Royal Watch News

Prince Charles reaches settlement with butler

Nov 19, 2012, 12:02 GMT

Prince Charles

Britain's Prince Charles has reached an out-of-court settlement with a former butler.

Ex-employee Grant Harrold claims he was forced out of his £24,000-a-year job after he was intimidated, threatened and made to feel like a 'pariah' by senior colleagues.

Grant claims he was bullied after he refused to transfer from Charles' Highgrove estate to his London residence Clarence House and says one member of staff branded him 'too dangerous' to work with the prince and banned him from direct contact with the royal or his wife Duchess Camilla.

Grant - who was later diagnosed with phobic anxiety depersonalisation syndrome, which caused him panic attacks when he spent extended periods of time in a big city - launched a compensation claim last year.

Clarence House said his post had been scrapped and that he had rejected an offered relocation package.

They had planned to argue against his claims but have now settled out of court and expressed their 'regret' for their former employee's distress.

A spokesperson for Clarence House confirmed the case had been settled 'amicably'.

A representative for Grant - who still lives in a cottage on Highgrove with his partner, another employee of the prince - said: 'Mr. Harrold and the Household have reached a mutually acceptable agreement on confidential terms in order to bring to an end the Employment Tribunal proceedings and other matters relating to Mr. Harrold's employment.

'The Household regrets the upset caused to Mr. Harrold when he was made redundant.'