The Royal Family are no strangers to a long day out, and are often driving between locations for various engagements around the country. The Princess of Wales is one of the busiest family members as a senior working royal and, while on official visits, she will usually be driven by a chauffeur. Now, her former butler has revealed that there are two essentials which are always stocked in the car.
The first item is a basic staple to keep her and other members of the Royal Family hydrated on long journeys. 'We would always have bottles of water in the back of the cars for all the royals,' says Grant Harrold, former butler to The Prince and Princess of Wales, as well as other Royal Family members. The second, is to make sure they stay feeling fresh throughout their busy day, especially after a long journey. 'Normally there would be mints, too, as they obviously spend their days talking to people.'
When Kate finally arrives at her engagement, there's a carefully planned process to follow when it comes to exiting the vehicle. 'There is royal etiquette for how to get out of the car, especially when it comes to the royal ladies,' explains Grant, through Select Car Leasing. 'They have to be very graceful, and it’s a bit of a skill. They tend to keep their legs together and swing them around, and just use their hands on the seat to push themselves up. That’s what they’re taught to do it. You have to remember they are being photographed constantly at royal engagements, so they need to make sure everything is correct. It is a real skill.'
The King's cars will be stocked up with the same essentials as Kate's, but there's one extra item he likes to have to hand. 'The King always had a cushion on his seat to support his back, we always had to make sure there was one in there for him,' says Grant. He reveals this is one other item, however, which King Charles refuses to allow in the car at all; 'he never had snacks in the car as he really doesn’t like mess.'
While members of the Royal Family are almost always driven to official engagements and events (with their security team in cars around them), they do frequently drive themselves around, too. The Princess of Wales often arrives at more casual events and days out by driving herself. In 2019, she took Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis to the Billingbear Polo Club, and the family enjoyed a picnic out of their car-boot while they watched the action.
The King is also a big fan of driving, especially when it comes to his prized Aston Martin, which he famously converted to run off wine and cheese. When being driven by a chauffeur, you might presume that King Charles would use the opportunity to relax but, according to Grant, its the opposite.
'The royals will always work in the back of the car, especially the King who is always working, so staff will set up the back seat with his papers and anything else he needs,' he says. 'He was always working away, especially if it was a long drive.'
