Ex-Butler Says ‘Something Must Have Happened’ Before Harry & Meghan’s Royal Exit Broke the 'Fab Four'
Grant Harrold has claimed that the camaraderie between the Sussexes and the Waleses had already turned to dust well before the world realized the 'Fab Four' were history.
The image of Prince William, Princess Kate, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle standing together united was once the ultimate symbol of a modern monarchy. Famously dubbed the ‘Fab Four,’ they were often pictured together attending events with full camaraderie. But behind closed doors, allegedly, things weren’t as simple as they looked on the outside. While the Duke and Duchess of Sussex ultimately decided to step down as senior working royals and leave the UK, according to former butler of the royal household Grant Harrold, the reality of their relationship had deteriorated long before the world knew the Fab Four were finished.
Speaking on behalf of OLBG (via Express), Harrold explained that the relationship between the Sussexes and the Waleses hit a point of no return in 2019, and it had something to do with the Duchess of Sussex entering the royal fold. Harry and Markle got married in 2018, and her introduction initially felt like a breath of fresh air, with the Prince of Wales allegedly finding his new sister-in-law “quite refreshing.” But that early optimism was short-lived.
The former butler identified the months preceding the 2020 ‘Megxit’ announcement as the time when the brothers' bond truly fractured. “We saw William, Kate, Harry, and Meghan do so many things together initially, but the turning point was a few months before the announcement that they were stepping away from royal duties…They were doing events in the summer prior to that, so something must have happened in between,” the former butler told the outlet.
The private tension finally boiled over when the Duke and Duchess framed their “stepping back” as an attempt to carve out a “progressive new role. But the execution allegedly left the late Queen Elizabeth and the then Prince Charles completely blindsided. The couple’s official announcement read, “After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution.” With this, they also assured everyone that despite no longer being working royals, they intend to fully support the Queen. While the Sussexes claimed they felt “prepared to make this adjustment” thanks to incredible public support, the internal fallout was catastrophic.
It wasn’t just intentional; it was quite personal for Harry, who has since reflected on the cold nature of the departure. A source close to the Duke previously told The Telegraph that he regrets how the statement was put in front of the world. “I don't think he fully appreciated the impact the statement would have in terms of them not consulting the Queen. He regrets that,” the source told the outlet. After Harry and Markle’s announcement, the late monarch herself released an official statement, managing to be both supportive and incredibly firm. She didn’t hide the fact that she would have ‘preferred’ the Sussexes to stay, but she gave them her blessings for a more independent life anyway.
However, she bluntly added, “Harry and Meghan have made clear that they do not want to be reliant on public funds in their new lives," before concluding, “These are complex matters for my family to resolve…But I have asked for final decisions to be reached in the coming days.”
