quite simply, the relationship reminds me so much of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip."
The former palace employee added that "everything" about Prince William's relationship with his then-girlfriend (and later fiancée) "was so similar" to the late Queen and Duke of Edinburgh.
"They were very straight to the point with each other whilst also being totally supportive of one another," Harrold added. "It is extraordinary how much their relationship mirrored the late Queen and Prince Phillip’s."
However, Harrold said he's noticed one area in which Prince William differs quite a bit from his grandmother. "The late Queen always used to say that she put monarchy over family," he said. "Admittedly she did occasionally put family first in ways that contradict this, but she did say it often. I think William is very different."
Whether it's prioritizing the school run and everyday events or skipping the BAFTAs to take a tropical vacation with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, the Prince and Princess of Wales have made it clear that family comes before the crown.
"I am not saying that monarchy is not important to them, they will always work hard to support the monarchy, but their family will always be their first priority," Harrold said. "They will first and foremost focus on what is best for their family and that is a huge change, for the monarchy in general but also for William."
In a recent report from the Times, royal insiders agreed that Prince William and Princess Kate will be doing things their way when they eventually take the reigns. "For Kate, that means acting as a gatekeeper to ensure that William can do his work while also finding time to be a hands-on father, and that everyone understands that this is the deal," a source told the publication.
And like Harrold said, this includes a bit of inspiration from Prince Philip. The Princess of Wales is said to want to model her role after her late grandfather-in-law, "who made an individual contribution while being very clear that his role was to support the monarch."
