Prince William and Harry are back in focus after Princess Diana’s former butler Paul Burrell shared a story about the brothers’ very different childhood personalities.
Sky News reported Burrell’s latest comments from an interview with Casino.org. Burrell reflected on life at Highgrove and on the princes as boys.
Burrell served as a footman to Queen Elizabeth II before he became Diana’s butler. He said young Harry often gave pocket money to Burrell’s sons.
Paul Burrell worked in the royal household before becoming Princess Diana’s butler.
- He served as a footman to Queen Elizabeth II.
- He later joined Diana’s household as her butler.
- Burrell became a frequent media commentator on Diana, Prince William and Prince Harry after Diana’s death.
- He has also written books about his time in royal service, including A Royal Duty and The Royal Insider.
He described Harry as a “generous and sensitive boy”. Burrell said that side of Harry showed up early.
The Prince William and Harry memory that still surprises
Burrell said Harry loved handing over bank notes to his sons. The boys then saved for things they wanted.
“He (Harry) would like nothing better than to give my boys a ‘Pink Granny’ or a ‘Blue Granny’,” Burrell said.
He explained that Harry used those nicknames for bank notes because they featured Queen Elizabeth.
Burrell added: “He used to give out notes to my boys so they could save for a PlayStation or something. He was very kind.”
Burrell then contrasted Harry with Prince William. He said William treated money in a more practical way.
“William wouldn’t have done that, because William would be saving his money for something important,” he said.
Burrell also said Diana tried to raise both sons equally. He made that point despite Harry later describing himself as the “spare” to William’s future role as king.
What Burrell says Highgrove revealed about both brothers
Burrell said the brothers showed those differences in other ways too. He recalled how they arrived to play with his sons.
He said: “I remember Harry riding his chopper bike through the estate at Highgrove, coming down to play football with my boys, and William arriving in his model Aston Martin car. Harry would have holes in his jeans, and William would be immaculately dressed.”
That Prince William and Harry comparison still draws attention because their adult relationship remains under heavy public scrutiny.
Burrell has also criticised Harry in recent years. Speaking to the Express UK in May at the 2026 British LGBT Awards, he said Harry must live with the consequences of stepping back from royal duties with Meghan Markle in 2020.
Highgrove House in Gloucestershire was the country home closely associated with the then-Prince Charles and Princess Diana during Prince William and Prince Harry’s childhood.
- The house was purchased by Charles in 1980.
- William and Harry spent part of their early years there while growing up.
- The estate became known as a private family setting away from central London.
- Highgrove is also associated with Charles’s long-running interest in gardens, organic farming and conservation.
Burrell also pointed to Harry’s tell-all interviews and his memoir, Spare.
“It’s the royal soap opera…that continues to intrigue everybody,” Burrell said.
Read more: Palace’s ‘risk management’ plan ahead of Prince Harry’s UK ‘reunion’ with King Charles broken down
He added: “Like all families they have fallouts but with the royal family it is always a public one. I think Harry’s going to have to go a very long way to be forgiven by his brother and by his family for the things that he has said and done.”
Burrell also said: “His choice. He didn’t have to do all the things he did but he chose to and he has to pay the price for that.”