Even when the Princess of Wales (40) was still called Kate Middleton, she is said to have been very popular at court. She "wasn't like other members of the royal family," explains a former butler. Grant Harrold (44), who served for King Charles III for seven years. (73) revealed, according to the "Mirror", that Kate "joked and chatted with members of the royal household" from the beginning.

According to the newspaper, Harrold said: "What I liked was that Kate met me and the other staff as a friend and obviously not a family member, and she was so polite, friendly and funny and cracking jokes." The 44-year-old was part of the royal household when Prince William, 40, and Kate were a young couple attending the University of St Andrews. They met there when they were 19.

Today's heir to the throne and his then girlfriend spent the first time as a couple away from the public eye. Grant Harrold told The Mirror that the pair acted like any couple in love at the time: They weren't any different than anyone else, "It's crazy to say that when you think about who they are, but it wasn't different". The former butler also experienced the time when William and Kate took a break from their relationship. It was "terrible" for him, "because I adored them both, fortunately they got back together".

Prince William and Kate Middleton split up in 2007 after several years together. According to British media reports, press hype and lack of privacy were the reasons given at the time. But they couldn't stand being without each other for long: a few weeks later, the two were seen together again. The dream wedding was celebrated in April 2011. The Prince and Princess of Wales are now parents to three children, Prince George (9), Princess Charlotte (7) and Prince Louis (4).