Prince William, Princess Kate pretend palace is a 'witch's castle' as prank

King Charles' ex-butler reveals the Prince and Princess of Wales 'love playing pranks' on each other and staff

By Web Desk
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August 23, 2025
Prince William and Princess Kate have a well-known sense of humour

When Prince William and Princess Kate aren’t performing their royal duties as future king and queen, they’re playing practical jokes on each other.

According to former royal butler Grant Harrold — who worked for William’s father King Charles III between 2004 and 2011 — the Prince of Wales once roped in staff to play a cheeky prank on his then-girlfriend Kate Middleton involving a mysterious black cat.

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“They do love playing pranks,” Harrold recently told Heart Bingo. “When you say play pranks, it’s more jokey; it’s silly things they do to each other.”

Reflecting on the incident, the former palace staffer recalled, “I remember one occasion when I was working there, William was playing a joke on Kate and telling her there was a black cat on the estate, saying it was a witch’s castle. Kate wanted to see it, but we told her she kept missing it. William was just winding Kate up, and I was backing him up — and she was believing us.”

Harrold clarified that William and Kate’s humour is always lighthearted. “They definitely do have wind-ups, and they play practical jokes on each other. But it’s just fun, they do it to the staff as well.”

Even when they’re on the clock, the royal couple lets slip their playful side. Earlier this year, William left Kate in hysterics during a visit to an Indian restaurant, where he pretended to be an employee and took an unsuspecting customer’s order on call.

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