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King Charles III is expected to enjoy a heartfelt birthday surprise arranged by his grandchildren, according to a former royal butler.
The monarch turns 77 today, Friday, though his official birthday was already celebrated in June during the Trooping the Colour ceremony and the traditional RAF flypast.
Former royal butler Grant Harrold revealed that the Prince and Princess of Wales’s children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis — are likely preparing a “special present” for their grandfather, along with handmade birthday cards.
He explained that “Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis will definitely have a special present for their Grandpa. I think they might make him homemade cards as well, which all grandparents love to receive.”
Harrold added that “Kate and William love doing arts and crafts with the children, so I expect they will make something extra special. We’ve seen previous examples of them making Mother’s Day cards for Kate, so I think homemade cards are a big part of royal birthdays now.”
In 2023, King Charles was also given a “meaningful” birthday surprise from his younger grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, who live in California with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
As reported by The Telegraph, Archie and Lilibet created a special video in which they sang “Happy Birthday” to their grandfather in celebration of his 75th birthday.
King Charles is familiar with both giving and receiving birthday gifts from his grandchildren. On one occasion, he gifted Prince George an unusually lavish present valued at £18,000.
The young royal received an elaborate Wendy house to enjoy at his grandfather’s residence for his first birthday, and it still sits in the garden of Prince Charles’s Highgrove estate.
Kate and William have also spoken on several occasions about how much they enjoy doing arts and crafts with their children. During their visit to the National Federation of Women’s Institutes in London in September, the couple chatted with WI members, who asked about their family and the activities their kids enjoy.
Kate mentioned that she and her children — Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7 — spent their summer “crafting in every corner of the house.” She also discussed her beekeeping hobby with the women and highlighted how “making and crafting” helps build a sense of community.
The Princess, who holds an undergraduate degree in art history, assisted George and Charlotte in creating handmade presents for their Gan-Gan. William previously told Radio 1 that George and Charlotte had made homemade gifts for the late Queen on her 91st birthday.
However, Kate quickly teased him by saying, “Are you taking credit for the arts and crafts?” William, looking slightly embarrassed, responded, “This is putting the marriage on the line.”
