- Aides have encouraged William to lighten the royals’ burden by having a butler
- The first in line for the throne has always shown resistance, but has given in
The Prince of Wales has hired a full-time senior servant for the first time.
For years, aides have encouraged William to ease the burdens of royal life by hiring a dresser/assistant, but he has always been reluctant to let any staff member get too close.
His reluctance stems from the fact that his mother’s ex-butler Paul Burrell became a TV commentator, trading on his former royal connections.
And Michael Fawcett, King Charles’ senior valet, was forced to resign twice, most recently in 2021 after a money-for-honor investigation.
William has instead taken styling advice from his wife Kate.
Sometimes he has a personal police officer help him prepare for an event and has occasionally used a servant from another household.
The Prince of Wales has hired a full-time senior servant for the first time
With the Princess of Wales out of action while recovering from abdominal surgery, William has reluctantly agreed to enlist his own Jeeves, or ‘gentleman’s gentleman’, to help him get dressed.
The servant – who is in his mid-20s – has previously worked for the Royal Family and cut his teeth in ‘HMS Bubble’ – the close circle of staff used by the late Queen during the Covid pandemic.
He then landed a lucrative role as a butler for a sheikh in the Gulf. Now he is back in Britain and at William’s side.
Last night a source told The Mail on Sunday: ‘After years of resistance, William has adopted his own Jeeves.
‘William dressed himself and did everything else himself.
“He was forced to hire a servant to help him get dressed and lay out his clothes, which he has never had before.
“Every now and then, when he went to an official event, he would probably borrow a servant, but generally he always thought it was pretentious and a bit much.”
Another source said William had accepted that his workload will increase rapidly due to the king’s illness, and installed the servant in a royal apartment.
The source added: ‘While at Adelaide Cottage, William and Kate just don’t like having a lot of staff – and there isn’t room for them to stay anyway. But William has realized that there are many uniforms and many other things to do, which makes life more complicated than before.
Prince Charles with his butler Michael Fawcett during the Sandringham Christmas shoot
The late Diana, Princess of Wales (1961-1997) with her butler Paul Burrell
‘He resisted having a servant to protect his privacy and always said he was a man of his generation and could put on his own trousers.
‘Then he realised, especially now that he became Prince of Wales, that it’s a lot more work.’
The butler, whose job title is Yeoman, is a member of William’s household and is tasked with maintaining uniforms and preparing for ceremonial events.
The source added, “The clerk is such a sweetheart. He is straightforward, certainly not a hipster, and an absolute pop.
‘He really wants to remain anonymous because he is extremely discreet. He used to work for the Queen, so it’s quite sweet that he’s now with her grandson.’