Palace has its eye on ex-butler over his 'fake, potentially AI' snaps of Prince William and Princess Kate

Published: 02:12, 26 May 2026 | Updated: 03:21, 26 May 2026 He left Palace officials unimpressed after attempting to trademark his 'Royal Butler' moniker while launching schools on working in service and etiquette. And it was thought the saga had come to an end when the Intellectual Property Office ruled in the late Queen's favour when her legal team raised objections. But Grant Harrold, 48, now appears to be causing fresh unease within royal circles. I can reveal King Charles's former butler is accused of sharing 'fake', potentially AI-generated images that look as though they were taken from within royal grounds. The snaps, which were posted on social media, include an intimate photo purporting to show William and Kate cuddling. 'This wonderful photo of the Prince and Princess of Wales was taken when I first met them back in 2004,' Harrold wrote on Instagram, adding: 'A true royal love story.' The image was then shared by journalist Katie Nicholl, the ex-butler's co-host on Piers Morgan's new YouTube series, Royals Uncensored. She commented: 'Love this!' But a well-placed royal source is unsure about its authenticity, saying: 'I can see why questions are being asked by others.' Kensington Palace did not comment. William and Kate's relationship became public knowledge in 2004, when the couple were photographed skiing together in Switzerland. That same year, Harrold began working for Charles at his Highgrove estate before being made redundant seven years later. He then received an undisclosed settlement after alleging unfair dismissal and workplace bullying. He has also worked for William and Kate, as well as the late Queen. Harrold additionally appeared as a butler in reality show Country House. He has since become a regular royal commentator on TV. After I contacted Harrold, he admitted: 'I did not take or own this image. 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The 40-year-old, whose mother Caroline Smiley owns the Princess of Wales' favoured Cotswold clothing boutique Moloh, described the eating disorder as an omnipresent enemy. Sarah – who lives with her entrepreneur husband, Ned, 41, and their three children at his family's Vaynor Park estate in North Wales – opened up after attending a retreat in Austria. In a social media post, she said: 'I have an enemy called 'Annie Anorexia'. Sometimes she's quiet, sometimes she's loud. But she's always there in some way.' The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? 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