Overview

• Grant Harrold, a former royal butler who served from 2004 to 2011, is promoting a memoir due Sept. 23 that recounts his proximity to William and Kate’s early relationship.
• He tells People he served an intimate dinner for William and Kate at Highgrove months after their 2007 split and says the evening convinced staff the couple would marry.
• Harrold describes a palpable shift after the reconciliation, saying the pair presented clearly as a couple and best friends, with marriage seen as a matter of time.
• In parallel coverage, Harrold’s view is that the brief 2007 separation may have helped ease tabloid pressure on Kate, a characterization he frames as his opinion rather than inside knowledge.
• Separately reported accounts revisit Kate’s earlier connection with Harry, including outings when William was away, a warm 2011 best‑man speech recalled by biographer Katie Nicholl, and a 2021 text to Kate said to acknowledge her bridging role.