- Aides have urged William to ease the burdens of royalty by having a butler
- The first in line to the throne has always shown resistance but has given in
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The Prince of Wales has employed a full-time senior officer for the first time.
Aides have spent years encouraging William to lighten the burdens of royal life by hiring a dresser/assistant, but he has always been reluctant to let a member of staff get too close.
His reluctance stems from watching his mother’s ex-butler Paul Burrell become a television commentator, touting his former royal connections.
And King Charles’ senior butler Michael Fawcett was twice forced to resign, most recently in 2021 following an honor inquiry.
William has instead taken styling advice from his wife Kate.
He sometimes allows a personal police officer to help him prepare for an event and has occasionally used an officer from another household.
The Prince of Wales has employed a full-time senior officer for the first time
Now, with the Princess of Wales out of commission as she recovers from stomach surgery, William has reluctantly agreed to take on his own Jeeves, or ‘gentleman’s gentleman’, to help him dress.
The officer – who is in his mid-20s – previously worked for the Royal Family, where he cut his teeth in the ‘HMS Bubble’ – the tight-knit staff circle used by the late Queen during the Covid pandemic.
He then took on a lucrative role as a butler for a sheikh in the Gulf. Now he is back in the UK and at Williams’ side.
Last night a source told The Mail on Sunday: ‘After years of resistance, William has taken on his very own Jeeves.
“William used to dress himself and do everything else himself.
“He was forced to hire a valet to help dress him and lay out his clothes, which he never had.
“Sometimes if he went to an official event he would probably borrow a valet, but on the whole he’s always found it pretentious and a bit much.”
Another source said William had accepted that his workload would increase rapidly due to the king’s illness and has installed the butler in a royal apartment.
The source added: “While at Adelaide Cottage, William and Kate just don’t like lots of staff – and there’s no room to stay anyway. But William has realized there’s a lot of uniforms, a lot of other things to do, so life is more complicated than before.
Prince Charles with his Butler Michael Fawcett at the Christmas filming in Sandringham
The late Diana, Princess of Wales (1961-1997) with her butler Paul Burrell
“He resisted having a cop to protect his privacy and he always said he’s a man of his generation and can put on his own pants.
“Then he realized, especially with becoming the Prince of Wales, 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 ceremonial events.
The source added: ‘The officer is such a sweetheart. He’s straight down the line, definitely not a hipster, and an absolute poppet.
‘He is very keen to remain anonymous because he is fiercely discreet. He used to work for the Queen so it’s quite sweet that he’s now with her grandson.’