Former Royal Butler Thinks Prince William's Behavior Seemed ‘Off’ at State Banquet
The royal family once again showcased their flair for hosting with the grandeur of the recent state banquet held in honor of French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron. The star-studded evening saw many royal members in attendance. While Kate Middleton turned heads with her stunning ensemble, some eagle-eyed royal watchers pointed out Prince William’s unusual behavior following King Charles's insightful speech. A former royal butler has proposed a theory to explain William’s widely discussed behavior.
A video of William’s rather bizarre reaction to Charles’s speech has gone viral on social media. In the clip, the long list of guests could be seen giving the king a standing ovation. While William initially joined the guests, he soon took his seat and notably avoided standing again. Caught on camera, netizens are questioning the Prince of Wales’ actions. One of them also mentioned, “You can see the moment he contemplates standing back up,” to which another one replied, “Yes, then turns left and right to see if anyone is sitting too.”
Some also speculated that the prince was tired from the jam-packed itinerary for the day and chose to rest his feet. Addressing these speculations, a former butler, Grant Harold, for the monarch, has shared his theory. According to Tyla, he said, “While it’s not known why William sat down early, it’s slightly odd behaviour, especially in such a public setting.”
The former aide continued, “At an event like a state banquet, I’m assuming it’s normal for people to stand and clap following a speech.” However, the former staff member agreed something was ‘off’ about William, as he shared, “The fact that the Princess of Wales and others stood up and clapped, there’s definitely something off about it. Maybe his thoughts were somewhere else, or he was distracted.”
Harold continued to explain how royal family members keep a ‘poker face’ during such high-profile events and behave their best. Therefore, it was ‘not typical for William to act like this.' In Harold’s views, “The other members of the Royal Family stood, so it would have been the polite thing for him to do the same. The fact that he stayed seated is slightly odd, but potentially, he could have simply misjudged when other people were sitting down.”
William’s unusual reaction to the monarch’s speech came after the King made a warm and affectionate mention of his heir. In his speech, delivered in both French and English, the sovereign referenced the long-standing ties between France and England. After noting that the castle that they were in was originally built by his ancestor, William, Duke of Normandy, back in 1970, the monarch said, "So it is perhaps rather appropriate that my son, the Prince of Wales, who shares that earlier William's name, has made Windsor his home with his family, like so many of our predecessors.” No representative of the prince has offered any clarification regarding his actions.