King's ex-butler lifts lid on Charles' 'frustration' over 'face of monarchy'

The King's former butler has given an insight into how the monarch is coping in the wake of his cancer diagnosis.

It's certainly a difficult time for the Royal Family; Charles publicly announced his health battle at the start of February, with his 'beloved daughter-in-law' Kate sharing her own diagnosis last week.

And with both prominent members of the Firm now undergoing treatment, the royals have been forced to undergo a major reshuffle.

"Behind closed doors, it's all a bit of a muddle," Grant Harrold, who worked for Charles for seven years when he was the Prince of Wales, told The New York Post. "Obviously, the King is trying to get better, that's going to be the big focus."

He continued: "I think Charles will find it very frustrating that he's not able to work as much, I can believe that — I know what he's like, he's a workaholic. I'm sure that will be frustrating."

With the King and the Princess of Wales out of action, "the monarchy is working at 50% capacity right now," Harrold stated. "Even though you have all the other royals standing in, it's not the same. I can imagine it's a bit of a nightmare behind closed doors for the actual Firm as such. The face of the monarchy at the moment is not how it should be," the royal expert concluded.

While the Royal Family is facing an unprecedented challenge, Charles and Kate's shared health battles have further strengthened their bond behind closed doors. Following the release of Kate's video, Charles publicly expressed his pride in the Princess of Wales for her courage in speaking about her treatment.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said that the King is "so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did" and has "remained in the closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law throughout the past weeks," after they spent time in hospital together in January.

Charles is known to be incredibly fond of Kate - and is determined to privately support the couple, who are currently on Easter holidays with their three young children, George, Charlotte, and Louis.

"To be honest, he and William speak very regularly, but now the King calls daily to check in and make sure Catherine is doing OK," a family friend told Vanity Fair .

Furthermore, Charles was "100 percent behind" Kate's unprecedented video message to the nation in which she revealed her cancer battle. "She has always had a close relationship with Charles, but this has brought them so much closer," a family friend told the publication.

"Charles adores Kate and has so much respect for her and the courage she has shown in all of this. He was fully behind her recording the message. He has been buoyed by the many messages of support he has received, and he knew that Kate would get the same support from the public."

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