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Prince Philip didn’t mince his words on his grandson’s big day.
Grant Harrold, King Charles’s former butler, claimed that the Duke of Edinburgh didn’t hold back after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle said “I do” in 2018. In his upcoming memoir, “The Royal Butler,” the etiquette expert claimed he overheard “a few choice words” from Queen Elizabeth II’s husband.
“Once all the formalities were over, we watched as the happy couple, and then the other members of the royal family, filed out of the chapel,” Harrold wrote, according to an excerpt published by The Telegraph.
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“When Prince Philip came out, he turned to the Queen and said, ‘Thank f— that’s over.’”
Archewell, which handles the offices for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, told Fox News Digital they had no comment.
Meghan, an American actress who starred in “Suits,” married the British prince in a ceremony that was held at St George’s Chapel. Both the queen, who died in 2022, and Philip, who passed away in 2021, were in attendance.
Several royal experts told Fox News Digital they weren’t surprised by the alleged remarks made by Philip.
“He was 96 years old at their wedding,” said British royals expert Hilary Fordwich. “He had just recovered from surgery, so he was likely in pain and tired. Anyone would not have been at their best, alone at his ripe age.”
“Prince Philip was infamous for his colorful language and, on occasion, inappropriate, offensive comments,” said British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard.
“His gaffes became the norm, many putting it down to his razor-sharp tongue, lack of inhibition and PC due to his older generation,” she shared. “On this particular occasion, Prince Philip was feeling groggy, tired and fed up. He’d had enough for the day. He didn’t have enough tact left in his tank.”
“It wasn’t a personal swipe at the Sussexes,” Chard added.
Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner said he was all too familiar with Philip’s blistering words and no-nonsense approach to life.
“There are many expletives that could describe Philip, who was known for his outspoken views on anyone who would care to listen,” said Turner. “I used to be a royal photographer. Whenever I was given that task, I would check my life insurance, as he could be dangerous at times, especially when he was on his horse and carriage.”
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“More than once, he would… full charge towards me,” he recalled. “Once I had to dive into a thorn bush to get out of his way, and he muttered a similar oath to me, even though I was doing his carriage championships a massive favor. In reality, he was my least popular royal to work with. He led his own life… So, swearing after the wedding is just par for a man who thought he could get away with his behavior.”
Philip spent more than seven decades supporting his wife, England’s longest-reigning monarch. She affectionately referred to him as her rock in public.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals in 2020, citing the unbearable intrusions of the British press and a lack of support from the palace. They moved to California that year. The couple went on to air their grievances in interviews, documentaries, as well as Harry’s 2023 memoir “Spare.”
In sit-downs leading up to the book’s publication, Harry accused members of the royal family of getting “into bed with the devil” to gain favorable tabloid coverage. He singled out Queen Camilla’s efforts to rehabilitate her image after her longtime affair with his father, the king. In the book, Harry also claimed that he and his brother begged their father not to marry Camilla.
Harrold admitted to The Telegraph that he was surprised by Harry’s words.
“[The family]… got on so well,” he told the outlet. “And that’s why I don’t understand what Harry’s said, I really don’t understand. Because I saw them. I saw them having dinners together, I saw them having drinks together, I saw them going to parties together… The king used to do things to make [his sons] laugh and giggle.”
Harrold also noted that both Prince William and his wife, Kate Middleton, made sure to include Harry in their “little gang.”
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“They involved him,” said Harrold. “William would be away, and Kate and Harry would be out doing stuff together. They’d go shopping together, they’d go to pubs together… I think when people say, ‘Oh, he was left out,’ he really wasn’t. But also, he was with [his then-girlfriend] Chelsy [Davy]. Chelsy was always around. And Chelsy and Kate got on really well.”
The brothers were “so close,” Harrold insisted about William and Harry.
“The banter was great,” he told the outlet. “They used to go around being silly with each other and winding each other up, jumping out at their dad from corners and making him laugh. It was just like a [normal] family.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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