During his seven years serving King Charles III, former royal butler Grant Harrold built a close relationship with Princes William and Harry, describing them as playful and mischievous boys.

Looking back now, however, he admits he is saddened by their very public falling out.

Harrold says he has even felt compelled to address Harry’s most explosive claims — including allegations of violence between the brothers.

Harry’s Allegations in Spare

In his memoir Spare, Prince Harry wrote candidly about a long-running rivalry, calling William both his “beloved brother and arch-nemesis.”

“There’s always been this competition between us, weirdly. I think it really plays into the heir/spare dynamic,” he said, also accusing William of disliking Meghan Markle.

Perhaps the most shocking claim was that William once physically attacked him at Nottingham Cottage.

“He grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and… knocked me to the floor,” Harry wrote. “I landed on the dog’s bowl, which cracked under my back, the pieces cutting into me. I lay there for a moment, dazed, then got to my feet and told him to get out.”

Harrold’s Refutation

Harrold, who worked at Highgrove for nearly a decade, strongly disputes Harry’s version of events.

“I never witnessed them have a fight,” he told Tyla, adding that while William occasionally scolded Harry as an older brother, he never saw violence between them.

“That isn’t to say William didn’t give Harry a telling off sometimes as children – he was the big brother,” he explained. “You see the same dynamic nowadays between Prince George and Prince Louis.”

He went further, insisting: “I can guarantee you right now that I never saw a fight break out, a punch-up occur, or a shouting match take place between William and Harry. If it did, you’d know about it, because Highgrove isn’t that big. If you shouted, someone would hear you.”

For Harrold, the allegation doesn’t ring true. “William hasn’t got that in him, that’s not him. Don’t get me wrong, he gets frustrated, but he’s not got it in him to fight his brother.”

William’s Perspective

While Harry has since spoken of his hope for “reconciliation,” Harrold believes William has every right to feel hurt by his brother’s accusations.

“William will definitely see everything Harry has said as an attack,” he said, pointing out the negative portrayals of Catherine in Spare. Harry described his sister-in-law grimacing when Meghan borrowed lip gloss, and claimed she reduced Meghan to tears over Princess Charlotte’s bridesmaid dress.

Harrold argued: “He’s made her seem difficult, petulant, cold, especially when it comes to her relationship with Meghan.”

Comparing William to his grandmother, he added: “William is a lot like Queen Elizabeth in that his family always comes first. He’s someone that sticks to his guns – much more so than his father. He’s stubborn, but not in a bad way. He’s principled. I doubt he’s willing to back down after everything Harry’s said – especially given the possibility of further damaging accusations.”

Remembering a Different Harry

Harrold says the Harry he knew during his service is very different from the Harry seen today.

“The Harry I knew was playful. In the book, I recall he and William chasing me around Highgrove with water balloons. He was cheeky. He’d joke around with me, he’d wind me up,” Harrold recalled. “He was very much a practical joker, but he also had a humble side.”

He shared an anecdote of Harry cleaning up after a dog accident at Wood Farm, insisting on doing it himself. “I thought his attitude was brilliant,” Harrold said.

By contrast, he feels today’s Harry has changed beyond recognition. “I think people are worried — or more aware — of having connections to Harry nowadays, because you don’t know if he’s going to cause a problem later down the line. The Harry now is definitely a different Harry. Sadly, that old Harry is gone. Even if he was to return to the UK now, he’d be coming back a very different Harry.”